Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I really love this bag! I got it in black/powder blue and it is gorgeous. However, if you tend to over-pack (like me) I would recommend the jester. In hindsight that would have been a better pick for me. However, it is encouraging me to reduce my "must haves" backpack list (turns out it isn't necessary to bring 50 colored markers every day!) My one complaint is that the shoulder straps are a bit wide set for my petite frame (5'3" 95lbs. ... about 32in bust) After a long day of walking around campus in a sleeveless sundress my arms began to chafe ... However, this shouldn't be an issue for most.

Bought this for my daughter who began Freshman year of College

I love the color of the backpack in person more than I did online. It's a great backpack with many compartments. The main compartment for my books, though, is too small but I can't complain too much because it is a great bag.

I was in desperate need for a durable backpack that doesn't wear out too fast. This backpack is perfect for college. There are a lot of pockets, sleeve for laptop and iPad.

I bought this because I'm on crutches and needed to carry my lap top to and from work. I would love this for travel but it's a bit heavy for me to manage on the crutches.

I am a medical student and use this as my primary backpack. It is a perfect size and looks great! It is a little uncomfortable compared to my previous Borealis style, but that could be because this one is brand new and not 4-years worn-in. I wish it had an extra small zipper pocket for small accessories (i.e. pens, portable chargers, pamphlets or handouts, etc).

First off, this is hands down the most stylish backpack I have ever owned. This bag offers a lot of support for those long walks to class and it also has awesome padding in the straps. The structured back of the bag prevents those awkward books from jabbing into your back. Although this backpack is awesome, there is a flaw, the size. I am a full-time college student. Normally, my class supplies include 6 folders, 6 notebooks (one for each class), 6 books, my laptop, etc. I couldn't fit all of that in here even if I tried. I currently have 5 books, 6 notebooks, 6 folders, and a planner in here and it is stretched to the max. But, honestly, it's not that big of a deal to me as some of my classes are online and those materials don't need to be carried all around campus. Although, it is nice to have everything with you just in case. I just wanted to put this on here in case someone else was contemplating the purchase of this bag and needed one that could support a heavier load.

My kids love these bags, they find them comfortable and roomy, great for school and weekend sleepovers.

Great quality product, nice comfortable padding. A little small for putting lots of spirals and binders in for school but overall great product. Highly adjustable to fit pretty much any body type. Pretty designs and will also use this for travel as well as school. Good for short hikes and a carry-on for the plane.

It a very high quality backpack and fits very nicely in my locker. This backpack has very good pocket for pens pencils and other little items. I would highly recommend it because of the outside pocket it fits books planners and anything else you wouldn't want in your backpack. I will definitely buy this again. The grey is a bit darker then it is online almost closer to black but I was very pleased with the grey almost black.

super pretty but padding is a little weird. plenty of spce for school!

I use this product for school. Maximum storage found in only one of the compartments. (The biggest pocket in the back.) The straps occasionally get in the way and in previous versions of this bag there was easy ways to hide those annoying straps. Throughout the day I carry five college textbooks and two binders and I wish I could get all of those items into the bag. Even with two binders and a couple textbooks in my bag it feels the same as last year when I had a different backpack and only carried one binder! While I can't fit all the textbooks into the bag there are many pockets inside the smaller pocket so everything has it's own place. I also love the fact that even though I pack my bag full I can easily pull the straps and make the bag seem smaller. All of the materials used in the making of this bag make it really comfortable and highly satisfying. I love the fleece pockets and it really adds to the protection the bag gives fragile items such as devices or glasses. I wish there was a big fleece pocket separate from the last pocket for a computer. I love the fact that I can fit my 15" laptop in it when I need to. I really love it and don't regret buying it. If I could I would buy another one for my mother since she has back problems her work load is quite heavy. She occasionally uses it for work and it eases the load on her back. I really do hope to buy this again for my mother when holiday comes around because I know she'd love it too! I love using my North Face Recon backpack to help me with the heavy loads I carry around campus.

This backpack is very comfortable to carry, stores many different items, and is super cute. It is perfect for school and carries everything that I need throughout the day.

I ordered this backpack for work and school, I carry a laptop daily to and from work. The backpack is very well made with many great pockets, and I liked the colors. The laptop sleeve however was a bit too narrow, and it was a struggle to fit my lightweight HP laptop into the sleeve. So I'm on the hunt for a different backpack that will be easier to load and unload my laptop from. Otherwise this is a great bag!

This was a nice backpack. However, I did return it because I did not think it would be large enough for me. However, I'm sure if would be sufficient for many other college students. I just know I will be carrying a very large amount of books and binders. It was very good quality though, very well made.. It is not that lightweight, but that's because it is made of durable material. Also, it has great padding.

I bought this backpack because I am heading off to college in August. So far, it has provided the space and comfort that I have needed for classes. If you tend to carry more things, I would recommend getting one of their larger backpacks. For my personal purposes, this backpack style is well suited. Both my sister and I have purchased this style backpack for college.

I got this to use for school because it was the biggest backpack I could find that was good quality.

I had the old model for 4 years and loved it, but it was starting to rip and get warn down. I got this one and like it, but I don't like how the inside of the pockets are a fuzzy material. It is very hard to clean and since i keep pencils, food, and other supplies that can get dirty it is difficult to keep clean.

This is my 3rd Recon pack over about 17 years. The tablet pouch is handy but at the expense of moving the 'miscellaneous' pocket further down into the pack - a little less convenient. Nice to have both the outside and inside zipper pouches. The outside pouch is now padded, so good for a phone / glasses but a bit smaller. I find the inside sipper pouch - when loaded - makes it a bit difficult to fill the other pouches with phones, glasses, etc. Padding is also added to the laptop pouch, which is designed for a more snug fit than previously but doesn't really allow you to add magazines, etc unless you have a super thin laptop. All in all, still very handy for toting around school / work stuff. Only annoyance is the zippers get caught quite a bit so I spend more time closing the pack than necessary (airport security, overhead bin, grabbing glasses in the car, et al).

I am a smaller person so when I wear the backpack it looks very bulky, I was hoping it would mold a little more to my back.

Overall, it's a very sturdy backpack and is great for students. Has a comfortable laptop compartment, large space for books, smaller pockets for writing utensils and school supplies, etc. Totally worth it!

I use the product while going to my classes. However, it took about a week and half before I found the perfect adjustments that fit my back. My back was in emense pain before I broke the back stabilizer in.

I use the backpack for school and it has plenty of space for several books, a laptop, and supplies. Also great for travel!

I ordered this backpack in the hydro green/ snow cone red and was very disappointed by the actual color. It is more of a dark blue and grey in person. So if you're expecting a pretty teal color, don't. However, the backpack is very good quality and I will order one in a different color.

Super backpack- love the expandable mesh pocket for athletic gear!