Customer Reviews The North Face Borealis Mini Backpack

I've had this backpack for about a year and I have tried to get used to it, but alas, I don't think I ever will. It's a tad too small, side pocket only holds a tiny bottle, but what I find most annoying is that it is wearing out my clothes where it makes contact on my lower back. If I'm wearing a sturdy jacket, no problem, but if I'm wearing a nice sweater or a linen-cotton t-shirt, it will get destroyed in no time. Very disappointed and kind of surprised that no one else has mentioned this.

It advertises water bottle pockets, but it is way too small to fit any normal adult sized water bottle

I prefer a sling style backpack to pack a few things for outings with my kids. I opted for a mini style because I try to keep it minimal and pack on the light side. I chose this backpack over the sling because I wanted drink pockets that would sit upright. I was disappointed in the sizing of the pockets. It can barely fit a 16oz plastic water bottle. I doubt a larger reusable bottle would fit. Definitely wouldn't recommend if you plan to carry water in the pocket. However, the backpack itself should be large enough to carry an iPad or notebook.

It was cute, basically the exact same as the backpack but mini. Because of this i found the fit to be a little bit awkward looking. It looked like i was wearing a children's backpack. Other than that the pack was very cute in theory.

It's a small backpack with a decent amount of room. A bit expensive and the side pockets are too small for phones and water bottles, so almost no utility there.

Alot smaller than I expected. Quality is great and it's cute.

I used this bag on a daily basis for work and it's been amazing. I love the size, color and style. I did notice some parts aren't holding up like I've thought they would. I'll keep an eye on it maybe I'll need to submit a warranty claim.

Much smaller than I thought.

Really mini idk what it would actually be used for. It's cute though

Super cute but I ran with it on my back during a hike and lost my Ray Ban sunglasses because the zipper kept coming open so I'm a little salty about that.

Nice mini backpack for carrying a few items. Straps are too short for most average to large individuals.

Bag itself is well made. good size. the rope/bungee cord thing in front broke when I used it the first time. North face also says they can try to see if its under warranty but customer is responsible for shipping fees. bad customer service

I am surprised that I love this bag since it is Sooooo small. If it was 12L instead of 10L & actually had 2 water bottle pockets I'd buy it in every colour. I use this for short hikes or day trips (zoo/anywhere I don't want to bring my purse). For reference the ONLY water bottle pocket fits a child size contigo water bottle (if you really fight with it) in the VERY TINY water bottle pocket. I can fit a 12oz swell type bottle but they are tall & it looks a bit funny. The inside & front pocket I can get a larger water bottle, set of extra kid clothes, a few snacks, wallet & keys. That's it. Nothing more. As much as I like this bag I am really irritated with the blatant lie that there are 2 water bottle pockets. That is such misleading advertising & doesn't make me trust the company in any way. The 2nd "water bottle" pocket fits a tube of chap stick, maybe a set of keys. I wouldn't put my keys in this pocket as it has a flap not a zipper. There is not place on this earth where this pocket could be considered a water bottle pocket & clearly this has annoyed me, but for me it isn't a deal breaker. The quality seems good, the end of the bungee cord on the front was out when I bought the bag but I just had to re-tie the end inside the front pocket I might double tie these now since I know they are not designed well with a hard knot as they should be. If you put anything in the bungee check to make sure the cord is tied tight inside the front pocket or your item will be long gone. Also check the size before you commit to this backpack since it is very very small. Please make it a bit bigger North Face!!

It was too small for what I needed it for. However, I did get the Northface day pack which was a little bigger and it's size is perfect.

I think this bag is just a little too small to be practical, but it's not uncomfortable on the back considering it's size though- and you kind of forget about it pretty quickly. You can definitely find a purpose for it in your life but you're probably smarter getting the larger option. I've been using it for mountain bike rides - so I'll throw in my car keys, water bottles, phone, etc. Also, I can put a U-lock on the outer pocket pretty easily. The pockets are actually very thoughtful and useful in terms of compartments and I can also tie my helmet on the outer bungee. The straps are not restrictive in terms of Mobility and do not make me scrunch up my shoulders cant really use the water bottle pocket in my opinion. The backpack is too snug for you to easily grab anything without taking it off. But honestly it's kind of nice having your things on your back instead of your pockets. So I don't hate The purchase considering I used a giftcard.

The mini borealis is backpack is well made. However, the side pocket for a water bottle or umbrella is absolutely too small. I bought it for a trip to Alaska as a light daypack. Think I'll give it to my 2 year old granddaughter instead.

The description states the side pockets are for a water bottle / multi-use and a cellphone. The largest water bottle I've been able to fit is a mini 12oz bottle which is extremely uncommon. A full 16oz bottle will fit IF it is one of the cheap crinkly kind and not a more solid bottle. Extremely tight fit. The phone pocket will not fit many of your typical modern smart phones unless you take the case off, which nobody in their right mind would do given its outside of the bag exposed to the elements. This renders this pocket next to useless. Maybe a snack bar? This needs to be increased by 20% of it's size. Especially for the price.

While the bag looks great and has great functionality it's too small for my nice year old. Would have been a really useful bag for my daughter if it was little bigger

Super cute backpack. Great style and color. Unfortunately smaller than I thought it would be for what I wanted to use it for.

This is my work bag. I thought the bag would have been a little bigger. The side pockets aren't large enough to hold a water bottle, which sucks. It is as describedMini! I still use it, I just can't fit all my necessities in it. NorthFace, can we get a midsize bag with pockets and space for daily living/use.

Overall quality was fine. I returned this title pack because the description stated it had side water bottle pockets. Well, it has pockets but not even the tiny disposable water bottle would fit. The other side pocket is NOT meant as a water bottle pocket regardless of what is stated. Very disappointed in the false description as the size of the backpack itself was perfect.

I bought this to use at Disney world and it's way too small. Bare minimum I like to bring a small rain coat or umbrella, water bottle and a few snacks and this bag will not fit my needs. It's so cute I hope they come out with a "small" because a little larger would be great.

Good, small pack for day trips. Tablet pocket and pack need to be about 2-3" larger (height and width) to fit Letter-sized folders/items to be a great pack for small office trips or to transport folders/papers for work. Side pockets are good for 1/2L water bottles.

Good quality. Too small to use for most things.

I received this little backpack today and I love it! It’s comfy, perfect size for an everyday purse, and super cute. Unfortunately, the straps are sewn crooked and unevenly from the body of the bag to the strap padding. I may return this one and see if another one is better quality. Not a Zappos error, but certainly a quality control issue from TNF. Zappos is awesome, as usual!