Customer Reviews The North Face Surge Backpack

I used this backpack mainly for undergrad (carried textbooks, laptop, pens, etc.) and the right shoulder strap ripped within two months. I ended up sending it in under warranty. I owned the older model of the Surge and used it the same way for two years and never had any major wear on the straps. The newer design is poor quality in my experience due to the way the strap is designed.

I really wanted this to be a great backpack. I read the mixed reviews but decided to take the plunge anyway for a pack to carry on a trip that took us from DC to Munich, all corners of the Republic of Georgia and then through Vienna before returning to DC. The pack functioned ok, but I was constantly annoyed by the front pocket that would just flop all the way over when opened. Another concern is that this is billed as a laptop bag, but there is zero padding on the bottom of the laptop compartment, so I always had to be cautious not to set the bag down too hard to damage my laptop this is a BAD oversight! Also, after just the first day of use the water bottle pocket stretched out. I'm not sure if that will be an issue, but it is concerning. After returning from that two week trip I used the pack sporadically to haul a laptop, iPad and assorted electronics and office supplies when one day I noticed the shoulder strap was tearing away from the pack. Considering the pack was just two months old this was terrible. I have North Face packs that are 20+ yeRs old and none of them have done this, WHAT IS GOING ON NORTH FACE???

I really wanted this to be a great backpack. I read the mixed reviews but decided to take the plunge anyway for a pack to carry on a trip that took us from DC to Munich, all corners of the Republic of Georgia and then through Vienna before returning to DC. The pack functioned ok, but I was constantly annoyed by the front pocket that would just flop all the way over when opened. Another concern is that this is billed as a laptop bag, but there is zero padding on the bottom of the laptop compartment, so I always had to be cautious not to set the bag down too hard to damage my laptop - this is a BAD oversight! Also, after just the first day of use the water bottle pocket stretched out. I'm not sure if that will be an issue, but it is concerning. After returning from that two week trip I used the pack sporadically to haul a laptop, iPad and assorted electronics and office supplies when one day I noticed the shoulder strap was tearing away from the pack. Considering the pack was just two months old this was terrible. I have North Face packs that are 20+ yeRs old and none of them have done this, WHAT IS GOING ON NORTH FACE???

On the beginning was nice and confortable but within a few months the left strap got torn, I had both face back packs in the pass that costed half of this one and it lasted me for 3 years...

This backpack is curved on the back, which is where the laptop sleeve is. This causes the laptop to be pressed against, so the screen is squished by this angled back. I noticed after some time that the keyboard and trackpoint on my Lenovo 15" laptop is imprinted on the screen. This happens because of the backpack. Its actually slightly difficult to put items in the main compartment (books or laptop) due to this curve, which i'm assuming is there for comfort and cooling. I may need to ask for a refund beyond the return period as this can damage my laptop and laptop screen!!! I can't believe this wasn't tested or caught before!

First of all, I am a student and I love this backpack. I love how it has so many options for my books to store. The color is really nice too. But there is a major con within this backpack. The shoulder strap ripped within 2 months. Now I don't call that normal wear and tear. This product was 130 dollars! I paid for premium and got this. Very disappointing considering I upgraded from an adidas backpack and never had a problem. Super disappointed and had to take this into a shoe repair store and attempt to get it fixed because this wasn't covered under warranty. Other than that aggravating reason it's great.

Well, this is an update to my review about a month ago. The ripping strap has since completely ripped. I will never buy North Face backpacks again. Very poor quality. If I had the option, I would give 0 stars, but since I couldn't do that... I am giving 1. DO NOT BUY THIS BACKPACK

This bag was very nice for a short time. We purchased 4 of them and so far 2 of them have had one of the nylon straps on top of the shoulder strap pull completely out of the bag. The strap itself started coming out on 1 bag so we returned them. I am very disappointed in the latest Surge line. I was quite shocked at how quickly they fell apart. Bad design, bad quality control, or both? This is not what I expected from TNF at all.

I love the Surge backpacks ever since my first Surge II ..and I've had 2 Surge 3rd editions and this the 4thedition .. Sadly there is one major design flaw on this and looking through the reviews on both this Surge 4 and the similar Router I'm not the only one who has had issue with the shoulder straps. The cut outs on the joins with the bag and shoulder straps i obviously make the strap support far weaker than previous models. After around 3 months one of the shoulder straps has broken and seems others have had the same issue. Would be great if TNF sorted it. When I first got the pack i did think it strange having cut outs on the shoulder straps of all places. Such a ashame as it was a great bag for 2 or 3 months

I purchased this backpack to use for our honeymoon to Iceland. I've only used it to store my camera equipment on the move. Not even a year, it rips

product was good overall but has terrible durability, the shoulders straps dont have enough durability and fell apart quickly. disappointed as other north face products have been better quality, would not recommend to a friend

This bag was used by my seventh grader to carry his books at school for 4 months....until the shoulder strap broke and the seam on the side pocket exploded. He is 13, so he is not carrying 100 pounds of rocks. We sent to warranty, and 4 months later received it back with the note saying the "damage was due to abrasion and normal wear and tear." The pocket literally exploded from the inside.

I bought this backpack in september 2019 and after two month the shoulder strap started to rip. I return the backpack to the near store for repair which i told them I don't want this backpack, I want a different model since I did a research online and i'm not the only person with the same issue. I hope northface fix the shoulder strap problem. In addition, it don't make sense to "repair" the shoulder strap because it's going to rip again.

I have had NF Surge bags before and loved them but this one is terrible. The pockets and storage places are smaller and have less pockets, less spaces to cleanly organize things. I greatly regret this purchase.

use for two months traveling around the U.S. the front right shoulder strap ripped off during the trip, it's less than one month since I buy it. send back to warranty to fix, but get a reply saying that they can't fix it then issued me a gift card. what I expect is I can get a replacement one instead of a gift card. ( that is said on the document I sign when I sent my bag to warranty.)

