Customer Reviews The North Face Jester Backpack

The side pockets rip easily

I purchased this backpack to use on my work commute. The bag is full functional, lots of pockets in the front zip section, laptop compartment, the works. My main issue is that the bag is awkward. It does not stand well on its own, and always falls forward. It's front heavy, even when nothing is in the front pocket. I think it the front zipper compartment extended all the way to the bottom, this would help, but it really drives me crazy.

I really liked how this backpack looked, it wasn't too big but it was a little small just for all my school supplies and laptop, but it was really comfy and i liked it.

Like the design and look but too small to fit all school supplies needed to carry.

Books and school items

I originally had an older version of the jester. I got it when I graduated high school for college in 2015. Well this past May my old jester zipper was giving out. So I ordered a new with the thought it would be the same design; it's not. While the main pocket is the same and is functional, the front pocket is sooo much smaller. With its previous design the front pocket would go all the way down the front of the backpack. With its new design the front pocket now stops half way down the front. I normally put things like my planner, pencil/pen bag, calculator etc there. With it being smaller, I can barley fit my pencil bag in there. On top of this, if I put anything remotely heavy in that pocket it becomes top heavy. Overall it's functional but they should really go back to the old design. May work well for others but not me I guess.

I ordered the zinc grey/powder blue and the colors just don't match the colors in the online image. It's a nice backpack but not as cute as I'd hoped it would be.

Only 2 pockets, top heavy, isn't very wide

Really great quality backpack but it's way too small for students. My daughter is a high school student and she could barely fit 3 one inch binders in the backpack. It could maybe work for someone who does have a lot of supplies but my daughter is ultra organized and this backpack was not going to cut it

bought this for my high school daughter for back-to-school. It seems well made, no problems with quality at first appearance, but is way too small for all the stuff that a high school student needs to haul around all day. She likes the way the backpack looks very much, but we will be returning it to be able to get one that is bigger. If you are sure this one will be big enough for all you need to carry, I would recommend it, but be sure to check the size/volume of it first. We are exchanging is for the Borealis model.

My daughter used this bag for her freshman year and it wasn't too bad at first! However, when she was given a big fat Biology textbook, it got a little hard to manage. She always complained about how heavy her bag was, and when she walks long distances between different parts of the school, that's not good at all! Also, the Flexvent material on the back always got caught on velcro, her locker latch, etc., which made it look significantly more unattractive! Other than this, the bag wasn't bad at all.

I use the back pack for high school, so I carry it all day. It irritates the skin on my shoulders and feels like I have rug burn.

This bag was purchased for my daughter for use in 11th grade. The bag was great quality and the comments we've seen related to the stiffness of the straps didn't seem to be correct. Super backpack, straps were comfortable. Very sturdy but flexible fabric and construction. Would have given the bag 5 stars but it's just not wide enough to accommodate even a smallish book load, along with laptop.

Bought for my daughter to use at school. Nice backpack, stylish, good quality. The bag isn't as roomy as we thought; she had difficulty fitting her laptop, one binder, one notebook, and her small lunch sack in the bag.

A little small for school stuff.

I wish it had more space to put things in.

I'm in high school and bought this to carry and I haven't had it long and don't like it. The pockets aren't big enough for all the books I have to carry and the zipper is very sharp. It cut my finger within the first day of using it. Just not a backpack you need for school. Awful thick zipper.

This backpack is very cute but uncomfortable. I bought this backpack to use in high school. This bag has room for all of your books but the straps are very uncomfortable. The straps are short and very hard. They are made of a hard material, making them dig in when you wear the backpack. If the straps had been made with a more comfortable material then I would give this product 5 out of 5 starts but, because of the poorly made straps I gave it a 3 out of 5 star rating. Overall I wouldn't recommend this product to a friend because of the uncomfortable straps.

Seems roomy at first but filling up the front pocket means it extends into the back pocket, rather than forward. Grabbing anything from the main back pocket means you're scratching up your arm on the bulge from the front pocket. Front pocket doesn't even go all the way down, which makes the bag very top heavy. I can't stand it up next to my desk when I'm in class without it falling over and blocking off the aisle. It's fine if you're only putting a laptop and maybe a pencil pouch in.

The design of this backpack is kind of a joke. My main issue is the outside pocket. This pocket is very roomy, but once you actually use it to hold things, it ends up taking up space in the main part of the backpack, making it hard to store books or notebooks because there's a huge bulge in the way. I had the same issue with the water bottle pockets on the sides. Because they didn't stretch much at all, half my water bottle was basically stored in my backpack. I had to choose between being hydrated or having my school supplies on me. The backpack is also so narrow it doesn't stand up on its own (unless maybe you have a favorite 20 lb dumbbell you like to carry around with you). Normally this wouldn't bother me, but after many occasions of desperately trying to no avail to prevent my backpack from falling over into mystery puddles in campus bathrooms has led to some frustration. I'm writing like this is the worst backpack in the world, which isn't true. It's an ideal size to carry around if you're in college, it's durable and has zero signs of wear after a full school year, and it's an overall good looking bag. If you're easily frustrated like myself, this just might not be the backpack for you.

I read so many reviews of several NF backpacks prior to choosing the Jester. I commute to work in Chicago and needed a lightweight yet roomy backpack. The Jester is VERY comfortable. I have chronic neck pain so I was really excited about the women's backpack. The specially designed straps and sternum strap really make a difference. I also like the two large side pockets for water/coffee bottles. I wish I'd known the front pocket is only a half pocket. The main pocket is roomy but if you have too much stuff in the front pocket, it interferes with how things fit in the main compartment. I'm going to keep it just because I'm too lazy to return it. I will try to make it work.

Great backpack! I loved the style and has everything I was looking for, only problem is that I now have too much space! I use it for college and I was confused when it said TIN or MED, me thinking TIN is tiny I got MED. turns out it's pretty big.

I love the North Face. And I normally love all of their products. But I was just disappointed with the jester backpack. It has one full pocket and one third pocket. I was expecting it to have 2 full pockets but it doesn't. and because of this, it cant sit up without falling over. I'm also not a fan of the straps since they are quite hard and didnt break in after months of using the backpack for school. Good pack for hiking or something light but not great for college or school. Other then that it's really cute and keeps the weight off of your neck and shoulders.

It's a very attractive, lightweight backpack. However, the new design is not the best. The front pocket only goes down half the length of the entire backpack, so if you put a lot of stuff in it, it's hard to access the bottom of the main compartment. I returned it for this reason and got an older version.

It's a good backpack. If you have a lot of books and a commuter it probably won't be the best fit for you.