The North Face Kaban Backpack Review | 26L Daypack For Laptop & Tech EDC

What’s your favorite laptop & tech backpack?

I have been using this backpack for over a year now, and made my decision after watching this video. I also found it second hand in great condition and only paid $65 for it. Since purchasing, I've used it for interstate and international travel, runs to a local coffee shop to get some work done or, (more commonly) bike rides to my local game store to play some games of Magic the Gathering. It's been able to handle my large Yeti Tumblr, Ultimate Guard Arkhive 800+, 2-3 free floating Ultimate Guard Boulder 100+ deckboxes+ a few extra dice bags and snacks like Cliff bars. Needless to say, been extremely happy with it!

looks good but it's not well designed for actual use.

Hello, I have a sugestion for you guys. Please put the measure also in the metric system. The huge majority of the world uses it. It makes a lot easier to comprehend better the size of things.
thank you

Will it be possible to fit 17" laptop?

What are the 3 organisation pods/bags you used in the main compartment?

What bike light is that? Got this bag cos of your review. Its pretty cool for my use case.

any review on the updated model?

Why do these reviewers never mention the size of laptop that fits?! Or what size laptop was shown? I have a 16” MBP. Does it fit or not? And if so, with how much wiggle room? Isn’t that information part of bag reviewing 101?

Hey guys, would be cool if you could review the new Kaban 2.0 backback.

What size packing cubes did you use?

please review IKEA VÄRLDENS (26l) backpack.

The old Kaban is better. For me though.

26 L and no hip belt sounds like a very bad approach.
Is it possible to add a hip belt?
Thanks for the video

Does anyone know what packing cubes he used on this video?

I owned this bag for one season ... it's not durable at all ... I went back to my Rucksack premium model which is way more durable and much more practical. It can carry an 18 pack with two water bottles when in need. Water resistant and super durable! Skip this hype looking junk.

Since the Kaban is discontinued I bought the REI Recycled RuckPack 28l. Very similar look and features. Better, slightly softer mesh straps, nice sternum strap and much better ribbed venting on the back pad. The only thing missing is more org pockets inside but it does adapt for Hydration pack where you would put a laptop. there is a larger mesh pocket on the front innner side of the pack. Side zipper access behind the Water bottle sleeve on one side and an org pocket on the other side with a inner zipper pocket where you can stash the removable hip belts. I am very satisfied. $99 price tag.

great review... i wonder how this bag looks like if it's not full loaded? will it ruined the sleek form of this bag?

Kaban literally mean "a sack" in my language.

what caribiner is that

Beautiful bag. But It just seems like they traded convenience for aesthetics.

Hi, great video! Do you think it’ll fit well for a woman with 5’6 height? I like its style but I’m not sure if it will fit me, thank you!

i bought the north face kaban. i noticed the front rubber/leather like fabric gets scratched and dirty a bit easily, how do you clean this to make the scratches not too noticeable.
and the interior is a bit on the bright side, yellow like, if these get dirty, how is the best way to clean the bag. thanks a lot!

@Pack Hacker what are the backpack brands/models in the background? I like ones that sit "on the shoulders" of the presenter (bottom row) as well as the one on the top right of his head / top show . They have a similar clean look like the Kaban...

Is it waterproof??

Those organizers are cool, any info on them?

Can you give away one of your backpack?

Great review! Cheers! Plus 1 on your Subs

Can you please review the REI Co-op Commuter Pack

What about the price??👀

Tangcool bagpack copied it hahaha
I thought looking at the thumbnail it is a tangcool bag pack

PFA free ??? Prob 65?

I would love to see a review on the stratoliner pack from the north face !

Awful materials. After 3 month of using - straps and back have breaks and holes. But i really like design and organisation.

