THE NORTH FACEVault Everyday Laptop Backpack | Commuter Travel Bag with Water-Repellent Finish, Spacious Main Compartment, TNF Black-NPF, One Size

To make this review a bit easier to read (because I tend to run off at the mouth) I've broken into sections discussing the packs features...First off, though the pack's dimensions and volume are clearly available for you to learn about, the pack still seemed a bit smaller than what I was expecting. No matter though because it was able to swallow up what I'll be carrying in it with plenty of room to spare for things like a hoodie or a rain jacket. I WFH but as much as 3-4 days a week I'll leave home to work elsewhere either for a change of scenery like at a coffee shop or a cozy bookstore or simply because I have to (to meet up with coworkers at a work share space or at the main office).The main reason for this bag's existence in my life? The ability to carry a laptop and let me tell you, for me and my laptop it does it really well. So well in fact that even though I have a protective sleeve for my laptop, I don't feel the need to use it with this bag. The rear panel of the bag which is also the laptop compartment's rear panel is thickly padded, but the most important little touch? With my laptop in the compartment the laptop DOES NOT sink to the bottom of the bag and that's great. Why? Because if the laptop sunk down to the bottom of the bag then it can potentially get damaged if you're not mindful when putting your bag down on the floor/ground. The bag's laptop compartment ends a good few inches above the bottom of the bag. In the included pics are everything that I carry and will still have room to spare... all in all is a 13" MB Pro, a 10" Ipad Pro (2nd gen), various sketchpads (the largest of which is 9"x12"), my on the go Apple keyboard and mouse, and 3 pouches. The gray pouch measure 9"x 6"x 2" and it houses all my art supplies (Copic and Posca markers, various pencils, erasers, sharpeners as well as a small DIY watercolor kit). The black Maxpedition pouch measures 8"x 7"x 2" carries my "edc" which consists of various small hand tools, my H.A.B.A. (health and beauty aids lol) and a small first aid kit. the third and final pouch that I carry in the pack measures 9"x 6"x 2" and that is home to a portable ssd drive, ear buds, and all the charging cables I might need for the laptop, Ipad, and the various electronic detritus that I carry. In the front pocket I don't make use of the organizational features that the bag has (the mesh pockets and such). Instead, that's where the "edc" pouch lives as well as a Moleskin journal and another small container of markers and pencils). And like I've already mentioned, I still have room to spare after packing all of that.And speaking of the front pocket, this needs mentioning - the front pocket works absolutely great FOR ME, but it might not for you. Why? First the front pocket... it roughly measures 11"- 12" across, about 10" in height and 2" in depth (basically fully half of the front face of the pack). Beneath the front pocket is NOTHING which means that outer face of the pack will remain flat once the front pocket is packed full but will also mean that inside the main compartment the top half of the space will be taken up by whatever is in the front pocket and there will be a gap below the front pocket in the main compartment. This works for me because aside from the laptop and sketchbooks/books that I carry, everything else with me is in a pouch. I have a pouch in the front pocket (let's call it pouch #1) and the 2 other pouches below pouch #1 in the main compartment.If you don't carry pouches like me or if you tend to carry bigger items then the space taken up by the front pocket might be a no go for you.Front pocket TL:DR - the front pocket takes up no space of its own, instead it gets its space from the main compartment. This may or may not work for you. Fortunately it works great for me.The outer side mesh pockets... though one can definitely carry at least a 12oz bottle in the side pockets, it feels to me that that's about as big as you can go (especially if the bag's main compartment is packer semi to almost full. This isn't an issue for me since tend not to carry beverages in the same bag that I carry electronic gear (ask me why I don't!! LOL)The back panel of the bag as well as the straps... Initially the straps were on the stiff side but as I use the bag more and more they seem to be softening up. The straps are made up of some kind of sturdy foam that's been laser cut to include ventilation holes and the straps are covered in a fine mesh which gives you great ventilation.The rear panel of the bag... It's made up a stiff (but comfortable) panel that allows the bag to stand on its own when placed on the ground. On either side of the panel are 2 additional panels that are made up of a foamy cushiony material (this is the part of the bag that rests against you back). These 2 panels create a raised section of the bag allowing air