North Face Borealis vs Patagonia Refugio
North Face Borealis and Patagonia Refugio are two backpacks that are suitable for daily grinds and perhaps also short trips. They each have a storage capacity of approximately 28 liters. They each also have a padded laptop compartment which makes them suitable for school and work. But there are several notable differences between North Face Borealis vs Patagonia Refugio in terms of the design and features. Continue reading below to understand the differences and to determine the best model for you!
The Similar Features
Let’s see what these backpacks have in common. As mentioned above, each of these two backpacks comes with a storage capacity of about 28 liters. They each also have two primary compartments which make it easy for you to separate and organize your gear.
Both North Face Borealis and Patagonia Refugio have padded laptop sleeves and scratch-resistant tablet sleeves to provide proper protection to your important devices. Each backpack has front organizational pockets, some of which are fleece-lined to protect sunglasses and electronic devices. With these organizational features, these backpacks are very suitable for daily commuting. You can also make them work for short trips.
Advantages of North Face Borealis
The advantages of North Face Borealis vs Patagonia Refugio are the better stability and compression. As the effect, North Face Borealis is a very good choice if you need great stability and compression, such as for biking or trekking. If you want to move swiftly through the crowds without much bumping, this is also a good choice. See also: North Face Borealis vs Borealis Classic.
North Face Borealis features a sternum strap and a removable waist belt to keep the backpack securely on your back. With these features, you will be able to move swiftly without bumping your backpack left and right. It also has nice compression straps on the upper part which effectively compress the overall size when there is less gear inside. The front bungee cords are handy for attaching some extra gear, and the reflective bike light loop is especially useful for biking.
Advantages of Patagonia Refugio
On the other hand, Patagonia Refugio makes a decent choice when you prefer a more modern look or a more robust build quality for carrying a particularly large/heavy load. The fabrics feel thicker and more durable, so there is a good chance that the backpack can carry larger/heavier loads without tearing apart. Still, make sure that you do not over-abuse it if you want it to last.
The tapered design definitely looks more modern and stylish compared to straight traditional backpacks, and it has larger side pockets. On the front side, you can find a daisychain for extra storage. The daisychain is arguably better than bungee cords because it can hold external items without much bouncing around.
North Face Borealis vs Patagonia Refugio
Conclusion
For biking, North Face Borealis is generally more recommended because the additional features are especially useful for the purpose. The sternum strap and waist belt will provide better stability, and the reflective bike light loop is handy. However, if you prefer a more modern design and thicker, tougher fabrics so that you can carry a large/heavy load, you can choose Patagonia Refugio.
