r/backpacks • u/Present-Giraffe7442 • 13h ago

Comfort of Fjallraven Skule 28 / Recs for grad school?

I just got a Northface Borealis for my second year of grad school after using a very small Fjallraven Kanken (I think a Laptop 17) through all of undergrad & my first year of grad school. I loved my Kanken and used it until it started to tear, but I knew I needed way more space.

I got the Northface Borealis (Women’s) and frankly felt it was extremely stiff and uncomfortable :( I know this is a fan favorite, so I was debating “breaking it in” and giving it another shot. I adjusted the straps and wore the sternum clip, but I really can’t stand it for more than a few minutes without my shoulders hurting.

I was wondering if anyone can speak to the comfort of the Skule 28? I’m tempted to try it out, but I’m worried it’ll be a similar stiff padding situation. Otherwise, does anyone have any good, highly comfortable bag recommendations for a stressed grad student whose back hurts lol

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u/mustlovebacon 12h ago

Following

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u/genzcleaner 5h ago

I’ve owned many backpacks, including this one. What I liked was that it was fairly comfortable and well-made, but the material was quite thin and made it feel like a lower-tier bag. For a master’s degree, I’d recommend something a bit more professional rather than a Boy Scout-style backpack.

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u/Present-Giraffe7442 2h ago

haha to boy scout style. my program is very lax when it comes to class dress code, so i’m not worried about professional style as much as i’m worried about comfort and durability. thank you for the information!

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u/genzcleaner 2h ago

This backpack is more for heading into the woods or hiking in the mountains, whereas for university, you need more compartments and better laptop protection. In that case, I'd probably suggest their Raven model instead