Side by Side Comparison of: High Sierra vs Under Armour

This is a very durable backpack. I bought it for college, and it carries textbooks, a heavy laptop, and all kinds of art supplies. When it rained, it protected by stuff pretty well, but got the edges of my sketchbook wet, so it's not perfect, but almost. The only thing I dislike: On the end of the straps that come down from the bottom of the bag, there are these circular plastic bits. Whenever I'm sitting on a bench or a bus seat, they like to get caught between slats or whatever. It's a minor inconvenience, but otherwise this is a great backpack.

High Sierra makes a very nice durable product! This is the second High Sierra backpack that I have purchased. I don't remember where I purchased my first one but it was in a local retail store some years ago. I still have that one, and I purchased this new one just to change things up a little and I liked the color. The seams are strong, and the material is very durable and rugged, I have had problems with other products with the mesh pockets tearing, and the elastic that is sewn around the mesh becoming loose and loosing shape, but this has not happened with either of my High Sierra backpacks! So as long as they hold up, I won't need one for myself but when my kids become old enough to need a good well constructed back pack it will be a High Sierra.

I commute by foot and subway, so I needed something that could carry all my stuff comfortably. I love all the pockets. In the biggest compartment, I carry shoes, lunch, sweater, etc. In the middle compartment, I can keep the newspaper separate from everything else so it doesn't rub off ink on other belongings. The next compartment is good for smaller items, like gum, keys, pens, etc. Umbrella goes in one of the outer mesh pockets. I attach my subway card on a string to one of the loops and my work id on a string to another. Love that it has a black bottom that won't show dirt from sitting on floors but that it is also colorful. Now that it's summertime, I can report that the design allows for minimal contact with my body - mainly at the shoulders and lower back - to reduce sweating. I think the construction distributes the weight well because it usually does not feel heavy, and the pack itself is very lightweight. Best of all, the pack has all this utility but truly is made for a smaller body frame, so it fits me (a petite) so well. I could not be happier and will probably start buying this pack for my kids too.

I ordered this backpack two years ago and never reviewed it. The reason I'm reviewing it now is that I've just decided to order a second one. Not because anything has happened to the first, but because of how well the first has held up. My boyfriend and I are frequent travellers and we always use backpacks. We stuff them full and heavy and expect them to hold up for our entire trip. My backpack (which was fuchsia and black a color no longer carried) has held up to 8 to 10 different vacations where we normally visit 8 states or more in each trip. It's been stuffed under plane seats, stored as checked baggage, stored in overhead compartments, been through countless security checkpoints and thrown in so many trunks and back seats. It's survived the extreme heat of an Arizona summer and the cold wet of an Outer Banks winter (not so freezing but still wet and sandy). I'm writing this review now because I'm about to pack it again for another 8 state 10 day trip and I realized that we needed a second one. My boyfriend has gone through at LEAST 5 backpacks (I remember that two were Jansport and one was an expensive Swiss Gear backpack). The zippers always break or snag. Every zipper on my backpack works just fine. So I decided enough with the crappy backpacks that always frustrate him so much and I looked up my 2 year old Amazon order and purchased him one exactly like mine but in black. He's a little harder on his stuff but if mine has held up to being battle tested over the last two years then hopefully his will at least last him a few trips. Side note, when I bought this backpack it was cheaper, but I'm buying a second one at a higher price because I am so sold on this pack. It has never given me one issue (knock on wood). The photo I'm including was taken moments ago. This is an actual photo of my two year old backpack. The neon yellow is a little dingy after being used for two years but I promise that's the only wear on the thing. I DID NOT recieve any discount on EITHER backpack. I'm just hoping nothing about the manufacturing of the pack has changed in the last two years. If anything on the new one gives after this next trip I'll come back and update my review, but for now 5 stars all the way.