Same, i have it since 2 ou 3 months, here's my feedback :

+ this bag pack is so convenient in the everyday use. Everything is easy to access. It was the most important thing for me and i'm not disappointed.
+ would now prefer the top loading quick and side access to everything else, take no additional time and is way safer (some people thought i had an anti-theft backpack)
+ capacity of the main compartment which doesn't have any additional pocket inside. It's just a big hole to put things. For me that use the backpack for work and sport it's perfect. You throw your gears inside, it doesn't get stuck with anything. Again, convenient ! It's big too.
+ streamline profile, even when you load it well, it doesn’t get too bulky
+ inside's color, make it easy to spot thing in the bottom of the bag

= design, i was not convinced at first, people i know are mixed (some like, some don't), but overall i find it cool and futuristic. Get along with every style (but better with casual ones)
= main material of the backpack marks easily, if you lean on a white wall for example, and then it's really hard to clean it (didn't succeed for now)
= zippers are not waterproof, but i really never had water getting inside my bag, so..

- straps aren't the most comfortable i used, when you put heavy things in your backpack, youl quickly feel the charge on your shoulders. Maybe a matter of morphology
- back panel, it looks very cool, is fairly comfortable (hard is fine for me), but it gets hot real quick. The material doesn't breathe, so you will sweat everywhere it touches your back and you will be dry in the middle with the airflow thing, not that revolutionary


I tested lot of backpacks and for me the usefulness of the design is the only judge, before the comfort. It has drawbacks, but every day i have to access or store something in my bag, it's quick and easy. So i gladly stick with it.

Japanese people read kaban
That's bag named bag?

Great Review! Can you test the new Stratoliner pls

Any hiking pack reviews with some actual hiking? Don't get me wrong, i just don't spend much time flying around the world to various coffee shops with a MacBook.

@packhacker what packing cubes exactly did u use in this video ? Great video 👌🏼👌🏼

Where are those packing cubes from? Thanks

If you like aesthetics > functionality = get this backpack

Can you please review the new Osprey transporter 30liters? It’s the same as kaban, top opening

Does Northface make a bigger version of that bag?

I actually just bought this backpack a month ago. Here's what I think:


1. The straps are soft but they hurt on heavier backpack days. The back panel can sweat, like sweat sweat!
2. The top-loading mechanism eats up a lot of valuable space for a 26L backpack. Wish there were two zippers for top loading opener - I mean its the main pocket, please add another zipper man. Its pretty frustrating tbh. And the zip isn't the best, they can't be opened with one hand :|
3. the front-organization zipper is total crap since it doesn't expand to accommodate anything big - and starts showing bulges in the nylon coating area. Personally, I would have preferred if this area expanded. Basically, NF preferred looks instead of functionality.
4. Love the grab handle - that's the best part of the backpack followed by the yellow interior & the inner organization.
5. The side bottle pockets dig into main capacity and aren't the best - could be better if they expanded, I have a 32oz bottle and I have to fit it inside the main body.
6. This backpack isn't heavy rain-proof! wth?

Also tempted to return this :(

It’s hard to avoid sweaty backs especially in cold climates when you are wearing winter clothing. It’s actually worse as in warm climates your back can dry quickly when you take the backpack offf. In the winter you stay damp when sweaty.

this why tnf is the best, all pockets are soft material, friendly with every stuff and no other brand realise.

I am using the smaller cousin (~20l) of Kaban, Kabyte. It's been my daily driver for about 2.5 years now. I love it's streamlined look and it has the same small pockets in Kaban as well. I believe both the Kabyte and Kaban have a great combination of asthetics, functionalities and comfortability.

I wish (the outer layer of) this bag is built more durably though. The exterior starts to peel off (near the main compartment zippers) after about 1.5 years of use. I may consider getting a new bag if it continues to peel off badly. I'm not entirely sure if it's due to the hot and humid climate where I am at. Does anyone in the non-tropical climate regions has the same experience?

Well, overall I believe the Kabyte (by extension, the Kaban) is still a great value-for-money purchase despite my gripes. :)

I wanted to buy this bag, but eventually I bought the dart 24 by 5.11 and couldn't be happier.