Customer Reviews The North Face Jester Backpack

It's rather small and doesn't have many compartments.

This was a really comfortable backpack but I was looking for something bigger for school. This is perfect if you won't be carrying too many books.

I loved the backpack but it was just too small I couldn't fit my school stuff in it :(

I love this backpack especially because I am a college student and I needed a backpack which could fit all my stuff. However, be prepared if its raining to wrap your books up in plastic just to prevent it from getting ruined.

TLDR: This was a huge improvement from my Jansport backpack. HUGE. That's just something to be grateful for from the get go. Annoying things: The zipper opens ALL the way to the end of the opening if that makes sense. Meaning the maximum opening is really wide so that the front of the backpack flaps open and it often falls over if I don't carefully prop it against something while it's open. It's a little too narrow as well (see later paragraph about the hump) Good things: Classic North Face quality comfort. Attractive/cool (I have it in black with light blue). Waterbottle carriers. Chest strap for running late to classes without it bouncing around everywhere. Even though it looked frighteningly small when I took it out of the box, I've been using it for about 2 months now and with some initial flaws I will get to after this paragraph, I've gotten used to it and am pretty content. However, I think I would still be better off with a different North Face design. I am a college student who prefers to lug around physical textbooks as well as a 13.5" Macbook Air though so the narrowness of the design actually unevenly distributes the weight..if that makes sense. Basically rather than a moderately thick moderately wide hump, there is a quite narrow but very thick protruding hump on my back. It messes with my center of gravity and thereby my back. I should've gone with a less feminine but more practical wide set backpack. Even though this was supposedly made for laptops, I didn't really like the way it felt on my back. It become stiff and long like a wooden plank pushing against my back as I walk. Overall though, I manage. And the plus is that while it holds a lot of stuff, it fits much easier into smaller lockers than my old Jansport did. This is really convenient because I have to force it in and out of lockers constantly outside of my school's dining halls. Plus the overall comfort is WAY better than Jansport of course. Those thick padded straps though...mm

I got this backpack because I needed one for college. I heard North Face made great and durable backpacks so I ordered the Jester in the black and light blue color. It is aesthetically pleasing to the eye in terms of style and color, but the only con was that it was much smaller than I thought it would be. I felt a Jansport backpack was maybe even a tiny bit bigger in terms of volume capacity, but that's just me. The fact it was so small really caused me to rethink my purchase so I went ahead and ordered a Borealis instead in the same color. The Jester is ideal for students who pack lightly, but I needed a bigger backpack so I returned it. Other than the size, it's a great backpack overall!

I used this backpack for school, and it fit mostly everything. I like the sizing, but everything else not so much. After, not even a year, there is already a hole. I chose a light grey, and dirt is VERY noticeable. The laptop pocket works very well, although I walked home from school one day while it was raining, and everything was ruined.

Perfect for me as a college student just taking my laptop and a notebook around campus. My last backpack to hug and I needed something smaller so this was a just right. I thought it was interesting how the pencil storage etc was in the main pouch, I like it though.

I decided to get a north face backpack after retiring my old swiss army one. Though the backpack seems to be good quality it got stained on the first day I had it. The stain in on the very bottom from setting it down on the group which is unavoidable with a backpack. I do like the interior pockets, however I wish there were more especially in the deep front pocket. The straps are also uncomfortable and I hate the mesh material of the back part. I wish I had stuck with swiss army.

I really like my backpack because it is grey colors and comfortable on my back, but it does need to be bigger because I am using it for school

Was excited to receive this in the mail but once it got here, I was disappointed in the size

it's a good bag to have. more ideal for travels since it's smaller and compact. It's very stiff though so it makes it a bit uncomfortable to wear for school since books are heavy and it does not really form to the body as much. I like the protection it gives for my lap top. i feel i am not breaking it as I'm toting it around. all in all good decent bag that will last years. i just hope it softens up a bit.

