The North Face Borealis vs Jester - What’s the Difference?
The North Face Borealis or Jester? Which one is the better buy? These backpacks are two popular choices if you are looking for a reliable backpack for school, travel or even outdoor activities and in this updated Borealis vs Jester backpack comparison we dive deep and explore the differences.
Note: this comparison is of the 2023/2024 versions of both the North Face Borealis and Jester. The North Face is known for updating their backpack designs every so often and specific details may be different if you wish to compare older versions of either backpack.
Video Review
Quick Specs
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 28 Liters (Mens) 28 Liters (Womens) |
27 Liters (Mens) 22 Liters (Womens) |
| Material | Nylon Ripstop | Recycled Polyester |
| Laptop Storage | Up to 15" laptop | Mens: Up to 15" Womens: Up to 14" |
| Tablet Pocket | Yes | No |
| Fleece Lined Pocket | Yes | No |
| Compression Straps | Yes | No |
| Sternum Strap | Yes | Yes |
| Waist Belt | Yes | No |
| Price |
The North Face Backpacks: Mens vs Womens
For this hands-on comparison we used the womens Borealis and Jester backpacks. If you are looking to purchase a men’s North Face backpack, please note that most of this comparison will still apply.
The main differences between the men’s and women’s versions are as follows:
Men’s North Face backpacks have larger back panels and wider shoulder straps to accommodate broader shoulders and longer torsos. This is the biggest difference.
The men’s version of the North Face Borealis has a 28-liter carrying capacity, while the women’s version is 27 liters.
The men’s Jester has a capacity of 28 liters, while the women’s version of the Jester is significantly smaller at 22 liters.
Rest assured that all of the pockets and compartments are the same on both the men’s and women’s versions of the Borealis and Jester.
The North Face Women’s Borealis (left) and Women’s Jester (right)
Borealis vs Jester: Capacity and Size
The Borealis is the larger backpack overall and have a larger footprint when worn. You can expect the Borealis to be wider and stick out more when worn. In comparison, the Jester offers a slimmer fit that doesn’t stick out as much.
Model height: 5’6” - wearing womens Borealis and Jester backpacks
The North Face is all over the place when it comes to their internal carrying capacity and sizes, especially with the Jester backpacks.
Although the men’s Borealis and Jester sit comfortably at 28 liters, there is a huge difference between the women’s sizes, with the Jester being a lot smaller at 22 liters versus the 27 liters of the women’s Borealis.
Backpack Carrying Capacities in Liters:
Women’s Borealis: 27L
Men’s Borealis: 28L
Women’s Jester: 22L
Men’s Jester: 28L
Main compartments: 27L Borealis vs 22L Jester
What this means for you is that you can fit about the same volume of items inside the men’s Borealis and Jester. When comparing the women’s backpacks, our packing test revealed that you can fit an extra jacket inside the women’s Borealis.
Big Difference: Quality, Materials and Construction
The main difference between the Borealis and Jester backpacks is in their construction quality. A little-known fact is that not all backpacks from The North Face are cut from the same cloth, literally.
The North Face backpacks can be split into two tiers: Premium Bags, which include models like the Borealis, Recon and Surge. These bags are made with premium materials at a higher price point. Then there are the Budget Bags which include the Jester and Vault, which are made with cheaper materials and cost less.
So, although the Borealis and Jester may look similar, they are actually on two different planets in terms of quality.
Nylon Ripstop construction and YKK zippers (left) vs recycled polyester and SBS zippers (right)
The Borealis is made of nylon ripstop with a water-repellent coating, top-of-the-line YKK zippers, and special features such as fleece-lined pockets throughout to protect items like sunglasses and tech.
The Jester, on the other hand, uses recycled polyester in its construction with cheaper SBS brand zippers. Most of its pockets are made of a cheaper mesh material and it features no special fleece-lined pockets.
You’ll also notice a difference in the hardware used in each respective backpack. The North Face Borealis is filled with hefty plastic hardware for the sternum strap, waist belt, and compression straps. Meanwhile, the Jester uses lighter plastic hardware and is missing a lot of key features like the waist belt and compression straps.
This leads us to the weight of each of these backpacks. All of the extra bells and whistles on the Borealis leads to heavier backpack overall.
Backpack Weights:
Womens Borealis: 2 lbs 1 oz
Mens Borealis: 2 lbs 5 oz
Womens Jester: 1 lb 8 oz
Mens Jester: 1 lb 10 oz
This difference in quality and construction is what accounts for the price difference, with the Borealis being the most expensive backpack. Meanwhile, the Jester stays consistently under $100, with attractive sale prices from time to time.
