The North Face Borealis vs The North Face Surge
280 facts in comparison
Based on 1,362 Reddit opinions. Close race—Face BorealisThe North Face Borealis edges ahead.
1.4K opinions
Face Borealis leads by 2pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
79%
B
Based on
1,514 Redditors
Winner
The North Face Borealis
~$115
846 opinions
tldr; Classic TNF daypack. Comfortable, durable, well-organized. Safe recommendation.
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
71
Points
73
Points
Score by Category
Comfort & Carry
66%71%
Organization
62%72%
Capacity
69%64%
Build Quality
77%63%
Aesthetics
64%76%
Why is North Face Surge better than North Face Borealis?
- Better organization (72% vs 62%)
- Better aesthetics (76% vs 64%)
- Professional look
- Laptop focused
- Comfortable carry
Based on 2,376 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call
Reddit prefers the Face BorealisThe North Face Borealis
Winning by 2 points (79% vs 77%)
Better build quality
TNF durability
Laptop protected
High confidence (2,376 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 2,376 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Face Borealis
7.9/10
1,514 mentions
Face Surge
7.7/10
862 mentions
BUILD QUALITY
Face Borealis7.7/10
Face Surge6.3/10
ORGANIZATION
Face Borealis6.2/10
Face Surge7.2/10
COMFORT
Face Borealis6.6/10
Face Surge7.1/10
CAPACITY
Face Borealis6.9/10
Face Surge6.4/10
AESTHETICS
Face Borealis6.4/10
Face Surge7.6/10
VALUE
Face Borealis8.9/10
Face Surge9.4/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Face Borealis | Face Surge |
|---|---|---|
Build Quality | 77% | 63% |
Organization | 62% | 72% |
Comfort | 66% | 71% |
Capacity | 69% | 64% |
Aesthetics | 64% | 76% |
Value | 89% | 94% |
Category Wins
Face Borealis: 2|Face Surge: 4
Head to Head
Face Borealis: 2|Face Surge: 4
Build QualityFace Borealis
Face Borealis77%
Face Surge63%
OrganizationFace Surge
Face Borealis62%
Face Surge72%
ComfortFace Surge
Face Borealis66%
Face Surge71%
CapacityFace Borealis
Face Borealis69%
Face Surge64%
AestheticsFace Surge
Face Borealis64%
Face Surge76%
ValueFace Surge
Face Borealis89%
Face Surge94%
Face Borealis
79%
77%
Face Surge
Face Borealis79%
Face Surge77%
Close race - Face Borealis edges ahead by 2 points
Key Specs
| Spec | The North Face Borealis | The North Face Surge |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 28 liters | 31 liters |
| Material | 210D recycled nylon ripstop with non-PFC durable water-repellent (non-PFC DWR) finish | 210D recycled nylon ripstop / 300D heathered recycled polyester ripstop |
| Laptop Sleeve | Padded 15 inch laptop sleeve | — |
| Suspension System | FlexVent suspension system | FlexVent suspension system |
| Pockets | External fleece-lined pocket, two external water bottle pockets, internal organization | — |
Key Highlights
The North Face BorealisWinner
💪 TNF durability
💻 Laptop protected
🔧 Organized
🎒 Versatile
The North Face Surge
🏢 Professional look
💻 Laptop focused
🌬️ Comfortable carry
🔧 Well organized
Topic Battles
Face Borealis: 2|Tied: 0|Face Surge: 3
😌Comfort & Carry
Face Surge winsFace Borealis
66%
Face Surge
71%
⭐Organization
Face Surge winsFace Borealis
62%
Face Surge
72%
📦Capacity
Face Borealis winsFace Borealis
69%
Face Surge
64%
🔧Build Quality
Face Borealis winsFace Borealis
77%
Face Surge
63%
⭐Aesthetics
Face Surge winsFace Borealis
64%
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 The North Face Borealis
Best Praise
+22 pts“Navy. Grey will show dirt, black is boring. Also will show dirt. But don’t ask me, I’m purely function over fashion. The Borealis is one of my favorite packs, btw, excellent choice for quality and function.”
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
Face Borealis
The North Face Surge
📈Historical Price Data
The North Face Borealis
The North Face Surge
The North Face Borealis
All-time low: $69.3(2025-11)
The North Face Surge
All-time low: $90.35(2025-09)
Which is Better?
The North Face Borealis Wins
79%
Borealis
vs
77%
Surge
Close race, but The North Face Borealis edges ahead by 2 points based on 2,376 Reddit opinions.
Why Face BorealisWinner
- 💪 TNF durability
- 💻 Laptop protected
- 🔧 Organized
- More discussed (1,514 vs 862)
Why Face Surge
- 🏢 Professional look
- 💻 Laptop focused
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
44%Positive
Positive
44%Neutral
44%Negative
12%Based on 1,514 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
46%Positive
Positive
46%Neutral
40%Negative
14%Based on 862 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, The North Face Borealis or The North Face Surge?
Based on 2,376 Reddit comments, The North Face Borealis has a slight edge with 79% positive sentiment vs The North Face Surge's 77%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy The North Face Borealis or The North Face Surge?
Both have similar approval ratings (79% vs 77%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about The North Face Borealis?
Reddit users highlight: TNF durability. Laptop protected. Organized. With 1,514 mentions and 79% 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 2,376 Reddit comments: 1,514 about The North Face Borealis 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.
1,362 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 5/25/2026