The North Face Mini Explorer Backpack
While not ideal for elementary schoolers with heavier loads, the Explorer Mini is a thoughtful companion for younger kids taking their first steps into carrying their own gear.
Our Verdict
Colorful, practical features, visible top-loading design, but best for younger children with lighter loads
Child Friendliness
Kid-friendly zipper pulls, tactile fleece and stable design
Water Resistant
DWR-treated polyester and water-shedding fleece provide reliable protection in light rain
Harness
Padded back panel and shoulder straps with velcro sternum feature
Load
Surprisingly spacious main compartment with good visibility, though front pocket fills quickly.
Our opinion reflects our personal experience with the product. We encourage you to consider our assessment alongside your own research to determine if it's the right fit for you.
Buying Options
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Full Review
In my ongoing hunt for the ultimate kids' backpack to try out, I stumbled upon The North Face Youth Mini Explorer by chance. While I've trusted North Face's winter stuff for years—counting on their know-how during winter trips and freezing mountain getaways—I had zero clue they made backpacks for little ones too. The glowing reviews online got me curious, so I ditched just reading about it and grabbed one to check out myself.
First Impression
This North Face Youth Mini Explorer backpack delivers a straight dose of playful nostalgia. The pack screams fun with its primary color blocking that feels like someone grabbed the best crayons from the box—royal blue sides, grass green front panel, and a punchy red top flap—all tied together with golden yellow trim and straps that pop against the deeper tones.
The colorway isn't trying to be subtle or grown-up; it's proudly kid-centric.
There's something refreshingly charming about how it balances that retro 90s outdoor vibe (which parents will appreciate) with the kind of bold, chunky aesthetic that naturally appeals to little ones.
Available in other colors Grape/Hero Blue, Duck Green/Shady Blue, Pink Clover/Latte.
The North Face weaves their identity through this Mini Explorer with smart, understated branding. That signature yellow-on-red half-dome logo stands out on the top flap, while their commitment to detail continues with the embossed logo on the adjustment buckles and the debossed text circling the metal snap button on the green panel. Those black tag patches with the white TNF logo appear on webbing loops and strap keepers—the same ones found on their adult gear.
This brand consistency throughout the hardware and patches gives the backpack authenticity despite its playful, kid-oriented design and colorway.
Let's talk about materials - there's more going on here than meets the eye. The top lid features sherpa fleece made from 100% polyester—a deliberate nod to The North Face's winter gear DNA. The main body employs 600D recycled polyester with a non-PFC durable water-repellent finish—a sensible choice for school bags, especially those designed for younger kids. The material showcases those vibrant primary colors beautifully while offering respectable resistance to everyday moisture and spills. The non-PFC DWR treatment adds protection without the environmental concerns of traditional water repellents.
Child-Friendliness
The North Face equipped this pack with charming tree and campfire zipper pulls that my kid immediately gravitated toward. Beyond their obvious visual appeal, they're genuinely functional for little hands still mastering the art of zipping and unzipping.
The soft, tactile fleece on the top lid became an instant attraction point for my little one, who constantly runs his fingers across it during our walks. That magical combination of plushness and slight texture has turned backpack prep into sensory playtime. There's actual science behind this - child development experts will tell you these tactile experiences help develop fine motor skills. One practical concern, though: the fleece material, while delightful to touch, tends to attract and hold dirt more readily than the rest of the pack. Parents should be prepared for occasional cleaning to maintain that vibrant red color.
In my testing, I appreciated how the Mini Explorer simply sits upright when placed down—empty or full. The stable base design eliminates that forward tilt that plagues so many kids' packs.
Harness System
The Mini Explorer features bright yellow shoulder straps in a straight rather than contoured design, with adequate padding that handles typical school day distances.
Several practical elements caught my attention during testing. The reinforced webbing top handle feels substantial in hand—not an afterthought but properly dimensioned for both adult and child grip when hanging the pack or quickly grabbing it from a pile.
The harness system feels practical rather than groundbreaking—a solid implementation of basic carry needs for younger users.
Those webbing loops on the straps serve as attachment points for small accessories like hand sanitizer or trinkets. The harness includes strap keepers to manage excess webbing—a detail often overlooked in the youth pack category. The back panel features thick rows of cushioning that creates a comfortable fit against my child's back while helping the pack maintain that upright position mentioned earlier.
The sternum strap employs a velcro closure instead of a traditional buckle, allowing for easier operation by smaller hands. Worth noting is the limited adjustability of this component—the sternum strap's height and width remain fixed, which may impact the fit as children grow or for different body types. Upon fastening the sternum strap, I noticed it pulls the shoulder straps inward, causing them to rub against my boy's neck—especially problematic for kids with wider chests like my son. This could potentially cause abrasion during extended wear.
At the bottom of the straps, the adjustment buckles maintain their position throughout active wear. Unlike some options in this category, these buckles resist the gradual loosening that often occurs during movement, keeping the pack positioned properly throughout the day. However, when fully loaded, the pack has a tendency to pull backward, shifting weight distribution and potentially causing discomfort during longer periods of use. The overall harness configuration feels purposeful rather than revolutionary—a practical implementation that reflects TNF's understanding of basic carry needs for younger users, though with a few fit considerations to be aware of.
Storage Capabilities
The Mini Explorer offers a straightforward storage system that balances simplicity with functionality. Unzipping the top lid reveals a main compartment that's 9 inches deep with excellent visibility all the way to the bottom—a feature I've come to appreciate during daily use. This clear line of sight transforms the frustrating "dig and hope" approach many kids' backpacks force upon parents into a much more straightforward experience.