I bought this because I frequently go over to other people's houses and needed something to carry my laptop and other stuff so I wouldn't have to do use plastic bags anymore. I also use it for college and for light travel.Pros1. It's a nice looking backpack. I got the Holmes Plaid/Black because it was the cheapest (at the time) and it's a functional and attractive design.2. The backpack is slightly waterproof which is nice if you're walking in the rain. It won't last if thrown into a puddle or a pool but some light rain is no big deal.3. Lots of pockets. More than I've ever had before in a backpack. I especially like the one at the top which has a slot for MP3 player headphone cables. Man that sounded like I work for the company. Sorry about that. Anyway, lots of pockets for various things which i enjoyed.4. The shoulder straps were comfortable. It took me a moment to get them set up properly for how I like to wear my backpacks but after that it was quite comfortable.5. It fits my 15.6" laptop with room to spare. It may fit a 17" (depending on what kind of laptop it is. An ultrabook will probably fit but an ASUS ROG G-series gamer laptop probably won't) but I know it fits a 15.6" laptop with no problems.6. It appears to be made with high quality materials. I've been using it for a few months now and I have seen very little wear and tear so far.Cons1. Smaller than I expected. it's not too small by any means but I thought it would be bigger. It still fits my needs so no stars off.Overall, I would recommend this for people who need a casual use backpack. If you're carrying a laptop + some accessories, or some food, or even books then you'll probably get enjoyment out of this. If you're a college student with a bunch of books or you're in high school and have a lot of books you may need something a little bigger. For my use case, it's perfect and thus, 5 stars.**Update**It's been over a year and this baby is still going strong. It carries my laptop generally with a water bottle and assorted things along with cloths. I use it several times a week and it still looks virtually brand new with no frayed edges. It's not falling apart whatsoever and it still looks nice. This is a purchase I don't regret at all and would recommend it again.

I was looking for something small but not too small for day hikes, and something I could carry while biking to the trails as well. This backpack is well-constructed, comfortable and roomy enough for supplies. I'm 5'8" so the size was good for me. A bigger person might want something bigger, but for what I need it for, it's perfect. It has plenty of compartments for everything from a music player to drinks, hiking supplies to first aid kits. The front zippered pocket is great for those things I use most often. The adjustable straps help keep the pack close to my body when riding and the style and color look great too. I'm sure this would work well for college students as well. I highly recommend the High Sierra Loop Backpack. It was a great price for a great product! You won't be disappointed!

Can't find a water proof backpack on the market, but Amazon has all the answers. This online service is the best, place to invest in many items. The backpack has a lot of room and it looks outstanding. Can't wait for them snowy and rainy days, to use the backpack.

This is my daughter's 2nd under Armour storm hustle II backpack. The first one lasted her 3 years of major abuse. She is now in 10th grade. This bag carries ALL of her books back and forth to school daily as she doesn't like leaving them in her locker do she can study. Even with her last one I never had problems with it trying to rip at the seams or even the material we only retired it due to getting dingy over time but it is still in excellent usable condition with the exception of a small hole in the mesh from a pen. This color and design on this bag does not get justice from the photo. The colors are very pretty but do not show dirt as easy as others. Along with the daily school wear this also gets thrown on the ground, dropped in dirt and stepped on very often due to her cross country training and holds up well. I was very leary at spending this much on a school bag until I saw how well they hold up. Definitely worth the price.*** If you are like me then you research reviews on amazon before purchasing most anything which is exactly why strive to leave quality feedback and informative reviews. If you found this review helpful in any way could you please click yes below to help others find it easier as well as to help me in knowing which type of reviews are the most helpful to everyone. ***

I bought this quite some time ago and it is as advertised. It has plenty of space for all sorts of attachments to your laptop as well as enough pockets to keep everything organized. It is lightweight and durable. I am pretty rough on backpacks and this one can take the punishment. I have nothing negative to say about it.

My high school age son LOVES this backpack-- he likes how it stands upright when he's putting all his heavy books in. He also likes the laptop pocket. This is a lot nicer than the Nike backpack he had before that was the same price and didn't last.

