The North Face – Sprout Backpack Review

My son needed a backpack for pre-school. Now, does a preschooler need a backpack to go to pre-school? I doubt it. But every other kid in the school has one, so instead of forcing my son to relive my childhood, where I took my stuff to school in a large paper shopping bag, I started looking for a backpack.

Everything that I tried on him seemed to be larger than him, and he’s a pretty big kid (for a two-year-old)! Finally, on a trip to Quest Outdoors in Louisville, my wife and I stumbled upon The North Face Sprout pack. We pulled my son out of his stroller and tried out the backpack. It was a perfect fit! The color options available at the store were a pink/purple combination and a green backpack. We picked the green one and never looked back.

The North Face Sprout on Amazon >>>

Feature #1

It really holds a lot of stuff! We eventually started using this backpack as our sons’ “GO Bag!” that we can just grab whenever we need to “Go” out the door in a hurry. The front pocket (or is technically the back pack pocket) is relatively roomy and could hold your phone, wallet, and small supplies.  The main compartment easily carries a change of clothes, multiple diapers, wet ones, a few toys and a drink on the side.

Feature #2

Drink holders easily hold most drink or Thermos brand containers. Most backpack designers overlook this, especially for little children.

Feature #3

This thing is durable! Ours has held up to the first year of preschool and is getting ready to start the next one. My wife normally asks if we need to buy something new at the beginning of the school year, and she didn’t even question using this backpack again. It still looks great, and there isn’t even a single loose stitch.

**** Please Note

It should be noted that this backpack will not hold a pocket folder or full-size sheet of paper. You would probably need to bend it to make it fit. This is not a problem for a pre-schooler, but it could be a problem for a kindergarten-aged child. It will hold an iPad Mini perfectly.

Features and Specifications

  • Weight: 9.17 oz
  • Volume: 10 liters
  • Dimensions: 11.5” x 8.5” x 5”
  • Fabric: 600D polyester, 1200D polyester
  • Imported
  • Lifetime Warranty

The North Face Sprout on Amazon >>>

Customer Reviews and Scores

Amazon has only 9 customer for The North Face Sprout backpack. The average review is 4.2 stars on a 5.0 scale. The majority of the reviews are obviously 4 and 5 star reviews.

Some of the reviewers are concerned with the actual color of the bag they received versus the color pictured on the webpage. The “blue” is more of a “teal/green,” and “pastel bubblegum” is more of a “bright pink.” I have no firsthand knowledge of this, but if it is a concern, you may want to visit a retailer or take caution when ordering the color. We bought ours at a Quest Outdoors store, so it wasn’t an issue.

The North Face Sprout on Amazon >>>

Conclusion

Overall, this is the perfect backpack for a pre-schooler, but it will probably be outgrown by the time they reach kindergarten. The North Face hit it out of the park with the Sprout!

Packs purchased directly from The North Face through 8/31/15 will help mentor youth on outdoor expeditions. http://www.thenorthface.com/givepack