A thoughtful touch inside the main compartment is the sewn-in name tag patch.
I've noticed several online reviews claiming insufficient storage for school-aged children, and after testing, I can see their point. This pack seems ideally sized for toddlers and preschoolers rather than elementary students with growing supply lists. A significant limitation is that standard A4 size papers (8.27in × 11.7in) will not fit without being folded or bent, meaning school artwork and homework cannot be transported flat—a common need for elementary students.
During my load test with typical toddler essentials, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this compact pack could handle. It comfortably accommodated a napkin, pair of socks, 8 oz water bottle, story book (8.3in x 8.3in x 0.6in), blanket, pencil case, extra change of clothes in a diaper bag (8.5in x 8in), and even a soft toy. The wide opening makes loading these items straightforward, allowing for intuitive organization rather than cramming things in blindly.
Keeping the essentials organized without overwhelming them with complicated compartments or excess capacity.
The front compartment presents more of a mixed bag. Measuring 5 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep, it's clearly designed for smaller essentials. I found it perfectly suited for snacks, a small pack of tissues, or a few small toys, but it fills up quickly—that napkin I mentioned earlier nearly consumed the entire space. This isn't necessarily a drawback for a kids' pack where compartment separation helps with organization, but it's worth noting if you're expecting more capacity here.
One design element that gave me pause was the snap button closure system on the front compartment. While it adds to the pack's nostalgic charm, fastening it requires considerable effort once the pocket is loaded. More concerning is the long-term durability question that snaps always raise. Through years of parenting and outdoor adventures, I've seen too many snaps lose their strength over time or simply loosen and fall off altogether. Additionally, water can seep in around the sides of the snap closure during heavier rain, potentially compromising the contents of the front pocket. For a pack designed to withstand the sometimes rough handling of younger users, these issues could become problematic down the road.
The stretchy side pocket delivers decent water bottle retention, holding standard bottles securely in place during normal movement. I noticed that taller water bottles will stay put during regular walking or light activity but will slip out after some vigorous shaking—something to consider if your little one tends toward the more energetic end of the spectrum.
Pocket tension strikes a reasonable balance between security and ease of access for small hands.
Water Resistance
Curious about the Mini Explorer's weather credentials, I put it through my own rain test. I tucked a paper napkin inside, sealed it up, and gave the pack a thorough misting—making sure water hit every panel, zipper, and seam. The verdict? After simulating a decent drizzle, I found the napkin completely dry. The 600D recycled polyester with non-PFC DWR finish delivers on its promise.
The overhanging fleece top helps shield the zipper from direct rainfall, adding another layer of protection for the main compartment's contents.
After a quick wipe-down, the main body fabric returned to its dry state surprisingly fast. I initially raised an eyebrow at the fleece top panel—typically not my first choice for wet conditions. Would it become a soggy mess that my kid would inevitably press against their clothes? My concerns proved unfounded. The natural water-shedding properties of the fleece (a quality I'd forgotten from my outdoor gear days) meant it dried nearly as quickly as the rest of the pack.
Technical Details
Dimension
9 x 5.5 x 12 inch
Weight
0.63 lbs
Storage
10 litres
Material
600D Recycled polyester
Customer Reviews
"Check the measurements, this backpack is very small. We were a bit surprised by the actual size, but the dimension are correct. Very well built backpack, great for micro humans (aka children)"
"The bag is very cute & matches my son's North face jacket, but it is very tiny. Can't fit much in there. I just like to send my child to daycare with a few clothes each day just incase so it does its job. Great material. washed it a few times because dirty or wet clothes or bottle spilling in it & it's still in great shape."
"After using this backpack for over a month now, it's just too small for preschool. We got a typical 9.75" x 7" x 3.25" lunch box and it is the only thing that the backpack can hold. Can still put a small water bottle on the side pocket though. Great if your kid just wants to carry things to friends/family house, but right now it's just kinda annoying to use. We attached a carabiner to the top strap for his warm food container. Wish we got a slightly bigger pack."
"I use it as a diaper bag for my toddler. It fits his iPad, a pack of wipes, and diapers. Still has room for toys. The drink pouches on the sides fit his Yeti perfectly. It does fall out but it does the job. The chest strap is perfect. I love this backpack for him it's the perfect size."
Too small for preschooler.
Neck abrasion from shoulder straps.
- Vibrant design with color blocking (blue, green, red, yellow) that will appeal to kids
- Good visibility inside the main compartment ("see all the way to the bottom")
- Stable base design keeps the backpack upright when set down
- Lack of sternum strap adjustment causes shoulder straps to pull inward, creating neck abrasion for wider-chested children
- Fully loaded pack tends to pull backward, affecting weight distribution
- Limited harness contouring may impact overall comfort
- Long-term durability concerns with the snap closure system
Conclusion
After weeks of testing the Mini Explorer across various scenarios, I've found it hits the sweet spot for what a toddler or preschooler needs in their daily adventures. For preschool drop-offs, the pack carried the essentials—a change of clothes, small water bottle, and an art project—without overwhelming my little one's frame. The upright stance and easy access made morning routines smoother, with minimal parental intervention needed.
For family travel, the Mini Explorer served as my son's personal carry-on during a weekend getaway. The compact size fit perfectly under the airplane seat while still accommodating his travel essentials—headphones, small toys, and snacks.