I bought this for my college books and computer. The third week of school the top ripped. I contacted under armour and they sent me a brand new one and I returned the ripped one. They stand behind everything!! 😊😊😊😊😊

Purchased for my son going into 6th grade. Perfect size, multiple pockets that he can utilize. Would be big enough for middle schoolers or high schoolers.

The colors are exactly as pictured, and there are PLENTY of pockets to keep things organized. The images of this backpack showed a "media pocket" on the shoulder strap. Unfortunately, the backpack I received did not have the media pocket. The "tablet" pocket is also extremely large. My entire laptop (13" Mac Pro with Retina) fits into the tablet pocket, but it is not padded, so if you want the extra padding, you still need a sleeve or a case.

We purchased this for my daughter to use this year thinking it would be similar to one we bought my son for high school. It is a nice backpack but not as large as we thought it would be. She has quite a few books and her lunch and we really have to jam everything in it. It certainly seems like it is a good quality, just smaller than we expected it to be. May have to get her something else when she starts high school next year.

This backpack is growing on me. At first I thought it was kind of ugly but I did choose the color so that's my fault but I do love that it has a lot of different compartments. If you are an organized person this backpack is perfect for you. I am somewhat disorganized so I find myself forgetting what I have in it. Over all I think this backpack is perfect for school or camping, really anything. Im satisfied with my purchase and I think it was one of the least expensive ones I found that had an extra area for laptop/tablet.

I bought 2 of these for my nephews for school a few months ago. They are both in 7th grade and as such carry a decent amount, although not as much as high school or university students may carry. One zipper on one of the bags failed after about a week, but both the replacement for that bag as well as the other bag have been fine since late August when the school year started (about 2 months 3 weeks now).They fit well and have decent storage. Material and construction both seem good other than described above. Lots of pockets and internal organization features. Great bags!

This was to replace a book bag that didn't hold up for the entire school year. My daughter said that another kid at school had this exact one and it appeared to be really good, so we decided to give it a go. My daughter, a seventh grader, is well pleased with it. She declared, upon arrival, "Mom, I can already tell this one has better stitching and is stronger". She also loved the fact that it had "a clip on the front that I can attach my hand sanitizer to". If it holds up for the remainder of this school year and can be used again for the next, then Momma will be happy also.

I've had this backpack for over a year now, and it has been with me everywhere: biking to school, as a carry on for taking the train, plane, bus, even for hiking. I use it as my daily school backpack, and the three compartments make it easy to organize my stuff, the smaller pockets are nice for quick-grab small stuff like my computer mouse, since I need to pack and unpack constantly going between classes. The straps towards the bottom are excellent for lashing on a large jacket since sometimes I stay at school fairly late into the evening when it gets cold. There is a small pocket on the shoulder straps which I found the perfect size for pepper spray. Compression straps for balancing the load. In the year that I've had it, it's just now starting to show signs on wear at the bottom, most likely from daily abuse.My only complaint is that the handle is integrated into the shoulder straps, meaning you cannot cinch the backpack close to your body. It's a pretty uncomfortable backpack for wearing for hours, and I wouldn't buy it for hiking. In the end it's just a floppy backpack with no internal support or hip belt, but a good one for the price, especially since mine has lasted over a year and will probably last another.

Good backpack the side pouches for drinks are really deep and strong so it can carry my pretty large bottle. At first the straps hurt my neck and shoulders but after a few days of breaking in its wayyyyy better. The only thing I don't like is the front bottom pouch, it is really big and cuts off the middle bag. I had a different version of this backpack and I loved it. I guess those two pouches are really all that I thought that wasn't "good" but apart from that, this is a awesome backpack!

my teen was going though 2 backpacks a school year until we got this one. roomy, rugged, stylish - passed the test at a fair price

This backpack was exactly what I was needing. Living in New England and walking to work in rain/snow, having a water resistant backpack is a necessity. The straps are comfortable too, making long walks much more bearable The only thing I'm not 'happy' about is that it is slightly smaller than I expected, but it's not a deal breaker in my POV.

Daughter is in Week 5 of school and still loves her bag. My only complaint is that it could be a little bit bigger. She still winds up having to hand-carry some of her binders.