I found that this bag was too bulky and unnecessary for me since I'll be a HS senior soon and I won't be carrying as many books as I've been these last three years. This bag's design seemed more for hiking or carrying a million books rather than carrying two notebooks and a folder. Oh and the buckles should be placed below the straps, not on it: it feels more comfortable that way.

When i got the bag i was expecting the colors to be alot duller, they were brighter. I wish they had the extended colors when i bought it a few weeks earlier. It does fit a 15 in laptop. It doesn't stand up by itself with books in it by itself. I was expecting a little bit bigger, the back cushions are so big its uncomfortable.

I'm writing this review mostly to comment on the size of the backpack. I've loved my previous Jester backpack, plenty of room and it lasted seven years of constant use. The Jester backpack here however is MUCH, MUCH smaller. I'm a college student and it's definitely not big enough to hold a laptop, notebook, and textbook. It's so small I will probably have to return/exchange it. Maybe other people know how big 26 liters is, but I had no idea, so here's my word of advice!

These are good, sturdy backpacks. BUT, if you are using for school be warned that there is not much room. The smaller pocket is just about useless, too small for even a folder, much less a book or binder. My daughter (10th grade) is able to get 4 one-inch binders in hers, which leaves no room for any books or other folders. I am afraid we will end up having to buy a bigger bag. Can't return, as we had it monogrammed before we realized how little it is.

It turned to be really small than what I expected, I think Borealis is quite large and suitable for a guy like me who likes keeping all of his stuff in the bag. I am used to use large bags compared to this one. I think it's ideal for kids or pals who like to keep just few things in their bag.

Broke after 10 months of use. The zipper separated from the fabric and I can no longer zip it. Extremely disappointed in this as North Face used to be know for their quality

Needed a new bag since my chrome bag was causing discomfort. I saw everyone on campus with one. Looked cute and comfortable. Perfect size. Just gets heavy quickly. I got bruises on my shoulders from it weighing down. It keeps falling over. It's super annoying. I would return it but I plan on using it for small trips.

I have an old Jester 2 that recently has become very holey. I used my Jester 2 all the time and absolutely loved it. I really dislike the new model, it's very bulky and does not have enough compartments and pockets inside (much less than the previous models). I've returned both the new Jester that I bought and the Recon and am still in the hunt for another backpack. I wish that North Face allowed people the option of still purchasing the old Jester 2 or Jester 1.

I recently just bought this backpack for the new school year. I was really excited to use it, but it doesn't fit all of my stuff! Plus, the bag is pretty heavy for the amount of space.

I love the book bag. My only issue is the fact I've not even had it a week and the straps have begun to tear already.

I loved the look and style of these backpacks. However, when mine came in the mail, the organizer panel was in the main compartment facing the laptop sleeve. So if you are to unzip that part all the way, everything will fall out of the slots. And it is completely backwards from the pictures shown on this website. I called NF and they sent me a new one. The new one was the same way. After doing further internet research, it seems like that is how the Jester is made now. I don't know if it's intentional or a mistake, but either way, it's WRONG! The organizer panel should not be in the main compartment! Suppose you have a bulky jacket or sweatshirt in the main compartment. You yank it out and along comes your pens, flashlight and phone that are stashed in those upright slots.

This product is good looking, and is extremely nice quality. However, being a student means carrying around a bunch of textbooks and binders, causing for a large and heavy load. The padding scratches your shoulders and leaves red marks, and the backpack is so small I can barely carry 3 1 inch binders and 2 textbooks. Also, my S'well water bottle (17 inch) does not fit in the side. It gets heavy easily and there is no convenient place to put your phone. Not much storage for tiny things like headphones, pencil case, etc.

Was given this backpack for college- it is a great backpack for a student but the mesh straps are so uncomfortable that I will be returning this backpack despite all the other features. The straps feel like sandpaper; it feels like I have a constant sunburn on my shoulders because of the straps rubbing them. It's even painful when wearing a shirt that completely covers my shoulders. I'm also slightly concerned that the straps will tear my clothing when taking off the backpack.