Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I use this backpack primarily for my school. The pockets are very deep (sometimes too deep - I hate digging around the bottom for my pencil pouch!) and functional. I feel like my laptop is very secure within its pocket. The only thing I do not like about the Recon is the amount of straps hanging off of my body - chest strap, lower ab strap, and adjustable shoulder pad straps - I feel like an octopus sometimes. It's nothing a little knot-tying skills can't fix, but it is rather cumbersome. Otherwise, I love this bag! I purchased it to last me through college and beyond - so far, it's holding up great! I highly recommend!

Durability on the bottom when you set it down needs rubber

I recently purchased this bookbag for my freshman year of college and so far I love it! I ordered the zinc grey and surf green color and it is perfect! So far it has held everything that I need for class and I still have room! The fleece lined tablet, laptop, and technology pockets are very nice and protects all of my things well. The front stash pocket is great for carrying around a rain jacket too for that GA weather! FYI this bookbag does repel rain fairly well however some water does drip in through the zippers but all of my electronics were kept dry. The reason why I'm giving this bookbag 4 stars out of 5 is because the padding on the back is a bit stiff along with the straps, but I'm sure that this problem will resolve with some time and use of the bookbag. Bottom line this bookbag is great for college and is worth the extra money. I am confident that it will last for a couple of years.

I use this backpack to carry all of my books around campus! Great bag, great size, great shape. It buckles don't move nearly as smoothly as they did on my Jester, but maybe because this one isn't quite as broken in yet. Love the color too! 8/10, definitely would recommend.

Sturdy, lightweight, very well constructed; all details well thought out.

I'm my sure why this backpack is gender specific, but it provides equal comfort to both sexes.

Great backpack for short day hikes. Has just enough room (but no more) to hold your ten essentials. Could also be used for carrying a laptop for school. I'm only giving it 4/5 because I wish it had a hip-belt. But overall, great pack. Full Disclosure: As a TNF ambassador, I received this pack for free.

I love this backpack! It is exactly the color it looks and has room for everything! I use it for college and it is perfect!

I love the contoured straps. It really makes a difference when carrying a heavy bag. My only negative observation is that the zipper cover on the large pocket gets in the way when opening and closing. Other than that, it feels and looks great and I'm sure it'll last forever

The design of the bag isn't exactly what I like but all of the compartments are great!

I was sort of disappointed that when I got the backpack it was a lot darker than the one in the picture. I thought maybe I got sent the wrong one but I checked the colors on the tag and it was right. Although I still think it's a cute backpack!

I don't like the backing it's a little to hard but maybe when it gets used some more it will be better. Other than that it's got great storage!

The back padding is really rough and hard on skin!!! Otherwise, this is a great backpack. Very roomy and fitting, and i especially liked the fleece pockets!!

The backpack is great. My only problem with it is that like i said above its a bit too wide. The shoulder straps also might be a bit too thick as well but i suppose it was so they could last longer. Aside from that the overall design is great. And the laptop strap is a great addon.

It feels great but if i new it would be this material i would have chosen a different color

I bought this backpack for my daughter for high school. She loves it and it can take a beating while still looking great. I thought it was too heavy because there is some firm support in the back, but it is good for protecting her laptop.

I love this book bag. The color is great. The outside pocket is awesome. the second biggest pocket it very large. My laptop is bigger then 15" so it does not fit in the laptop pocket. The inside in fleece which is interesting. The chest clip is on the opposite side as my old book bag in the same style. The detachable belt strap is a good idea but I do not prefer it.

I really wanted to get an older model of the recon because I loved it so very much however now that they don't sell them im very sad and I think you should bring back the older model. I would totally recommend the older model to a friend not this one though.

This pack is AWSOME the one flaw is the designe kinda weird

Good, but not quite. The top front compart only comes down less than half way up front. The main compartment is behind it, so there is no other compartment DIRECTLY underneath the front compartment. This leads to sagging of the backpack when you put it down. It crumples inward in the middle, or you could also say, bends forward from the top like it is bowing. The more items you put in the top front area, the worse it is. And it takes very little for this sagging to occur. You have to literally stuff a whole lot of items into the main compartment, shoving everything forward undereath the front top area, to prevent this sagging/crumpling inward effect. This backpack only works if it is completely full, otherwise, it is a pain in my opinion.

I bought the Recon backpack for my teenage daughter, and overall, it's a solid, functional school bag with plenty of room. We are loyal North Face customers and love the brand's quality. However, there's a concerning design flaw with the sternum strap whistle. Unlike some of our older North Face packs where the whistle is securely sewn into the strap, this model uses a plastic glider mechanism, which allows the whistle piece to slide along the strap. Unfortunately, the whistle part came completely off not long after we got it. I'm not sure if this has happened to others, but it's concerning that a safety feature can detach so easily. The rest of the backpack is great, but this particular design choice is a definite weak point.

Great packbag! wish they made a smaller version, as it is too big to fit under the seat on an airplane

Straps need to be thicker and the bottom needs to be thicker to protect the computer that I carry

I am replacing my Recon from abt 20 years ago. This bag is worse quality in many ways. - fabric is cheaper, thinner - straps and back have less padding - stitching and zippers not as good

Looks nice but uncomfortable. The straps are way too thin for a backpack. My 20 year old Jansport is more comfortable.