The North Face Women's Borealis Commuter Laptop Backpack, TNF Dark Grey Heather, One Size

I bought this pack to replace a Recon. I love that this pack has bottle pockets made of mostly fabric vs. All mesh (the mesh pockets of my Recon were the first feature to fail - they stretched and eventually tore becoming completely unusable). I also love the color, sturdy feel, and comfort on my shoulders. The laptop pocket is a tad smaller than in the Recon. It fits my 15" LG Gram. One thing I would have designed differently: there is a small pocket at the front that is padded with soft fabric, I use it to store my glasses. However, the zipper runs halfway across the pocket, making half of it (the top half) unusable for storage. What a waste of space! I would have made that pocket half smaller (still large enough for a pair of glasses or a phone, and use the top space for another independent pocket (you can never have too many pockets!). I also prefer the front compartment of the Recon (stretchable pouch) compared to the bungee cord of the Borealis, a pouch is just more usable for my needs. But overall, I like the Borealis well enough to keep it. If the Recon existed in the same color scheme, I would probably have exchanged it against a Recon.

I’ve gone through my fair share of backpacks over the years, but this North Face pack is hands-down one of the best I’ve owned. I originally bought it for work travel and weekend hikes, but it’s quickly become my go-to for just about everything—commuting, flying, even short camping trips.The build quality is outstanding. The zippers are sturdy, the material feels durable yet lightweight, and the stitching holds up even when it’s fully packed. I’ve been caught in light rain and everything inside stayed dry, which is a huge plus.Comfort-wise, the padded shoulder straps and breathable back panel make a big difference when you’re wearing it for hours. There’s also a padded laptop sleeve that fits my 15" MacBook perfectly and keeps it secure.Storage is super smart, too. There’s a good balance between compartments and open space—you can easily organize electronics, chargers, water bottles, and still have room for clothes or gear.If you're on the fence, don’t be. It’s not the cheapest bag out there, but the quality and versatility are absolutely worth it. North Face nailed it with this one.

We got this bookbag for my daughter. She has to carry everything in it for school. The straps are comfortable, it has a great pockets for storage and its not bulky. She has had it since Christmas and the color is still very dark.

I took it for a travel/carry on bag.It had enough room for clothing for 4 days! And, everything else. Sturdy. Did not feel bulky or heavy. The color of the bag is the best part.

I'm always waiting for high quality from TNF, however, this is more than expected. Incredibly nice backpack, great colour, solid back, many many pockets which I like the most, two stripes for balancing the weight and overall great quality. I love it so so much 💖 Thank you a lot!!!!

I absolutely love North Face products. Their gear is consistently high quality, lasting, and dependable. This backpack is no exception! I love it... except for the placement and design of the "main" little pocket. So, there is a very front pocket, conveniently lined, for glasses/sunglasses/what-have-you. That's fine. What's not fine is the same issue I've had with past North Face backpacks. Upon reading a review, I had thought this one was different, but sadly not so much.The main front pocket where I keep my charger, earbuds, chapstick, pens/pencils, tylenol, etc... has fantastic organization and IS a bit larger than in my previous style. However, these pockets are at the top and only extended the top half of the front of the backpack. What this means is that the top of my backpack is always heavier and thicker than the bottom. This is inconvenient for setting it down, leaning it against something, and so on, but also it significantly takes away space from the inside, main pocket, but just at the top.It's a little hard to explain, but because the pocket only goes partway down what happens is that when packed pretty full it is incredibly difficult to get things in and out of the middle lower area of the backpack. I also don't have as much space in the middle to upper area of the backpack, negatively impacting my ability to pack it. On airplanes when quick access is a must, it SUCKS. I love everything about this backpack except for this feature and it is such a big one that I'm probably going to stop buying North Face brand backpacks, which is such a disappointment to me.The only benefit I have found with the design is that I cannot pack it full and when traveling internationally it guarantees my carry-on/personal item is not overweight (yes, many of the Asian countries are now weighing carry-ons and personal items limiting them to 7kg).

Bought this for a trip to Ireland, needed a light day pack. This was perfect, set up exactly how I needed it and I was very comfortable even after hours of walking around. Note that it might be a bit smaller than your thinking, check the dimensions to make sure it’s what you’re looking for. Laptop top/tablet sleeve, larger pocket where I kept a shirt, two books, and some other items, another pocket where I kept cords, my power cell, wall charger, wallet, passport, jewelry, etc. (this is a few pockets and an inner zip pocket where I kept medications), and a small fleece-lined pocket in the front where I kept my glasses. Perfect!

Perfect size , fair weight , fits a lot . Great item for a high school student