Awesome backpack, great to see. My only complaint is that the color that I ordered/received are different. The picture colors on the website compared to what they actually are are not the same--I purchased this one in the hopes that it the Golden State Warriors colors for my stepson and the yellow that appears to be on it is more like a deep orange. Heads up to those that order it.Other than that, GREAT product, the kid loved it!

This is not as large as I thought. Love all the pockets just wish there was some smaller pouches or pen holders etc specifically inside the smaller pouches. I hate just throwing everything in. But good quality and it will work

I have not been using it heavily yet so I cannot attest to it's durability. However, it seems TOO SMALL. For a general school backpack this may work but for hiking/travel the pockets don't expand out of the fabric so there's not much space. Looks great from the outside but the size inside the backpack is disappointing. It was a tight squeeze to get in a small notebook, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of shorts, laptop, chargers, paperback book, and toiletries. That's not so much stuff and it was already stuffed. Would not recommend if you need to carry many things.

We purchased this backpack in August 2015, for my high school student. He made it halfway through his 10th grade year, and it ripped on the seam. There is a limited lifetime warranty and a 1-800 number, I will try to call them for warranty service. If they honor the warranty, I will change the rating to 5 stars. It is the most comfortable backpack he has ever used, and he can carry a very heavy load with no back problems. The way the shoulder straps are designed really help with weight distribution.

I purchased 2 High Sierra Loop backpacks for the new school year. They look very nice for mid size backpacks but the blue zipper of the main compartment broke within 3 weeks of light use. I don't know if the problem is exclusive of blue zippers since the backpack with black zippers held well, even though that child was carrying around more things. Please note that this a MID size backpack with several compartments. If you are looking for a backpack that can fit a 3" binder, a lunchbox, a small umbrella and a light jacket and still have spare room, the High Sierra Loop may not be the best choice for you.

Oh man! I just realized how much I keep in my backpack. I've had the same pack for the last 5 years and I've really loved it. It is a free backpack from a contest I won. Instantly with this new one I felt it was much cheaper. Sure it's a $30 product but I'm just not feeling like it's going to hold up. The zippers and inner lining just feel weak. There is no padding at the bottom of this pack and with so many carrying our laptops around, that has me feeling uncomfortable.In the end, with my last free backpack, I took the time to repair it when needed to keep it working great. With this one, the first time it looses a stitch (which may be sooner then later), I'll just throw it out. Actually, I'm feeling like just repairing the zipper on my old one and sticking with it.For $30 I'd say it's right in the middle of a 5 star rating.

Update - I'm adding 2 stars for color & quality due to possible over reaction but I'm still disappointed.Just opened the package after being delivered to my porch and my face dropped with disgust. I had not bought a backpack in close to 8yrs cause I seldom had a need until now. I measured to make sure it was larger than what I had and read the reviews to assure I would be pleased. WHAT IN HECK ARE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT!??!Okay - my opinion regarding size is MEDIUM for average size man & LARGE for average size women. ALSO, ONLY HAS THREE ( small, medium, lg ) & TWO TINY ( enough room for house keys / can't fit my sunglasses or reading glasses !) outer zipper compartments.... not even a place in the large compartment for a rain jacket or a note book, laptop, wet swimsuit, or even a bus route guide - what a joke!! Just my opinion folks. Maybe for a woman but not for me - I'm 6'1" , 225lb - I needed something a little bit larger.

Before: I am not a backpack person at all, but have to admit sometimes there is no substitution for it. Well if I have to buy one then at least it has to be pretty (read "orange"). But, besides the look, I really love the quality and practicality of it. The "layout", if you will, is very well thought out. Materials are amazing. And, for 26 bucks? Did I have to think longer? )) My husband who is backpack expert suggested that it should be nice to have an extra mesh pocket at the front, but I don't think I want one, it'd always look messy. Overall, love it.Now: All is true, but there are some things you only learn after you tested it "in the field", not just looked at it. Because of the way its straps and a loop are made in one, it is not very comfortable on the neck. If you pull it appropriately, then it rubs against it like sandpaper. If you let it hang more, then the weight distributes wrong, it pushes below your waist on the back, and there is a gap between your back and the backpack. I felt like I wanted to cut deeper the straps/loop thing. Don't question my anatomy, 4 people tried it and said the same thing.

