Customer Reviews The North Face Surge

Made a purchase of this Bag at a sale price. The price was not honored Bad Business practice that has deterred me from making any further purchases.

shoulder strap only lasted one yr. used for school books. Sent for warranty repair and they say it was "miss used"? Marketed as school bag! false advertising! Many have same comment. Not worth $.

This backpack may be great for some users, but for me it did not meet my expectations. My previous Northface back was roomy and had ample different compartments. This backpack does not expand well (it stays largely 2 dimensional), and as a consequence it holds only a few items. I would NOT purchase this item again, and indeed I will likely donate to Goodwill unused.

I bought this backpack for my high schooler and the strap frayed and pulled apart after two weeks of use. Now he is back to his old one for 6-8 weeks while we wait for repairs. Very disapointed.

The North Face Surge backpack is beautifully designed, but with major defective flaw in that the shoulder straps have a very weak point of connection at the top. Mine failed on the second use with a modest load. I have a 20 year-old North Face Surge backpack that has been all over Europe with much heavier loads that has never failed me.

The second time I wore the backpack that top of the shoulder straps became disconnected. The sewing was inadequate.

I had an old Surge Backpack and it was great to use and it fit everything I needed for a day at work or for a short trip. The new Surge does not seem to be able to fit all of the items I typically carry. I has some nice new features that I though may be worth giving it a try. Unfortunately it does not fit my need. So I am back to my old one after a quick wash.

BOTH shoulder straps ripped from the body after little use. I owned the previous model for over 10 years. Sadly, I cannot say I will continue to invest in The Northface products.

I've own the original Surge backpack, it's been around the world and still in great condition. Wanted to treat myself to a new upgrade. The new version is awful, poor quality under the guise of "sustainable". Flimsy material, zippers terrible, organization awful. If you've owned an original "Surge" you'll be DISAPPOINTED!!

Poor packaging. Flap was non existent due to poor packing. Bottom of the bag has a double stitching of random blue threads. I ordered the dark oak color and black tnf. Why blue threads? Never again.

I used this backpack primarily for carry a laptop to and from work. After a few months the arm strap began failing and when I sent to TNF for a warranty repair they refused to repair the pack. This is ridiculous for a backpack costing this much. Because of this warranty experience I refuse to buy anymore TNF products. The warranty is a marketing gimmick. You'll read the same experience in several other reviews for this bag.

A quick search here shows that the straps on these backpacks were recently changed, and they regularly rip off of the bag entirely. My backpack's seams started coming apart after a couple weeks' use, but I stupidly thought the problem was only cosmetic. Less than 2 years later, the strap came off. TNF said this was not covered by their warranty. My bag otherwise looks new, so I think it's pretty clear this was a defect in production. Besides, the countless other reviews with the same problem show a pattern. TNF used to be known for honoring their warranty even when they didn't need to do so. Now, it looks like they've swayed to the other end. Buy a cheaper bag that will last just as long, or a bag from a company who means it when they say they have a warranty.

Shoulder strap broke at the shoulder.

The shoulder straps are filmsy and starts to tear off after 6 months of regular use, the bag performs poorly under rain, all my things inside are wet just after a few minutes if light rain.. AND THE MOST IRRITATING THING IS. .THE MAIN COMPARTMENT IS SOOO SMALL THAT IT COULD BARELY FIT STUFF THAT I WOULD NORMALLY CARRY IN THE 2018 VERSION OF SURGE WITH LOTS OF ROOM TO SPARR

I owned the 2018 Surge, and that one is wayyy better than the newer one. I agree with the comments that a few other people have made that the older models of all TNF backpacks were actually better and even built better. This one barely has any room inside even though it says that the backpack is a good 31 liters. I think because the backpack is made self-standing, that compromised on a lot of storage space for the backpack.

Bought in 2020- didn't use until 2021. Shoulder strap started coming apart so sent in to be repaired. Was told not covered by warranty and not repairable. "Damage due to improper use"- only used it as a backpack carrying work material to and from home. Not sure how that is improper use. Wasted $40 in shipping to repair warehouse and they would only give a gift card for half price if they didn't send backpack back. Disappointed as previous backpack lasted over 20 years.

