Fjallraven Raven 28 vs The North Face Surge
260 facts in comparison
Based on 1,031 Reddit opinions. Raven 28Fjallraven Raven 28 leads by 8 points.
1.0K opinions
Raven 28 leads by 8pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
85%
A-
Based on
844 Redditors
Winner
Fjallraven Raven 28
~$95.84
515 opinions
tldr; Functional Fjallraven. Better organization than Kanken, same aesthetic. The practical choice.
Check pricesVS
77%
B
Based on
862 Redditors
The North Face Surge
~$142.56
516 opinions
tldr; Business Borealis. More professional look, similar bones. Commuter appropriate.
Check prices😌COM
⭐ORG
📦CAP
🔧BUI
⭐AES
76
Points
73
Points
Score by Category
Comfort & Carry
52%71%
Organization
83%72%
Capacity
75%64%
Build Quality
80%63%
Aesthetics
86%76%
Why is North Face Surge better than Fjallraven Raven 28?
- Better value (94% vs 81%)
- Better comfort (71% vs 52%)
- Professional look
- Laptop focused
- Comfortable carry
Based on 1,706 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge
Reddit prefers the Raven 28Fjallraven Raven 28
Winning by 8 points (85% vs 77%)
Better aesthetics
Better organization
Better capacity
High confidence (1,706 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 1,706 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Raven 28
8.5/10
844 mentions
Face Surge
7.7/10
862 mentions
AESTHETICS
Raven 288.6/10
Face Surge7.6/10
VALUE
Raven 288.1/10
Face Surge9.4/10
ORGANIZATION
Raven 288.3/10
Face Surge7.2/10
CAPACITY
Raven 287.5/10
Face Surge6.4/10
COMFORT
Raven 285.2/10
Face Surge7.1/10
BUILD QUALITY
Raven 288.0/10
Face Surge6.3/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Raven 28 | Face Surge |
|---|---|---|
Aesthetics | 86% | 76% |
Value | 81% | 94% |
Organization | 83% | 72% |
Capacity | 75% | 64% |
Comfort | 52% | 71% |
Build Quality | 80% | 63% |
Category Wins
Raven 28: 4|Face Surge: 2
Head to Head
Raven 28: 4|Face Surge: 2
AestheticsRaven 28
Raven 2886%
Face Surge76%
ValueFace Surge
Raven 2881%
Face Surge94%
OrganizationRaven 28
Raven 2883%
Face Surge72%
CapacityRaven 28
Raven 2875%
Face Surge64%
ComfortFace Surge
Raven 2852%
Face Surge71%
Build QualityRaven 28
Raven 2880%
Face Surge63%
Raven 28
85%
77%
Face Surge
Raven 2885%
Face Surge77%
Raven 28 wins by 8 points
Key Specs
| Spec | Fjallraven Raven 28 | The North Face Surge |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Fjällräven | The North Face |
| Manufacturer | Fjallraven | The North Face |
| Color | Black | Tnf Black/Tnf Black-npf |
| Weight | 1.0 Pounds | 2.0 pounds |
| Height | 18.5 inches | 20.0 Inches |
Key Highlights
Fjallraven Raven 28Winner
🔧 Better organization
💻 Laptop sleeve
🦊 Fjallraven quality
📏 28L capacity
The North Face Surge
🏢 Professional look
💻 Laptop focused
🌬️ Comfortable carry
🔧 Well organized
Topic Battles
Raven 28: 4|Tied: 0|Face Surge: 1
😌Comfort & Carry
Face Surge winsRaven 28
52%
Face Surge
71%
⭐Organization
Raven 28 winsRaven 28
83%
Face Surge
72%
📦Capacity
Raven 28 winsRaven 28
75%
Face Surge
64%
🔧Build Quality
Raven 28 winsRaven 28
80%
Face Surge
63%
⭐Aesthetics
Raven 28 winsRaven 28
86%
Face Surge
76%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Fjallraven Raven 28
Best Praise
+24 pts“The raven is great, but it will not stand up on its own. Depends if that bothers you or not!”
r/Backpacks
ViewTop Criticism
+4 pts“I have a slightly different raven, and hate the water bottle pockets with a fiery passion. They are short stiff and slippery, even the shortest water bottle will pop right out all the time”
r/Backpacks
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for The North Face Surge
Best Praise
+23 pts“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.”
r/Backpacks
ViewTop Criticism
+25 pts“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)”
r/Backpacks
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
Fjallraven Raven 28
The North Face Surge
📈Historical Price Data
Fjallraven Raven 28
The North Face Surge
Fjallraven Raven 28
All-time low: $75.96(2024-04)
$25 below 90-day avg
The North Face Surge
All-time low: $90.35(2025-09)
Which is Better?
Fjallraven Raven 28 Wins
85%
28
vs
77%
Surge
Fjallraven Raven 28 leads by 8 points based on 1,706 Reddit opinions.
Why Raven 28Winner
- 🔧 Better organization
- 💻 Laptop sleeve
- 🦊 Fjallraven quality
Why Face Surge
- Better Value for Money (94% vs 81%)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
52%Positive
Positive
52%Neutral
39%Negative
9%Based on 844 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
46%Positive
Positive
46%Neutral
40%Negative
14%Based on 862 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Fjallraven Raven 28 or The North Face Surge?
Based on 1,706 Reddit comments, Fjallraven Raven 28 is the preferred choice with 85% positive sentiment vs The North Face Surge's 77%. Fjallraven Raven 28 leads by 8 percentage points.
Should I buy Fjallraven Raven 28 or The North Face Surge?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Fjallraven Raven 28 has stronger approval ratings (85% vs 77%). However, The North Face Surge may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Fjallraven Raven 28?
Reddit users highlight: Better organization. Laptop sleeve. Fjallraven quality. With 844 mentions and 85% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about The North Face Surge?
Reddit users highlight: Professional look. Laptop focused. Comfortable carry. With 862 mentions and 77% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,706 Reddit comments: 844 about Fjallraven Raven 28 and 862 about The North Face Surge. Data was sourced from Backpacks community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
1,031 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 5/25/2026