Bag seems to be good quality, but it is too small for teenagers who want a backpack for school. We had to return the item.

Reasonable backpack, but a lot smaller than I anticipated. Whilst you could say that's my own fault, the dimensions were there and available, my shoes hardly fit in the backpack. I'm only a size 10.5, so anyone with shoes bigger than that will not be able to use the internal shoe bag at all.

Not as waterproof as I thought it would be. Walking to and from campus with an umbrella over it should be enough to keep the water out. The front pockets obsorb water it seems like. Can't keep my electronics in the front pockets anymore.

It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Smaller as in thinner so my teen's books & folders don't all fit. But it's as described, I just thought it would be bigger.

Pretty nice back pack. Bottom hopefully will hold through out the school year. Looks lower quality material on the bottom.

This is such a nice backpack! But I don't like how after a couple months of use, it lost its shape and it kind of looks like a huge, slumpy backpack now. Also, the straps aren't as cushioned anymore. It is actually quite loose. It was nice while it lasted though.

I didn't even bother to give this to my son. It was so flimsy I returned it the same say it came. I gave it 2 stars because it DOES look like the picture and is nice sized and because it came on time. Other than that, I was disappointed that it cost almost $40 and was not even as well made as the ones I've gotten from Wal-Mart.

This backpack is very tight fitting... should be considered child sized. (Note: I'm quite small for an adult and it was tight on ME. 5'0" and 120lb) The arm straps were so tight it caused bruising on the front of my arms/armpit area after just one day of wearing it for sightseeing. I was unable to use it the rest of my trip because of the bruising. It's adorable & great price - but unfortunately does NOT fit well due to the style of straps and handle being connected at the top. I will not be using it again.

I'm pretty hard on backpacks, frequently carrying full, heavy loads for long periods of time. This pack did not stand up well to the strain. Within a year, seams began to pull apart and zippers to jam, rendering it useless.

This is probably a great backpack for a kid in school who is not carrying a laptop. It is roomy and the straps are comfortable; however, there is only a small amount of padding on the back. There is no protection for a laptop on the bottom or the front. I suppose they are assuming there will be enough junk in the pack to protect the front, but that doesn't protect the bottom. The bottom is where the pack lands when it is dropped. Again, great pack for school...not so great for tech protecting.

It arrived on time and does not seem to have any defects or flaws. It was way to small for my high school son's needs though. It could only fit 2 hardback textbooks, and one 1" binder without becoming way to tight to fit in a 3rd text book or any extras. For $18.00 at Walmart I found a nicer, much larger backpack.

This product feels cheap and not what I expected at all. Maybe I misread the description, but I could have gotten better quality at Wal Mart. Would not order again.

Very small, my 6th grader could not even fit his binder in this back back let alone two books. Very disappointed. now we are having to buy him another back pack this year because he starts 7th grade and will need to put more than two books in his bag!

Bought for our son as a Christmas gift. He is going to college in the fall. He loved it! He has used it less than 2 months and the zipper broke. He hardly puts anything in it, no books. It should not have broke. I am sure nothing can be done since it has been 2 months. Sadly, we will be buying another backpack for him to take to school.

I purchased this backpack for my high school aged son. Two weeks after the first use the bottom of the inside pocket ripped and separated. We have purchased Under Armour back packs in the past that have lasted a few years but this one did not even last the first month of school. Really disappointing.

Had the backpack less than a month and the lettering is peeling off and one of the zippers is sticking and doesn't close all the time. Not sure if I just got one that is defective but none the less disappointing for my son. I've contacted the seller and have not received a response.

