The North Face Surge vs. Osprey Daylite Plus
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
The North Face Surge
| Capacity | 31 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 51×31×18 cm |
| Airline fit | 89% |
| Price | $140 |
Feature by feature
| The North Face Surge | Feature | Osprey Daylite Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| 2 | Compression | 2 |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 0 | Opening | 0 |
| front | Passport | front |
| N | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 14in |
| 3 | Main Compartments | 3 |
| Y | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2, side | Water Bottle Holder | 2, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | N |
| Material | |
| 210D recycled nylon ripstop with non-PFC durable water-repellent (non-PFC DWR) finish | bluesign APPROVED 300D recycled polyester, PFC-free DWR |
Osprey Daylite Plus
| Capacity | 20 L |
| Weight | 0.6 kg |
| Dimensions | 48×28×24 cm |
| Airline fit | 41% |
| Price | $75 |
Key differences between the The North Face Surge and Osprey Daylite Plus
- Luggage passthrough: No on the The North Face Surge; Yes on the Osprey Daylite Plus.
- Laptop sleeve: 15in on the The North Face Surge; 14in on the Osprey Daylite Plus.
- Built-in organizer: Yes on the The North Face Surge; No on the Osprey Daylite Plus.
- Water resistant: Yes on the The North Face Surge; No on the Osprey Daylite Plus.
Both have: compression straps, passport pocket, backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, water bottle pockets.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 75 accept both. 94 accept only the The North Face Surge, and 3 accept only the Osprey Daylite Plus.
Only the The North Face Surge fits
Air Asia, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, flybe, Garuda Indonesia, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Icelandair, InselAir, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kulula, Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Pakistan International, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.
Only the Osprey Daylite Plus fits
Etihad Airways, Great Lakes Airlines, Qatar Airways.
The North Face Surge vs. Osprey Daylite Plus: which should you pack?
The The North Face Surge carries 11L more than the Osprey Daylite Plus (31L vs. 20L), while the Osprey Daylite Plus is the lighter pack at 0.6kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the The North Face Surge fits 89% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the The North Face Surge; if you want to travel lighter, the Osprey Daylite Plus is the better call.