Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

Use it daily for work and going to the gym. Use it for travel as well. Love the storage for sunglasses, and loads of pockets to keep things dry. Only downside was it felt like it is smaller then 30 liters capacity. You might have to really shove stuff in to get to 30 liters. Overall id but again... Better than some competitors bags!!

My son loves the color, hopefully it will work out for school for him. He is in the fourth grade and hopefully won't have to carry a ton of stuff as this backpack doesn't seem like it'll hold too much. It looks very strong and sturdy

I purchased this for my 7th grader to use as his school backpack. It doesn't hold as much as I thought it would. The backpack is deeper than it is wide which makes it somewhat awkward for trying to lug around a lot of school stuff. We'll see how it'll work as a school backpack, but the quality is definitely there!

I love the durability of these backpacks. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the compartments aren't the easiest to fit lots of books in and get them in and out easily compared to the older model of recon.

Love this backpack and the attention the detail. My only gripe is the height of it. Wish it was just slightly shorter for my proportions so that it didnt sit below my hips.

this is being used as a high school backpack, but also to hike with on trips to the Rockies. It's the perfect size because it holds so much while fitting a girl's body well!

THE GOOD: This backpack has ruined all other bags for me. I cannot live without it, but cannot live with how it tips over constantly. The outer stash pocket is a game changer. The large stretchy side pockets are awesome too. I particularly love how there is an additional opening on the right bottle pocket that allows you to quickly stash and grab spare change without taking off the bag. The upper 'admin' compartment is just right. The frame provides ventilation, support and enough protection that you don't need a case for your laptop. What more could you want? THE BAD: The biggest, most glaring design oversight with this bag is how this bag tips over no matter what you do. This is a big risk when you have a an expensive laptop with you. That means you can never put the bag down, unless you are fine with it tipping over and collecting dirt on the ground. Even when leaning against the leg of a table, if the floor is smooth, this bag will slide flat onto the floor, where a careless step will crack your laptop in half. MAYBE if you are outside, you can lean this bag against a tree, but it still always seems precariously about to fall over. It drives me mad. I used to try adapting by hanging my bag on a hook whenever possible.. but the issue with that, is the top backpack handle is IN FRONT of the laptop compartment... meaning that if you have your Recon hanging on a hook, you can't access your laptop without first removing the bag. I adapted by tying a string around the top of the backpack straps, but this is suboptimal and not at all aesthetic. Speaking of asthetics, the bag looks like a bit of a turtle shell when worn. I can excuse this because of the incredible features, but at times I do wish for a more fashionable bag (that stood up). I adapted to the constantly falling over issue by finding a large (7"x 10" 14x) Tupperware box and shoving it down into the bottom of my Recon. It actually keeps the bag standing upright, but wastes space, weight, and makes it harder to slide my laptop into its compartment. This hack allows me to keep on using my Recon for daily use but does highlight just how painful it is to have a bag that can't stand upright. All in all, the outer stash pocket and phenomenal stretch bottle pockets have ruined all other backpacks for me. Now I just wish it would stand up on its own, and we'd have the perfect bag.

I use this pack as a daily slinger and as a day pack for work outdoors. It has a lot of great features, including a buckle whistle that brings my dog running back every time. My only qualm is that the weight distribution is a little top-heavy. That being said, the straps are very comfortable and I am still making adjustments as to compartment use. It's back compartment securely holds my hydration unit or my 17" laptop.

Used it for travel on the plain as a carry on and worked great.

Work travel and family life

My daughter used this backpack during her 11th grade year. It's a pretty heavy pack. The biggest issue she had was that the mesh water bottle holders both ripped. She is not hard on her backpacks but she cannot use it for her water bottle anymore. She had a Jansport backpack a couple of years ago and I think we will go back to that brand. It held up just fine and was lighter.

I love the Recon pack. I had the previous version and it has treated me well for at least 10 years or more. I saw the new version with the separate laptop pocket and was sold. It is great to have the separate pocket, so you don't have to disturb the contents in the main pocket when inserting or removing your laptop. I do feel though that the main compartment size has shrunk though because of this. If the main compartment was just a little larger it would be perfect. Maybe TNF has a similar bag with slightly larger size that I just haven't looked at yet. I do still love this bag and I can seem to fit what I need in it, just with the pocket was slightly larger. You should by this bag!

I use this as a backpack for my school stuff. It works great and has lots of pockets which is really nice. However, the tablet pocket is not big enough to fit and iPad Air. It might fit a mini? I also wish that the large pocket opened wider. Overall, it's really comfy and does the job!

This bag is heavy-duty but is comfortable to wear! If you're a college student, this is a great choice for you. Plenty of space!

Upgraded my son's backpack. My daughter is a fan of NF and recommended it. My son liked the color options. My only complaint is that his lunch bag won't fit in it. I put his books in would be the laptop compartment and his folders in the middle. I wish the middle would open up wider to accommodate the bag. He doesn't want it to hang on the bp either. Other than that, he has no complaints.

Awesome sturdy backpack that should last throughout my daughter's high school and college career! Only drawback, backpack will not sit upright without falling over; other wise well made!

I picked this one because I like all the compartments and I liked the back support and the chest straps for helping reduce back pain. The the deal break is the backpack will NOT stand up! It need some base support. Without the base support you'll have to prop it up against a wall for it to stand up. The other thing is one of the water bottle pockets got a hole in it after a few months use by my middle schooler. The tipping over issue would make me not purchase this model again.

Commute and day pack

I used it going to work and on day hikes. It is great for both as long as you are okay with having a water bottle over a hydration blatter. The laptop pocket is nice and well-padded against the back overall a great backpack.

I was looking for an upgrade to my previous backpack and this one stood out the most to me. Turns out it's an upgrade of the one I already had! I bought it about 8 years ago and it still is in great shape, so I hope this one lives up to its predecessor. I typically use it while I'm traveling and could previously fit a lot in the older version. This one seems a bit smaller (not sure if that's the word I'm looking for) at the top, so it was harder for me to jam as much stuff in there. But it's still a great bag and looks really nice too!

I use it as an over night bag and work backpack. It works perfectly just the right size for everything I need.

Very durable and strong materials used, TNF always does a great job with this. Wish there was a laptop sleeve. Sometimes can be top heavy based on the pocket locations.

I use this product for work and carry a change of clothes as well as my wallet and laptop. Haven't used it for school yet, but it's been about 3 months and it still hasn't lost it's shaped, slumped, or anything. The part for your back is pretty stiff and it causes the backpack to fall or slide down the wall if the backpack is put against the wall. Maybe over time it will stop, or just pack your backpack up with stuff. Overall, I can see this product used for long-term.

I use this bag to make sure I have my books for class and my work items without having to carry 10 bags. Spacious, stylish and matches my coat perfectly. This bag is durable and distributes weight well. I barely feel bogged down with enough books to fit in a library, a laptop, and small essentials needed for daily life. Priceless

Loved my last north face backpack I used daily for 6 years and like the materials, comfort, and look of this new one I use for getting my computer, documents, and lunch to and from my clinic while to old is my hiking one now. One major concern with this bag is if you put anything in the mid small pocket it won't sit upright because it top heavy. Two small issues are they got rid of the Clip on the front of the mesh bag making it useless to hold anything you don't want to lose and I miss the big pocket having a large computer sleeve instead of another unnecessary pocket of its own. Still like the bag for the most part