Customer Reviews The North Face Surge

Bought this as a travel bag and although it's very spacious, what I didn't like was how limited the laptop sleeve pocket was. I think without it, it would have given me more room to store clothes or accessories to give it a 5 out of 5

Good design, nice feel, comfortable to wear, but lacks sturdiness when standing.

This backpack is awesome. It is water resistant so my gear doesn't get wet, and has lots of compartments for books and computers. This is more of a school backpack, and isn't great at packing clothes or other items like that.

Good bag. Fits my MacBook Pro 16" and love the extra sleeve for my tablet.

I originally reviewed this after a month of use and wasn't impressed. It wasn't bad, but seemed to have a lot of compromises. After 2 years, I stand by most of what I wrote, but would rate it a bit higher. The zippers, despite being much lighter than my old Recon, have held up well with frequent use. I do feel like double-pull zippers would have been a better choice. The only issue I truly fault them on anymore are the horrible non-stretchy pockets which aren't really functional for anything bigger than an umbrella because of how the fabric pulls when you insert something bigger. I also wish that they made the main compartment bigger and then added compression straps to keep things tight, but they accurately describe the overall volume, so it's hard to fault them on it. It's just very difficult to put anything bulky in the bag with the main compartment constrained by the laptop sleeve and front compartments.

Very comfortable and spacious. Pockets definitely take up one another's space when filled, but still plenty of storage. Tons of small pockets and organization.

Bought it for my husband. Perfect for his needs. (School and hiking)

Love the backpack!

Use it for school very good, everything fits

Great Backpack. I use it to travel and carry my computer.

I am a senior in college and just got the backpack. My favorite feature would be the waist strap! There truly is a difference with it on. I wanted something to ease the pain from my neck and shoulders and this did it. I also love how compact it is. I moved everything my old backpack to this one and it felt light because the volume was much smaller so the inertia was much less. The front pockets may be my only drawback but other than that, it's nice.

Bigger than expected

I use it for college and keep books iPad MacBook and my pouch I for daily use

I really like the size and the upgraded features. There is some string sheikh came loose a week after I bought it bot otherwise such a great purchase

I bought the Surge since North Face describes its "ability to stand unsupported". It does not. The backpack keeps falling. This is a deal breaker for me. I was looking for a backpack that can stand and wouldn't have bought the Surge if I had known that I will have to find a chair or a wall for it every time.

I dearly loved the previous version of this backpack. I'm disappointed that this one has less actual volume and less usable volume than the previous model.

A buckle already broke on the first day.

Sure, here's a revised version of your review: I've had this backpack since January 2022, and I recently had to return it for warranty repair. As a high school student, I found that the backpack performs adequately for my needs. It features a spacious, lined laptop sleeve that accommodates large laptops (15-17 inches) and notebooks. The plastic backing adds rigidity to the laptop compartment, and the two quick-access compartments have additional lined areas to protect delicate items from scratches. The overall organization is effective, allowing me to neatly separate various chargers, jackets, pencil cases, and other school materials. However, the design and storage distribution have some issues. The main compartment is too narrow to comfortably fit thick books or additional clothes for colder seasons, making it challenging to organize and fit everything. Once packed, the backpack becomes quite tight, and I noticed the seams starting to tear, which is why I had to seek a warranty repair. The water bottle holder is generally adequate for a Hydro Flask, but the mesh material started tearing after just four months of normal use, indicating poor design. Given the price, I feel that The North Face could have engineered the main storage compartment better. On a positive note, the backpack is comfortable and sleek, and stains and dirt come off surprisingly easily. For the average student, this is a fine backpack. If you plan to frequent trips and destinations, reconsider this backpack, although it has help up to my travels worldwide.

Too small for highschool student

I like the pockets, but a big issue with this backpack is that you can't really fill all of the pockets. Once you put a laptop and notebook in the first compartment and then fill the front pockets the ability to use the main large pocket is drastically reduced. I can barely get a water bottle to squeeze in. I wish they would have kept the old Surge backpack design from a couple years ago, that worked much better

I purchased this for travel, however I found more suitable bag. It is a very well constructed backpack. Perfect for school use.

Primarily a commuter, backpack and for graduate school. Although it has a phenomenal compartment for things like a laptop and a tablet, the main compartment seems a bit limited. also, the shoulder straps keep bunching up, and I know it's only a matter of time before they start degrading. I just get the sense the material and design is gonna start wearing down faster than previous models.

I was looking for a large capacity backpack to use when traveling and bought this. My luggage didn't fit as much as I expected.

I needed a backback large enough to carry a full size laptop (Razer) and my clothes and supplies for overnight. I cannot even get the laptop into the backpack, let alone clothes for overnight trip.

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed in this backpack. I don't always utilize the outer pockets but they are ok. Maybe too many. The placement of the the pockets is very weird. There is no quick access to a phone from the side pockets and neither of the J-zip pockets are not even fleece lined. The main pocket is wider toward the base and makes it a struggle to fit things comfortably. The fleece pocket is too big for what it's made for and has a awkward space above the zipper that is really hard to use. It takes up more space than the front compartment. They should have just combined the two. Also, the thing hardly stands up on its own, and in multiple configurations. I use it as daypack, travel bag with laptop, snacks, etc., and for clothes and toiletries. Overall, not bad and it is still useable, but it did not meet expectations.