The North Face Borealis Review

With a hard-shell laptop pocket, well-contoured shoulder straps, and a wide array of smaller pockets, the Borealis will keep your computer safe and is also one of the best values for a super versatile pack.

Performance Comparison

Laptop Protection

The Borealis offers reliable protection for your computer. It has a dedicated laptop compartment that will fit any laptop up to 15 inches and is tight enough that a thinner tablet doesn't jostle around in it too much. When loaded up with additional equipment, the compartment is tight but will still fit wider PCs as well as a thinner MacBook Air. Our 15-inch MacBook Pro and 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs were well-protected in this pocket. This pack also scores well here because, uniquely, it features solid padding between pockets and a hard backplate to protect the computer if the backpack falls onto its back.

The laptop pocket also has a built-in suspension system that keeps a computer about two inches off the ground, which is super effective for cushioning equipment against backpack drops. Our only concern is that the laptop compartment has no security strap to keep a computer in place. This is usually fine because the pocket is so slim that it keeps items from moving around. However, if the pack were to invert during a fall and land on its top, there would be nothing to protect your devices.

As for water resistance, this pack is solid. In our shower tests, we put this bag under the nozzle for about one minute, agitating the fabric to see if any water got inside. We also stood out in the rain and specifically noted which compartments got wet.

All of the zippers are protected by storm flaps, offering a fantastic level of water protection. After a minute under the showerhead, the pack was sitting in a pool of water, but the front pocket was bone dry. Although the fabric held up to the spray, the zippers -– like most backpacks we tested -– tell a different story. Opening the medium compartment, we found a big pool of water sitting at the bottom, even though the material in the pocket appeared dry. Through the large main compartment, there were only a few water drops along the length of the backpack.

Comfort and Fit

This is a comfortable laptop backpack that you can wear all day. It has well-contoured shoulder straps with a variety of adjustments to ensure a proper fit. The backplate offers decent airflow, which, combined with its water resistance and additional straps, make it a viable hiking backpack. The straps are wide, flexible, and comfortable around the shoulders and feature foam with integrated ventilation.

Supplementary sternum and hip straps also provide additional comfort and security. The sternum strap slides up and down on a long built-in track, creating a lot of adjustability for different body types. The integrated hip belt, which is hard to find on many laptop backpacks, adds versatility to this bag. The belt is pretty thin and doesn't include any additional padding, but it can be tucked away into the expandable water bottle holders if you don't want the straps flopping around when not in use. Given its less techy and more outdoorsy design, the Borealis also functions nicely as a hiking daypack.

The backplate is very comfortable. It features two padded sections that run parallel to your spine while your spine sits against a depressed flap of material that provides superior airflow. While this material is nice and breathable, our only caveat is that it's a bit scratchy if worn directly against the skin.

Storage

We enjoyed the thoughtful design of this 28-liter pack. Examining this bag from back to front, it has one main laptop compartment, a large high-volume pocket, one medium pocket (with a sub-pocket organizer), and a small, easy-to-access outer pocket. Exterior storage includes two water bottle holders on each side and a bungee strap across the front. One cool feature is a little Velcro loop above the laptop storage space and a hidden port out the top. If you're not using this compartment for a computer, you can affix a hydration bladder to the inside –- again, offering increased versatility as a daypack.

The large volume pocket is perfect for stashing papers, folders, books, gym clothes, and shoes. The bottom of the pack is quite large when its compression straps are let all the way out, enabling it to hold quite a bit. The medium pocket is tiered, with about half the depth of the larger storage pocket. This arrangement means it sits in front of the large compartment without impeding its storage capacity. This pocket is a great place to stash a tablet, smaller books, a journal, or other similar items. It also has a zippered compartment that is perfect for a charger and several smaller organizational pockets to store cords, earbuds, pens, and keys.

The small pocket in the front has a fleece material lining. We commonly used this to hold sunglasses or keys. The water bottle holders are some of the most practical that we've seen. Both are expandable and can fit wider bottles. They function well even when the bag is loaded up — a surprisingly hard feature to find on other packs we tested. The bungee system is perfect for affixing a helmet or other bulky item that is too large to store inside the backpack, though in practice, we didn't often utilize this feature.

Ease of Use

The Borealis is a super simple backpack. All the compartments are closed with large zippers with easy-to-grab pulls. The computer pocket zipper unzips half the total length of the pocket.

This bag balances the freedom to organize how you want with enough structure to keep equipment from getting lost in the shuffle. There aren't too many pockets, and the organizational options make sense for the average person.

Versatility

If you're into the outdoorsy look, you will love this backpack. It doubles as a decent hiking backpack and definitely looks the part.

The main fabric, zipper pulls, bungee cord, and adjustable straps all add to that particular aesthetic. It is decidedly not the professional choice of a traditional, office-going type, but it could be great for a more casual workspace.

Should You Buy The North Face Borealis?

This high-value laptop backpack is very functional. It's best for those seeking a single backpack to take to work and on the trails as a daypack. For all of its features, this pack is a surprisingly lower-priced option in our lineup, so we also recommend it for folks looking to save on a high-quality carrier.

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