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Which is better: Osprey or North Face?
Is Osprey a good brand?
Founded in 1974 by owner and founder Mike Pfotenhauer – who created his first backpack at 16 – Osprey has a long standing history of quality and excellence. As the company has grown to the powerhouse brand that it is today it has maintained the commitment to quality that it had at its founding.
All Osprey packs carry the All Mighty Guarantee – an enhanced lifetime warranty that shows how much they stand behind their products and that allows you to buy with confidence.
Osprey is a good brand with a long history of success. We take a closer look at several of their backpacks below.
Is North Face a good brand?
The North Face is another big company that started out as a small business. With its two founders opening up shop in 1966 the brand has been around a bit longer than Osprey.
The North Face quickly grew in popularity among avid outdoors types and began sponsoring expeditions to exotic and exciting areas of the globe which enhanced its reputation among explorers. It has only continued to expand its reputation for durable and quality products into the present day.
The North Face also has an impressive warranty policy with a limited lifetime warranty on all of their backpacks as well.
The North Face is also a good brand. It will be difficult to go wrong with their backpacks as well.
Face offs
In the sections that follow we compare several of the most popular packs of each brand for your review.
The North Face Surge Backpack vs Osprey Daylite Plus
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The North Face Surge Backpack
The Surge was our choice for the overall best North Face backpack. It is a perfect combination of the best features for every day carry or travel. It has a dedicated laptop compartment space, plenty of padding, and is water-resistant. It has a 31L capacity making it just the right size to carry whatever you need for daily use at work, school, or running errands while still being able to do double-duty as a carry-on or weekend bag.
With plenty of zippered pockets and dual mesh side pockets, there is plenty of space for organization. This pack has a great fit and includes both a chest strap and a waist strap. It also includes the North Face FlexVent suspension system to maximize comfort.
Osprey Daylite Plus
The Osprey Daylite Plus was our choice for the overall best Osprey backpack. This backpack is an excellent choice for day hikes, everyday carry, or just being out and about doing your thing.
With plenty of pockets and a breathable back this has you covered for both durability, comfort, and organization. With a lot of features that make this a great hiking bag all of those same features make it great for everyday life as well.
This is a pretty lightweight backpack and you will find it comfortable enough for all day use. Included with all of the pockets on this pack are dual side mesh pockets that make it easy to pack and use large water bottles.
If you have other Osprey backpacks in your collection then this one can be added onto and carried to several of their larger packs.
Winner – The North Face Surge
The North Face Vault Backpack vs Osprey Porter 30 Travel Backpack
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The North Face Vault Backpack
The Vault is another great choice from North Face and may be one of their best for value. This is a very functional pack with a laptop space and eight other pockets to help you stay well organized with everything in its place.
This is a compact, lightweight choice and if you are seeking more of a minimalist option for everyday carry then this 28L backpack is right up your alley. Built with urban and city commuters in mind it has full 360 reflective material to keep you visible and safe when moving in high traffic areas.
The Vault includes many of the features common to all North Face backpacks at a great value. It boasts a padded back, laptop compartment, and a front organizer space. It also comes in numerous color options and there is also a women’s version if you are looking for a more specific fit.
Osprey Porter 30 Travel Backpack
The Osprey Porter 30 Travel Backpack is a great choice for travel. With a very compact size it can usually do double duty as your personal item on many airlines while still boasting 30L of capacity.
This backpack excels in travel scenarios. With a nice zippered design and two large storage pockets inside along with stowable shoulder and hip straps you can carry this backpack like a duffle if you choose. It also has a compression system when you need to squeeze it just a bit tighter to meet airline requirements.
The Porter 30 has a few features that make you think it is doing double duty as your suitcase – it unzips much like a suitcase making it very simple to live right out of the bag when traveling. It also includes mesh zippered interior pockets much like on a rolling suitcase.
Winner – Osprey Porter 30
The North Face Terra vs Osprey Aura AG 65 Women’s / Atmos AG 65 Men’s
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The North Face Terra Backpacking Backpack
The Terra was selected as our best North Face pack for backpacking. No matter where you are – near or far – this is a great choice for backpackers. This one has options for either of two sizes or three volumes. You can choose from 40L, 55L, and 65L capacities which gives you options for backpacking trips of multiple durations.
The Terra is designed for comfort when carrying heavy gear over multiple days. The waist straps are both wide and well padded and the adjustable back panel lets you get the fit you need.
One unique feature of this pack is the J-shaped front zipper which gives you side access to the interior of the pack even when you are on the move.
Osprey Aura AG 65 Women’s Backpacking Backpack/ Atmos AG 65 Men’s Backpacking Backpack
The Aura/Atmos AG 65 backpacks are Osprey’s specific women’s and men’s version of these backpacks. They often have two versions of their packs. The two versions are mostly the same when it comes to the key features with the key differentiators being either color or size.
The Aura/Atmos AG 65 Backpack is the best Osprey pack for backpacking trips. The backpack uses Osprey’s own AntiGravity suspension back panel to make the pack as comfortable as possible no matter how much gear you have packed. Both the rear panel and padded hip belt are adjustable to allow for the best fit.
Some other nice features are multiple (11) exterior pockets, dual access side pockets, and a sleeping bag compartment.
This backpack is available in three sizes and three colors.
Winner – The North Face Terra
The North Face Borealis vs. Osprey Quasar
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The North Face Borealis
With the Borealis we have yet another nice daypack from The North Face. Clocking in at 28L with front panel bungee compression, a laptop compartment, and two water bottle pockets this one will let you take everything you need.
The Borealis has quite a lot more color options available if you are looking for more choices there and like other North Face packs has the Flex Vent technology.
Osprey Quasar
The Quasar is also a really nice daypack option. ALso coming in at 28L capacity and very similar features to the Borealis – both have the bungee compression, laptop space, dual water bottle pockets – it is a very close race.
Like the Borealis the Quasar also has sternum and waist straps and separate pockets for tablets and small electronics. The one area the Quasar comes up short is in color choices if that is important to you.
Winner (by a nose) – North Face Borealis
The North Face Recon vs Osprey Nebula
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The North Face Recon
The Recon Backpack combines almost all of the best features of North Face backpacks. It has a laptop compartment, comes with 360-degree reflective material for safety, includes the FlexVent suspension system and has a dedicated laptop compartment.
Coming in at 30L capacity it gives you plenty of space for day to day use. Once again, The North Face has more color options available.
Osprey Nebula
Both of these choices are good packs. However, coming in at 34L capacity the Osprey does have a size advantage that makes it a little bit easier to organize while still being a great daypack or every day carry.
Both of these have an upper compression strap, a separate laptop compartment, and water bottle pockets.
This may come down to an aesthetic preference to the individual. Which one looks more “professional” or color choice, but we have to pick a winner even when it is close!
Winner (in a photo finish)- Osprey Nebula
Who is the winner in the battle of the brands?
So, who is the winner in the final boss bottle of Osprey vs. The North Face? The explorer, adventurer, and traveler, that’s who!
But, seriously, both brands are winners overall and have several strong choices for your consideration. We’ve made our votes in this article and hope that we’ve helped in your decision making process.
With winners from both brands in different show downs it shows that each brand has something to offer.
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