I bought this and when it showed up I was pretty disappointed with the quality. The layout is actually pretty good, but it feels so cheap, the fabric material is paper thin, and the zippers seem to be very cheap as well, also not a fan of the weird pouch at the outside bottom, it would be useless if there is already stuff in the big compartment. I ended up sending it back and ordering the Dakine 101, it just showed up and the material is very sturdy, the layout is even better and the zippers are a bit better quality. I'd have to recommend the Dakine, it is the same price but much sturdier and seems like it can take a beating, the Under Armour seems like the thin cheap fabric would rip if it ever snagged on anything. My two cents.

Bought it 3 week ago for school since my last backpack broke. I was very pleased when i bought it since I liked the looks of the backpack. Yet its been a while and I only use it to carry a binder, some pens and my lunch and I,ve noticed that they lower platic finsh is starting to peel off. The fact that it's peels really bithers me beacuse I treat my backpack fairly decent never draging it or trowing it , yet it dosen't seem like it. At my school someone has the same ojne but in blue (my is black) and his backpack isnt sufering from the same problem, maybe it could be a differnt material fiinish depending on the color. I really expected a lot more form a brand so well known.

My son has been using this for school for a month, and it is coming apart at the top seam. There is a 6 inch gap where the stitching has pulled out. He doesn't carry much but his lunch and a folder, so it isn't over loaded. He really likes the pattern, so I will try to repair, but disappointed in the quality for the price.

I've used this product for six days and bought it in the summer for school and the zippers have completely stopped working. One of them came apart from the other side and the other one doesn't pull the track together all the way. I don't understand why this backpack broke because I've used these before and they've been good! If the manufacturer fixes this, I would definitely leave a better review. Until further notice, do not buy!

The backpack tore right near the zipper the third time I used it. I was just after the 30 days return period, so I do not think Amazon will refund my money or even exchange. Yet, there is a hole at the top of my backpack and not keeping my items contained, safe and dry---which is why I bought the backpack in the first place.

I was really excited for this backpack print. Plus I had a high sierra backpack that lasted forever so I figured that this one would as well. Well it arrived today, I took it out of the box, unzipped it and made sure that my laptop fit and zipped it up. When I unzipped it the zipper broke. REALLY it literally broke after 1 time unzipping and re-zipping. PISSED

Quality control issues, just like the other reviews stated. I saw a big rip in fabric along the zipper the first time I used the backpack. Do not waste your money.

I have had two of these. My complaint is that, in both cases, within about a year of purchase, the zipper broke. I was able to repair it for some time, but it went out completely a little later. I am trying the Jan Sport one now, it has a stronger looking zipper...

If you want a backpack that lasts only 2 months - buy this! I ordered this backpack for my freshman son - we received it end of July, I put it in the closet until school started mid August - it is now mid October and it has a big rip in it. My son uses this strictly for school, it is the most short lived backpack he has ever had. I contacted Amazon regarding this and was informed that it is past the time frame for replacement from Under Armour - so apparently they don't stand behind their product.HOWEVER, Amazon was amazing and offered me a full refund for it - thank you Amazon! I will use the refund towards the purchase of another brand backpack.

I'm not sure why people are considering this a huge backpack, it's extremely small and if you're lucky you could probably fit 3-4 large notebooks from Five Stars and a binder if you cram it in.

The one we picked while ordering was a different color than the one that we got at home. My son needs it for a trip, so it will work, but I am very disappointed.

I'm not impressed. The inner lining is so thin, not much protection for your laptop. Not to mention the stitching in the bag has already began to fray and stick out each and every way. I used for a week. Wish I could get a replacement.

UA backpack started to tear after 4 weeks of using the backpack. I went on amazon to try and return and it says it is too late. A $55 backpack should last longer than 4 weeks. I expected more from Under Armour. My son doesn't throw or over load his backpack. I need to try and contact Under Armour I suppose.

This backpack is just over the 30 day return period and the plastic clip on one of the straps has broken and now we are unable to return it. Its been literally like 34 days! ugh. For the amount of $ we paid this should have lasted much longer than 34 days. Very frustrating that there is no policy to stand by behind their products quality.