North Face basically stole my money. I went into the an official North Face store to purchase a Surge backpack. They did not have the color I wanted from online so they offered to order it in the store and ship directly to my house. After taking the order they came back to me and said their credit card system was down so I would have to purchase a gift card for the exact amount down to the cent of the backpack in order to receive the shipment. When it arrived it was a completely different backpack, not even close to the same color / style. I shipped it back the same day but was informed that I could not receive my money back - the only options were to take the wrong backpack they shipped or be offered another gift card which i didn't need. Frankly it felt like a scam and I expected more from a well-known national brand like The North Face.

It ripped in the first two weeks of use. I am really disappointed with the north face. Poor quality and terrible guarantee policy. Never again I am going to buy anything from you

The backpack was great for a couple months until one of the shoulder straps ripped off of it. There is absolutely zero reinforcement holding the straps to the body of the backpack.

Good product, false advertisement on delivery!

The previous version was perfect, just too heavy. The fabric was indestructible, seams holding it up were very strong. It had useful side straps, the fabric on the outside covering the zip and protecting what's inside in light rain, these features also made it look neater when needed. I could easily fit 8 kg of stuff inside without any worries. The newer version which I had to get because my previous one got stolen was a big disappointment. The shoulder strap ripped off 12 hours after purchase, with about 5kg of weight iside the backpack. I had to quickly fix it myself as I was already 2 weeks into my 3 month long backpacking trip. The next day the handle broke too, plus after putting it on the ground I noticed some sratches on the fabric. For comparison, the previous one had no scratches after being tossed and rubbed against sharp rocks it the mountains while I was being rescued from too steep of a peak. It easily held up 10kg worth of load. With this newer version I am really worried about going in the mountains again at the end of my trip, because it feels like it can break again every time I put it on. To anyone considering the purchase - it may be a huge disappointment for the price. To TNF team - please, consider my experience if you are to make any improvements of the model in the future. I also want to add that the front compartment was more useful as it were.

North Face Surge (black) backpack review Changes or improvements? I've been using North Face Surge backpacks for at least 15 years. This is the first time I've been motivated to write a review. I typically use the Surge for flights and subway commuting, FYI. Bottom line: there are changes, but not improvements. 2nd bottom line: less features and higher cost. 1. Black zipper grabs. They used to be silver and easy to see in low light. Black on black? Seriously? Impossible to see/grab in low light. 2. Top pocket (the one with pen holder, zipper pocket, etc) is 1/2 as deep as the previous Surge. This is way too small. When you're on a flight in a tight seating situation, you have easiest access to the top pocket, NOT the side pockets. 2A. Since the top pocket is 1/2 the size, I'm using the very small outer /upper pocket, which is also very small. And I'm forced to use the outer side pockets, which, if you're flying, you have to get the entire backpack out from under your seat to access. It's a snowball effect that starts with the top pocket at 1/2 the size. 3. No Velcro strap to hold laptop in place. I've read other complaints about this and initially didn't mind, until a flight with my laptop. Why did you not include this? It's probably an additional 75 cents worth of fabric to include it. 4. No zipper cover fabric?! This is a no-brainer. Why get rid of this? Again, it's probably cents-worth of fabric, and worked REALLY GOOD for keeping rain out of my previous Surge. 5. Higher cost with less fabric, smaller compartments. If you're using less fabric/features than your previous Surge, how about charging LESS for it? Pro: The shoulder straps feel better than the previous Surge. Wally Bynum, inventor of the Airstream trailer, is famously quoted, saying, "We won't make CHANGES. We will only make IMPROVEMENTS." Please consider this for future Surge backpacks.

Pay close attention to the photos users have posted of the Zinc Gray coloring. The backpack color looks nothing like the advertised photo. If you prefer a nearly all black backpack then you're in luck, otherwise try a different color choice.

Before starting nursing school, I did my research on which backpack to get, everyone said this was the best. I purchased it in June, and made sure to never overload the bag - maybe, at most, kept a book or two and my laptop in it, was gentle when putting on, made sure to be careful because I felt that if I were spending this much on a backpack, I should keep it as nice as possible. Started using it in August and by November the strap had started to rip off the place it is attached on top. For this much money, and for as good of care I put into it, I feel that this is ridiculous. Called customer service and was told this is considered normal wear and tear so I would have to pay for it to be fixed. Normal wear and tear after 3 months of use doesn't make sense - especially for the price and for the brand, would have expected better from North Face.

*This is my second attempt at submitting a 1-star review for this item. For some odd reason, TNF did not post my first submission.* I purchased this bag in December. My son began using it in January; by March, one of the shoulder straps had already torn off. It was only used for school and otherwise still looks brand new. I contacted customer service, but the rep I chatted with was indifferent and curt. We own many TNF products and have never had an issue with quality, so this one was disappointing. My only recourse is to send the bag back at my own expense. I was told that it would take 8 weeks and that it may or may not be covered by warranty.

The backpack came as pictured and seemed to be fine overall, but for some reason it was heavily fragranced and smelled awful. Given that I planned on using this backpack for hiking, the last thing I wanted to do was smell like perfume in the backcountry with wildlife around. I ended up putting it in the washing machine with a lot of vinegar to try to remove some of the horrible stench, but the washer ripped a huge hole in the bag and I had to throw it out. I instead bought the same bag (but in a different color) from REI, and it did not come fragranced. I have absolutely no clue why Zappos feels the need to douse their products in perfume, but I for sure will never purchase anything from this company again.