Customer Reviews The North Face Women's Vault

I purchased this backpack as a daypack for trekking around the city/country with my 2 boys. Overall I like this backpack, but I would have loved a few extra features: 1) small outer “tech” zip pocket for quick access to my phone and 2) some extra organizing pockets in the main compartment. Otherwise... It’s comfortable, but I haven’t yet tested it on a typical day out. It does feel like it fits to my form as a woman more so than my previous backpack. The main compartment is spacious enough to hold my travel chair with plenty of room to spare for a sweater and my kids lunches. The water bottle holders on either side will easily hold a 32oz Nalgene.

Really nice quality, but not as roomy as you would think, if your child has several binders for school this may not be a good choice. There is only one good sized area that is roomy, the other is pretty limited.

I bought this bag for myself-I'm a 30's graduate student and decided to trade in a Michael Kors Jet Set tote this year for this backpack, my back couldn't take the one-sided weight anymore! I LOVE the new setup - my books, lunch, everything from my purse and my tablet all fit comfortably in here and the two external mesh water bottle holders always provide a place for my Nalgene water bottle. This backpack sits higher than others I've used, it may have something to do with it being "designed for women," I don't know. But it's VERY comfortable. The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars is because I wish there was a LITTLE bit more room in the smaller external pocket for my purse accessories, and I wish that the zipper for the external pocket went a little further down. Other than that, this is a great backpack, and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone!!

I'm in College Army ROTC and with me carrying a lot of extra stuff this surly does get the job done. I still end up having a lot of extra space even after having 4 books in my bag.

Was going back and forth between different North Face backpacks, I wanted something that would fit my busy all day on campus schedule. I am not much of hiker so I don't know how this will hold up in various terrains but the material appears to be very durable. Being a 5'0 petite frame I was worried I would get a backpack that would be too big. After receiving this product I am happy with my purchase. As others mentioned it is long, and has a different look to it but honestly by adjusting the shoulder straps it doesn't look weird, long, or uncomfortable to me. As far as space and organization, I have managed to fit my work clothes and all my essentials for school in it with no problem along with a laptop. Would like the second pouch to be a little big bigger but I still manage to fit my shoes in there along with other items. I am overall happy with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone looking for a backpack that fits not only their budget but also doesn't want something too big. Great for a college student or the commuter.

I bought it as a gift for my niece & she loved it!

My previous backpack was a Borealis. I chose the Vault this time around, because I wanted a backpack that is a little slimmer, smaller, and stylish for a woman's frame. I got all that with this backpack; however, I must warn you that the outside compartment is very small. It doesn't extend down to the base of the backpack like the main compartment does, so you won't be able to fit much in there except the small necessities, such as tissue packs, a small stapler, feminine products, and so on. Aside from that, you'll be able to fit a 13" laptop, several notebooks and more inside the main compartment. This is a very sleek and simple backpack, but don't expect it to have as many features as the Borealis.

I bought this as a college backpack and it works great for this purpose and can also be used for hiking.

I am an archaeologist (in training) and ordered the backpack just before I departed for my most recent trip to Guam. I used this backpack as my carry-on item and it held my personal belongings easily. I just wished that there was a smaller pocket on the outside area of the backpack so I can easily grab my phone and keys quickly. However, I use this backpack on hikes, out in the field, and for personal occasions. I work in dirty and sandy environments and the backpack definitely stands through the elements. It is great quality if you are active and outside most of the time. It is also good for carrying around books and a laptop to classes. Lastly, if you are going to the beach or going shopping, it is aesthetically pleasing and quite comfortable.

Bought for commuting to work. Simple, not enough pockets for my taste, but suits its purpose.

Comfortable, has pocket for laptop. Great design!

The backpack is nice. The padding on the back makes the backpack feel lighweight. Also the extra pocket space is a plus considering I am a student.

I used this product for school. It is a high quality backpack with great support. Wish it could have more pockets/compartments.

This is a great backpack for school. I generally just need to carry my laptop and a binder, so it's the perfect size for that.

I had to choose between the Recon back pack and this back pack for my school bag. This back pack had a great design, however, it was quite small compared to the Recon. The second pocket is short and is half the height of the back pack. I chose the Recon because there were more pockets inside.

I bought this bag because I needed a comfortable yet high quality backpack. I live in the city and commute on public transportatio to work every day and then to Nursing school after work 3-4 times a week (not including all the trips to the library...) so this bag really needed to pull its weight. And sadly it did not. I am 5'3" with narrow shoulders and a short torso, so I know that most bags are not built for me. But I expected TNF to be my best bet, since their stuff is of such high quality and the engineering on previous bags my family and friends have bought has been very impressive. The bag itself is really well made. The design and the pockets are great. But my BIGGEST issue with this bag is the shoulder straps. The padding is encased in this thick blunt scratchy mesh material that is god awful!! Today I am wearing a short sleeved shirt, and I have a rash mark on my right upper arm from the strap rubbing... (I can't even think about using this bag with a sleeveless shirt, and lets face it summer in Manhattan is hot!!) The pack is not 100% comfortable when fully loaded (IN MY OPINION) and for that reason, I am getting a new backpack after having this one less than 60 days. Disclaimer: I am buying another TNF bag to replace this. Lets hope that the higher price point bags will be a little more comfortable.

I switched to this backpack from a Borealis, and I immediately wanted to switch back, The Vault's material is cheaper, there isn't as much storage space, the front pocket has little to no storage (the pocket don't extend all the way down) and the base of the backpack isn't flat. Because the backpack's base is slanted, all my books lean outwards from my back, and the books bounce around between my back and the backpack's walls when I'm walking. Stick to the tried and true, don't go for this cheaper option.

The materials used, zippers, straps, and padded back panel are excellent. However, this is countered by an awful design of the bag itself. Overall, the bag a dome-shape, causing things that are packed in the bag to either not fit, or mush strangely. Right now, all that I have placed in the main bag is a raincoat, the osito jacket, and my polaroid. This fills the bag to the brim. The external pocket is another crapstorm. The pocket is very deep, but the zipper barely opens it, causing it to be hard to observe the contents. Also, there is no added depth between the pocket and the bag, rendering the pocket too slim to be of use. Additionally, all the little pockets and gadgets inside the external pocket only serve to irritate me, because I can't fit anything in them and they would be a lovely organizational feature if they did work. Also I don't understand the purpose of the daisy chains. There is no port for a Camelbak hose to come out of the bag, either. The bottom of the bag feels flimsy, which makes me feel that it would have trouble performing in an actual outdoors situation.