Customer Reviews The North Face Women's Borealis

I was going to use this backpack for school, but the day school starts I started packing this backpack, and it fits maybe 2 binders. I have a binder for every class, 4 textbooks, and a notebook for some classes. I cannot fit everything I need into this bag, which is really unfortunate because I really liked this bag. I will not be able to use this for school.

For the price was disappointed in the quality and amount of stuff it will hold. The zipper on one of the pockets does not operate smoothly and has to be forced. The size - it holds very little and does not seem to expand.

I bought this backpack for college, but I do not like it. It's super uncomfortable and can barely fit my books in it. I hoped it would conform to my back but even after year it has not, it is super stiff.

Bought for my kids for the new school year. We loved the color options and looks of the backpack. But unfortunately the bag itself is super heavy without anything inside it. Not enough room inside either. Both of my kids have complained of their backs hurting every school day.

The color is not at all as pictured. Rather than sage green, it is the teal color that was popular in 2015. It is HORRID. The design of the backpack is great and the structure is high quality.

Too many straps, doesn't even hold a lot of stuff. Has trouble standing up right.

I was really excited to receive this bag as a graduation gift because I had heard nothing but good things about the durability and quality. Strap ripped after just 2 months of typical use and I will not be replacing especially for the price point.

I had the previous version of the Borealis backpack, and it was great. Was really surprised when this one came in today because it is really small and won't fit more than one or two books.

I'm in college and I used this backpack for classes. I loved the design and amount of room, but, one of the straps broke after having it for not even 6 months. I have an older North Face backpack that is in way better shape than this one. I know lots of people that have this backpack though and love it; they didn't have a strap break. However, when I tried to get it replaced after the strap on mine broke, I was told that North Face receives a lot of strap claims and that they were unwilling to replace it. They claimed that I wore it wrong, wearing it only on one shoulder, which is not true, but at least they gave me about $50 of credit to spend on anything North Face. So, I would be mindful of this before purchasing.

I would not recommend North Face backpacks. I loved mine at first because it was comfortable and spacious, but the strap ripped out after about eight months. I used it for school, so I mostly carried books and notebooks (nothing unusual or extremely heavy). I paid to have it shipped to the warranty facility, where they cover repairs on normal wear and tear. They would not repair the strap, even when I said I wanted to pay for the repair. They said they couldn't fix a strap that has torn out. I wasted money shipping it to them, and now my favorite backpack is unusable and I'm out $50 for the shipping. Don't buy this backpack because the strap will rip out after less than a year, and there's no way they can fix it. Don't buy any North Face products; if they can't fix a torn out strap, they probably can't fix much. For the price, it should last forever.

This product was made with good quality but it is wayyyyyy smaller than I imagined. I got this backpack to fit more school necessities for my college classes but I can barley got my laptop, I pad and a 2 inch binder. Nothing else fits!!!!! Definitely not worth the price.

Bought it for my daughter who is in Jr High. Bungee cords came loose from BOTH sides on first day of school. Very disappointing.

I bought this backpack for school, seeing reviews and thinking it would be perfect, but I received it today and found the exact opposite. This backpack only fit two 1 1/2 inch binders and my thin MacBook. It could not even fit my lunchbox or water bottle in it at all. The colors and look of it was very pretty, but that is the only good thing about it at all. I would not recommend for anyone in high school.

i love north face backpacks for school but the new borealis is extremely smaller than the old one. i can fit 2 binders in there compared to 4 with the old one. the pockets on side don't fit a 32 oz hydroflask

This is the most uncomfortable bag I have ever owned. Would not recommend for people looking to walk around with this bag for long periods, gave me shoulder and back pain. However, if you are just looking to carry this in between classes and to the bus, you'll probably be fine. But beware if your back starts hurting that this bag may be the problem. Other than the discomfort, the bag looks good and is designed well.

I use this product for college

Too Small

The product is small. Doesn't hold much.

This bag is so cute and structured so well. I had to return for the main reason that the water bottle pockets will not hold water bottles. They are stiff not stretchy.

Nice looking backpack but it RIPPED and is no longer useable because things can fall out. Warranty claim requires that you pay to mail it in and wait weeks for a review. TNF does not accept photos. This is not practical if you're using it as an everyday school backpack. What are you supposed to use to carry your things in the interim while you're waiting for TNF to decide if your item will be fixed or replaced?? Not too many people have backup backpacks! Ultimately, not worth the price because it didn't last.

The women's Borealis is much smaller than in past years. My daughter can't get all of her school supplies to fit. We compared one of our old Borealis backpacks to the new one, using the same supplies, & the new one is significantly smaller. The regular Borealis, which I'm guessing is now the men's version ( based on the color choices) appears to have larger dimensions. Please bring back the old style which was larger & had more color choices. The North Face backpacks used to be our go to, but not anymore.

Too small. The older version was much more roomie.

I paid over a $100 just for this book bag to not be able to not hold all the things I need. I do not like the new design and I wish they would have kept the old design. This one is not for everyday use and you shouldn't use it for school because it won't be able to hold your things. I have 2 binders both 1 and 1/2 inch binder with 3 skinny notebooks, a planner and a pencil pouch and It barely holds all that. Then they changed the pockets on the side where water bottle goes and the pocket is useful. It barely fits my 20oz wide hydro flask. I struggle to put it in the pocket. I wish I could return it but I threw away the receipt and the return slip. Go with the jester. More space and less going on.

I wanted to splurge and buy myself a nice backpack for college. I bought this backpack because of how beautiful the colors were and because of how everyone recommends it. I am not even into my second week of school and I had to go buy another backpack because this one is to uncomfortable! Even with nothing in the backpack it is extremely heavy and your back will hurt within minutes of putting it on. The backpack also doesn't sit upright so you have to constantly prop it up with your leg or it will just fall over. I would have never bought this backpack if I would've known the trouble it would cause.

Nicely made but super frustrated the borealis is now smaller. It barely could hold the binders and chrome book let alone no room for a lunch for my highschooler. I returned it a week ago and am awaiting a refund.