Borealis vs Jester: Pockets and Compartments
Laptop Compartment vs Sleeve
A major difference between the Borealis and Jester is the location of the laptop storage. The Borealis features a separate rear laptop compartment while the Jester has a laptop sleeve inside the main compartment.
The North Face Borealis vs Jester: Borealis laptop compartment vs the Jester laptop sleeve inside main compartment
Which is better? We prefer the external laptop compartment of the Borealis, but ultimately, it’s up to personal preference. We like not having to rummage through the main compartment to reach the laptop. It makes quickly grabbing tech a lot easier.
The Borealis and men’s Jester can all comfortably fit a laptop up to 15 inches, but the sleeve on the women’s Jester is a tad smaller, limiting your carry to a 14-inch laptop.
However, both the laptop compartment on the Borealis and sleeve on the Jester feature a false bottom to prevent the bottom of the laptop from reaching the bottom of the bag. This gives your tech extra protection in case of a bump or drop.
A low-key feature of the Borealis is the ability to turn the laptop compartment into a hydration pocket. If you look closely at the top of the laptop compartment on the Borealis, you’ll see a small Velcro hook with a small opening right above it. This is for attaching a hydration bladder. So, if you ever want to go hiking, you can attach a hydration bladder and port it to the outside of the bag. The Jester is missing this feature altogether.
Front Compartment and Extra Pockets
Both the Borealis and Jester come with a front compartment with smaller pockets for organization. The front compartment on the Borealis has more pockets overall, including a fleece-lined pocket for a phone or sunglasses and a larger slip pocket for a tablet.
Front compartment on the Borealis and Jester - the Borealis has more pockets
The Jester offers mesh pockets for items like pens, accessories, and a phone but does not include any fleece-lined pocket or the larger tablet pocket. This is where the quality differences really shine as the cheaper mesh pockets feel a lot flimsier than the robust pockets inside the Borealis.
The fleece-lined front pocket on The North Face Borealis is missing on the Jester
Additionally, the Borealis has an extra fleece-lined pocket on the front of the backpack to hold items like sunglasses or a phone. Unfortunately, the Jester is missing this pocket altogether.
Side Water Bottle Pockets
The gap in quality can be clearly seen in the differences of the side water bottle pockets. The Borealis uses heavier-duty mixed materials, including a stretchy tight-weave mesh for their water bottle pockets while the Jester uses a cheaper mesh material. The good news is that both the Jester and Borealis can easily fit larger 32oz water bottles.
Pictured above are the Borealis and Jester with 24oz bottles for a side by side comparison.
One advantage that we will give to the Jester is that there is no bungee on top of the water bottle pockets to fuss with. This side-bungee on the Borealis acts as compression straps for the water bottle pocket and the bag itself, but in everyday use, you’ll just find it getting in the way.
We really believe that The North Face added this bungee here to give the Borealis a cool look. Functionally, a proper compression strap (as seen on The North Face Recon) would have been more practical.
Elastic Bungee System
We are pretty sure the reason the Borealis and Jester get compared is that they both have a front elastic bungee storage system, but just like the gap in overall quality, there is a quality gap in the bungee designs.
Borealis vs Jester: towel attached to the elastic bungee storage system
The Borealis features clips in the center that allow you to detach the bungee for quicker attachments. These clips are missing on the Jester, and as a result, attaching something like a jacket or beach towel will take more time.
We can’t express enough how much easier the bungee on the Borealis is to use. Attaching extra cargo is simpler, faster, and less of a headache.
Another smaller difference is with the compression points. The Jester has two compression points on either side of the bungee to hold items in place. As a result, you have extra bungee hanging from either side of the bag that creates unnecessary snag points. The Borealis features just one compression point at the bottom, creating a cleaner look.
Shoulder Harness and Back Panel Differences
Both backpacks use a different version of The North Face’s FlexVent Suspension system with generous air channels on the back panels and ergonomic shoulder straps. The Borealis features extra lumbar support, which comes in handy when the backpack gets heavy. In short, if you are going for the backpack with the most back support, go with the Borealis.
As for shoulder straps, the Borealis does use better and more robust materials on its shoulder straps, but both backpacks feel about the same when worn. The shoulder straps on both backpacks are on the stiffer side and neither feel more cushioned than the other despite the differences in materials.
Both the Borealis and Jester include an adjustable chest strap, but only the Borealis includes a removable waist belt.
Which Backpack Should You Buy?
Choose The North Face Borealis if… you want the full North Face backpack experience with better materials, fleece lined pockets and a separate laptop compartment. The inclusion of the removable waist belt and side compression straps also allow for more control of how you carry which can come in handy when the backpack is full.
Choose The North Face Jester if… you want a lightweight yet reliable backpack on a budget. The Jester is good for anyone who wants a basic North Face backpack without the higher price tag.
