Customer Reviews The North Face Jester Backpack

Really disappointed in this purchase. My past two backpacks have been Jesters and this one just doesn't live up to everything I loved about them. For starters the zippers are awful and constantly getting stuck. Also, the front pocket is so shallow compared to the two older versions I have so there's much less storage. I do love the look and color but I don't think I'm going to get as many years out of this one as my other two.

Very stiff and bulky

I had a north face backpack for 17 years before I finally decided that it was time to get a new one (it's still in good condition but has seen better days). I was really excited about this backpack and ordered it to take on my honeymoon to Australia. I love the design and all of the compartments but I was so disappointed in how small it is inside. My husband and I could barely fit what we needed for a day out in Australia and spent much time trying to reorganize everything in the bag to make it fit - or finally we just left stuff behind because there was not enough room :(

I bought the Jester backpack in August of 2018. By February of 2019, I noticed the rip in the very front pocket. I was disappointed in the quality of the backpack since I've always heard great things about the north face backpacks

I recently got a new Jester backpack to replace my old one, which lasted 6 years! Needless to say, I was excited to get another. However, I found with the new model, the side pockets are very deep and inflexible, and it's difficult to reach my keys while wearing the bag, as they fall to the bottom and my arms can't bend that far down. I also don't like how the front pocket is now half the size of the bag, instead of the full length like before. It makes for a weird weight distribution, and now theres an awkward puff of empty space at the bottom and a huge lump at the top of the bag. The material is durable and the straps are comfortable, but I am disappointed with the new pockets, which may seem like a small detail but have quite negatively affected my experience.

The small outside pocket is located at the top of the bag so when you fill up the small front pocket and then you open the big pocket behind it, it is so tight at the top that you cant easily put things into the big pocket. There is so much space at the bottom of the bag that you cant get to because the small front pocket blocks the entrance into the big pocket behind it.

I ordered it expecting it to look like the one on the website. The zipper went the plum color, the light grey wasn't on it like the pictures, the string is unnecessary longer then needs to be.

It's a nice design but I had to return it because it just wasn't big enough to carry school stuff.

I bought this backpack for high school. I wanted to be able to carry 2-3 binders, laptop, lunch, water bottle, gym shoes, and some extra items. Unfortunately, the backpack was far too small for my needs.

This backpack is quite small with one large compartment and one half sized compartment. Because this half compartment is located on the top half of the backpack rather than the lower half, it is constantly topheavy and topples over. I have only pens in the top compartment and it is constantly falling over, often times spilling what's inside if I haven't completely zipped it close.

The front pockets need more depth and the zippers shouldn't have run into the pockets on the sides

Ordered this because it looked great and was larger than last year's, but the straps are so stiff and hard and large that it is very painful to use after three days back at school. So disappointing - would not recommend unless they pad the straps and make them more comfortable

The backpack is nice and clearly well made, but the one I received is different from the one I ordered. Online, the backpack has white zippers and white accents, but the one I got in the mail has black zippers and black accents. The only white part is the North Face logo. Not too big of a deal, obviously, but I wanted to call customer service just to let them know. The person with whom I spoke was neither polite nor helpful.

This bag was too small for school, I had to put my notebooks in the laptop section because the main pocket wasn't big enough for my lunch bag and notebooks/books/folder. Lunch bag barely fit and the bag can't stand up on its own! Every class I had to lean it up against the desk or it would fall over which was super inconvenient. The side cup holders were small and I had my water bottles fall out multiple times. Didn't even have it for a year and one of the straps broke and needed to be sewn back on.

I use this backpack for saily commuting, trips to the grocery, and as my carry on luggage. I got it to replace my jester backpack that was well used and loved. I like this design but don't love it. The nearly unbareable part is that in the summer I wear sundresses. The material on the indersise of the straps is so uncomfortable it nearly tears through my skin. I don't know how I am going to get through the rest of the summer. I know the winter will be better, but I use this backpack every day. I just took this on a trip to Virginia with my elderly mother and what should have been one of my most useful tools for the beach, trips to the grocery, etc. had to stay mostly on the table because I couldn't put it on my shoulders. I am really disappointed. I waited a long time to replace my Jester and to now be stuck with this for the rest of my lifetime is a little sad. I do love the color.

Too small for anything. Wouldn't fit my text books or a binder, barely even my laptop. Had to get an adidas one that was bigger and sturdy. This would be alright for an overnight bag or maybe a daytime hike, but not good for regular school use.

It's poorly designed, you kinda have to dumb everything in it as if you're filling up a container. For me I had to put my stuff in layers. Secondly, the front pocket is on the top which makes it hard to use, if you put your stationery and cell phone charger there it won't let you put stuff in the main partition/pocket. Really disappointed!

This is an awkward backpack. The front pocket is only half the height of the bag. If you fill it with small things it will weigh down the top of the bag. The side bottle holders could be a bit wider and stretchier, if the main bag is full then you can't use those side compartments easily. The big compartment zipper doesn't zip open enough either. I am returning this bag. Looks like great quality, just poor design. I will likely try a different backpack in hopes that its designed better.

cons: Bought this backpack because i specifically wanted something that would stand on its own but this backpack is impossible to get to stand and balance. if there is anything in the small pocket at all it will be extremely top heavy and tip over. I can't even get it to effectively lean against a table or wall as it will usually slide down and lie flat on the ground. the only way for it to stand on its own is if it is completely stuffed with things in the bottom of the large pocket, but even then it doesnt usually stay upright. the small pocket will always flop over when you open the large pocket, so if it is not completely closed it will spill everything out of it which happens often when looking for something. after using this backpack for a year the seams are starting to come apart and the rubber zipper covers have all fallen off. i have had several other backpacks before and they have all been more capable of standing on their own than this one. it seems like they designed a backpack that is actually impossible to get to stand up. pros: can fit my big laptop in the laptop compartment and large water bottles in side pockets

This backpack is uncomfortable on the shoulders, stiff (it has a hard back) and is way too small to carry books and other supplies my middle schoolers need to take to school on a daily such as pencil case, chromebook and lunch boxes. I purchased 2 backpacks this one along with and the Jester Luxe backpack. I ended up buying them a different brand bag that is much more comfortable and spacious. Unfortunately I couldn't return neither backpacks nor get a parcial refund due to North Face's return policy.

I bought it for my sophmore year of highschool and it was no where near enough room, front pocket always falling, and more honestly not worth the money spend a little bit more and get a bigger backpack

I bought this for my wife. She currently uses an older model of the jester for her masters program. I did not know she used the men's jester vs the women's. Big size difference. She didn't like the size of the women's, it was too small for her books and laptop. So I returned it for the Borealis which so preferred

I should have been cautioned more by the reviews of this backpack. The North Face has destroyed their backpack line. Cutting corners and bad innovation, these hold nothing and tip over. DON'T BUY!

I really wanted to love this backpack, however the height/length of the bag is too long and it never sits up and is always tipping over! It may be better if you have it completely packed full, but I had no luck with it sitting up on its own. It's very high quality and made well, but the dimensions are off. Wish I could turn it in for something different. I even got the women's bag thinking it would not be so large but it didn't work. Very disappointing.

Small & expensive. Not a good fit for me!