Shoulder straps are poor quality and ripped at the connection to the bag (after around only 6 months of use). Do not recommend this product.

The shoulder strap of this bag separated after 1 year. Right at the top where you would expect. I spent $20 to return the backpack to North Face's Warranty department. Filed the appropriate paperwork. They refused to honor their Warranty. No explanation. No repair. Called their customer service line and the person had no knowledge of my backpack and could not explain the warranty denial. Crazy poor customer service. I don't even understand how a company of their size can get away with that in today's society.

I'm a college student, so my daily carrying needs are pretty simple: a laptop, the charger for said laptop, a couple of pens/pencils, and my phone/wallet/keys. I have one 5-subject notebook, and I'm careful never to overload on booksas an English major, at most I have maybe 2 paperback novels, and any larger books I carry in my hands. I don't carry a water bottle with me, so I never use the side pockets. Overall, I'm mindful not to ever put an excess of items in any bag I carry, because I want to ensure I don't abuse the bag, and have it last. All that being said, LESS THAN ONE MONTH of using this bag, and the stitching and material around the shoulder strap is tearing and coming undone. What a waste of money! For a company that touts itself as an outdoor adventure brand, with claims that their products can be used for outdoor activities and endure the elements, this is pretty pathetic. I purchased this bag because my mother carried a TNF bag for years and years, and it held up perfectly for trips around the world, office use, and through the years of early parenthood and all the curveballs that can send one's way. Apparently TNF has become a brand more concerned with being stylish and making a quick buck than living up to their claims of quality and providing good products to their customers, and it's shameful. For as long as this brand chooses to coast on their "good name" to generate sales, instead of making quality goods, I will be spending my money elsewhere, and I advise all other prospective customers to do the same. $100+ dollars wasted, for less than a month of use.

I had been buying TNF products since high school and all throughout college. This one has disappointed me the most. I miss the old recons, this backpack is not nearly good as the old ones, it is attractive and does not mesh pockets that will rip, but that is about it. The top two worst things about this backpack are that it is not spacious enough and does not do well in rain, especially heavy rain. As a college student, I spend most of my time on campus and have to carry a lot of items, just recently there was heavy rain on campus and I had to walk to the bus, keep in mind I had an umbrella and a rain jacket, I was prepared. But when I got home my items were soaking went and spent two hours trying to get them to dry with my blowdryer. As a college student, I am paying a higher price compared to a regular backpack for it not to hold up in rain is disappointing...I have had this backpack for almost a year and a half now and I wish I could've kept my old recon.

This product is absolutely terrible. it's shaped like a rectangle and i can't fit more than 4 books in it at a time. it literally is the worst bookbag i've ever had in my life. it does not fit 31 liters. it fits MAYBE 15.

I am a college student and just got back from my first class with this backpack. In the main pocket I had a standard note pad, an agenda, and a standard size reading book. It was so tight. It took me a good 30 seconds to wrestle my agenda out of my bag and I slightly damaged my book in the prosses. When putting the agenda back in I had to settle for resting it on top of the book. The note book was easy enough to get out because it was taller, but I couldn't get it back in. I ended up carrying it back to my dorm in my hands because the only way to fit it in the bag was to take everything else out. The pockets are nice, but if I can't access the main compartment, then the backpack is useless. Please don't waste your money. Also, the bag itself is so heavy and unconvertable.

Shoulder strap tore after use in an office setting. They wouldn't repair it due to "improper use, care or accident". Using shoulder straps voids the warranty. Poor quality, don't buy North Face items.

Product description states bag stands on its own, but the bag easily falls over. There is also no cell phone pocket. I would not have bought this bag if I was aware that these features were lacking. I am not happy!

Was returned. Made with very cheap materials. Wanted a replacement for my five-year old Router Transit. But the packs made today are of such cheap materials my old pack is much quality - even after five years of heavy use.