flow between the 2 panels. That air flow is hard to feel if you're simply walking around, but if you're on a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle, the additional flow of air is easy to feel and it's a welcome addition to the bag. In the past I've had bags with this feature before but they were much more expensive, anywhere from triple to quadruple the price (made by Deuter and Ortlieb), so it was a bit of surprise to find a bag with similar functionality for a fraction of the price. Only time will tell if this will last as long as my old Ortlieb.Cons? Not that I've found so far but I do wish for a couple things...Since I carry mostly flat items that don't take up too much room I wish that there were some sort suspension system that would allow to synch the bag tight. Not that I feel like the things in my bag are banging around as I move about but it would be nice for the bag and its contents to feel "tighter" and moved with me better. No a deal breaker by any means, just a small wish.The lashing points on the outside of the bag... I tend to not lash things on the outside of my bags because that means I'd have to also carry something with me to do lashing. Whether that be para cord, bungee cords or whatever. I simply don't have the wherewithal or headspace to deal with all that LOL so for me the lash points - though well made with heavy stitching - serve no purpose for me.The little things that I appreciate... though I don't ever see myself using it, the clip for your keys inside the zippered front pocket is a nice tough (admittedly TONS of bags have this feature) but what most bags don't hve that this bags does? The heat shrink tubing around the zipper's toggles. Heat shrink tubing is tough stuff and typically used neaten up and or prevent shorts in electrical wiring of all kinds. Whether it's on the tail end of a butt connector or covering a spliced connection, heat shrink tubing is hyper abrasion resistant and it's great little touch/design choice. The North Face logo on the front of the bag... at this pricepoint I could picture them simply printing their logo on as it's I'm sure faster and cheaper to do and most probably not many people if any would complain about that but they didn't do that. Instead, they embroidered their logo on. A small thing but it adds the quality of the bag IMO. Lastly, this may not matter to some but I love that the bag is 100% made from recycled materials.Last little thing that's worth mentioning... While deciding on whether or not to purchase this bag or not I naturally looked at most of the provided pics and colorways. That said, as far as I know there are 2 versions of this bag, an older one and a newer one. The bag that I bought (and wanted to buy) is the newer version. You can tell because it has 2 top grab handles (as opposed to the older version's single handle) as well as having the ability to stand up on its own. I mention this because in some of the pictures for some of the different colors the bag is available in, they show the 1st gen older version of this bag and in other pictures it shows the newer version of this bag. Be sure of which version you want to buy and which version that you'll actually be receiving before buying!!Overall I'm very happy with the bag especially considering its pricepoint. It looks and feels like a much more expensive bag and in this day and age that's not easy to pull off so kudos to TNF!

I am a commuter. I like this backpack. It seems made for hikers, so my mile hike to work after getting of the train is easier. It is lighter than the Swiss Army laptop backpack that I have, which is much appreciated. It has everything that I need and is sturdy enough for its purpose. I consider it a good value. Those with better backs than mine may find something cheaper that is adequate for them.

Holds everything I need perfectly

I love this backpack!My boy had nice ninja backpack from cheap brand. It never lasted a year. This one is so sturdy. Now I ask for my boy to exchange mine. Mine is small and same brand. Even zippers are sturdy. It you want to have good backpack, you should check zipper first! I think Northface is really good at backpack.

Nice materials, nice construction, and I want to love this back pack... but the design seems flawed. The smaller upper pocket only goes about halfway down the bag, and the zippers all over the bag are really loose (open and close veeery easily). The result is... if you put anything with any weight in it the smaller pocket, the pocket is apt to flop over, and depending on the position of the zipper - the whole pocket can dump out in a flash. Has happened to me multiple times, which is maddening. I love North Face gear, and the look and feel of this bag is great, but it has to be "managed" and I hate having to worry about how I load and close the bag itself to prevent a mess.

Great value backpack. Arrived in perfect conditions.

Quality back pack that’s not too large.

I love this product is a very good product