tldr; Business Borealis. More professional look, similar bones. Commuter appropriate.
$129.99 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for The North Face Surge
“I personally just like the fjalraven. My pack was a North Face Surge for all of college and law school. It was very handy in terms of how the pouches laid out in terms of using it as a school backpack.”
“I own the surge for over a year now, and I would look at other brands if I’m being honest. It definitely lacks for a tech backpack, and it’s not that comfortable when there’s a lot of stuff in it. It also doesn’t hold as much stuff as my other backpacks. I only use it for light carry (a laptop at most)”
862 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/5/2026