Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I wanted to love this bag but I received one with shoulder straps of different lengths, returned it, and received another with the same problem. It has a lot of great storage features but I found the uneven straps intolerable and returned the second bag.

I'm confused by all these good reviews. Did anyone own an older version of this backpack? Vastly superior. The changes North Face made to this backpack are not good at all. The front pouch is way too shallow. Please bring back old design North Face!

The main pocket where the laptop fits in is a little too tight. Would like more room to be able to fit a notebook next to it. Also, the next larger pocket has a very narrow throat opening due to the smaller pocket in front of it. This prevents you from getting larger items through the opening. Once you get past the opening, it is ok, The smaller pocket in front of it needs to be designed differently and be a little larger.

Great pocket space and overall comfortable to carry. My biggest issue is when you fill the front pocket that is made for accessories and pens, it is then difficult to reach in the main compartment.

i usually love north face bags but this bag was not it. i always have a waterbottle with me (a 32 oz hydroflask) and the straps just ripped up. it's gotten to the point where i can't bring a water bottle with me and i can't put anything else in the pockets.

it got a hole after a couple months of using it at school, and the strap broke. waste of money

I loved the old Recon design where the laptop insert wasn't behind where you put your backpack on a hook. Now I can't access my laptop if it is hanging, so I have to take it off the hook, put it on the floor (where it falls over) then get my laptop, and pls w it back on the hook. It also doesn't have room for items that aren't pretty flat.

I use this as an every day back cary and it is good in theory BUT major gripes with quality control! The shoulder pads on the medial edge have these sharp fibers sticking out which are abrasive (ruined jacket!) not to mention uncomfortable when it rubs against your neck/shoulders :( Also, after normal use, the water bottle pocket on the side has a hole in it already and is starting to wear out. Other signs of wear have become evident including where the chest buckle attaches to the bag which is supposed to slide up and down to be adjustable based on height/comfort this has started to fray. Finally, I can't stand how the bag doesn't stand up right!! Have to constantly lean it on something or it falls over. Other than that it is a good bag with a good design and tons of features. I wanted to like it but the quality control and the toppling really drive me nuts! :(

I was expecting much and unfortunately it didn't deliver it's best. The bag has just one big and deep compartment which makes uncomfortable to put everything in one big compartment, other compartments are too small to fit stuff in. I would now try Borealis as one of my friend has it and I used it for reference and it performed better. Borealis is for me and not Recon.

I bought this backpack to use for college, and I really wanted to like it but it's so frustrating to use! No matter what I do, it's impossible to get things out of the center compartment easily - the organization pocket in front of it takes up much of the space there and makes it so there is a large empty space at the bottom of the pack but no space at the top. It makes it really hard to get items into the bottom or get items out. As others mentioned, the pack also never stands up on its own and always slides down to the ground even when it is propped against a chair or desk which makes definitely makes it hard to get things out during class. The pack was also too heavy for me; my shoulders were in pain with barely anything in it and the curve of the pack didn't fit my back properly (I'm on the short side though at 5'1") For pros: love how deep the water bottle pockets are, the compression straps, the outside stretchy pocket which is nice to shove a jacket into, the durability, and the quality double-pull zippers. Unfortunately though, the cons way outway the pros and I am on the lookout for a new backpack because this one is frustrating me too much.

The design is flawed.. the front compartment extends to the main compartment which makes it such a pain when taking out stuff from the main compartment. Making the main compartment very cramped

I've used this backpack for almost two full school years now and I can't say that I would buy it again. The backpack refuses to stand up on its own and slides down when set against a desk. It's very hard to use as a student that needs easy access to her backpack. The front pocket does not go all the way down which leads to it being very hard to get to a pencil bag or a small book in the main compartment. I rarely use the main pocket because of how hard it is to get things out of. I usually end up putting my folders and journals and my iPad in the laptop compartment because I don't bring my laptop to school. I've noticed that when all the compartments are full and you don't have anything to fill the space in the main compartment that's below the smaller one, the backpack takes on a weird shape. I wish there was some sort of bottom to the bag that would enable the bag to stand up on its own because it would just make the backpack SO much easier to use. The good part about it is that it's super cute when filled out just right and the front compartments are really nice, but I just can't say that I would by this backpack again because of how difficult it is to use.

I feel as though my computer is secure. Yes when the front is loaded it makes the main compartment a bit of a pain to access if loaded at all. The main this is the shoulder straps, this this is so uncomfortable!

I have had 3 of these. The first one was bulletproof. Washed it many times. The second one seemed great, but I washed it a few times and it fell apart. So I bought a third one and washed it once and the whole side of the pack blew out. complete junk!

This backpack was extremely small. The main pocket only fits two 3 subject notebooks comfortably. The laptop pocket was great for the computer however, uncomfortable against the back. This backpack is not meant for students who carry multiple binders and notebooks, it may work for office use.

Quality wise backpack seems very well made and would last a long time. Unfortunately I will be returning this. It's oddly shaped and does not hold as much as I expected. If you put things in the admin part you lose a lot of valuable space in the main compartment.

After looking at a lot of backpacks, this one seemed to have the best features for commuting with a laptop. After using it for several weeks I now wish I could return it. 1) The pack is structured in such a way that it creases half way down when opened. This makes it hard to get items into and out of the bottom because it basically seal itself shut at the midpoint. 2) The accessory pocket exacerbates the crease. It's constructed as a pouch in the inside of the main compartment but isn't sewn all the way across the bottom. It happens to fall right at the crease mentioned above, so items constantly snag in this pouch when trying to squeeze them through the crease. Try so slide some items in and out of the bottom before you buy it.

The middle pocket as half as much organizational pockets as the old version. Also the outside pocket doesn't have a class so everything will fall out if your backpack is upside down. Overall not as good a backpack as the old one. Except for the fact of the back support and venting.

I love how durable this backpack is. However, I bought this backpack for my high school freshman. I would not recommend this for a student because it does not sit on the floor. Student are constantly placing their bags on the floor and this bag falls over.

Attractive look, but straps were not long enough and back was too stiff and hard. It was poorly designed. Returned.

I have had a version of the recon backpack for about three years now. It is very roomy and durable and I would definitely recommend it. I use it for college along with traveling for the military. My main concern, however, is the lack of waterproofing on the bottom. Maybe my waterproofing has worn off, but every time it gets remotely wet, the bottom of the contents inside end up soaking. I have gotten many notebooks, textbooks, and my military medical records soaking wet. I usually love all my products from The North Face, and I used to love this backpack but I am extremely disappointed in the lack of quality waterproofing that has cost me a lot of frustration.

I bought this backpack online exactly a year ago, got it 21st June 2018 and before even a year of use there is a huge tear in the front zipper section (a small hand could fit through it). I took this backpack in four different trips and sometimes used it for school, overall, it has at most 250 days of use so I am quite dissapointed that there is such a tear. If it had happened in two or three years time I would have understood, but now? No. I have had backpacks from other brands that of course have gotten tears in their fabrics but after more time and heavier uses, I completely understand that nothing lasts forever but the amount of damage the backpack has after such light use is ridiculous. Is it comfortable? Yes. Roomy? Definitely. Well padded? Of course. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not, you would be throwing your money away.

Previous versions were excellent as gym bags. This one does not open widely enough for my equipment: clothing, shoes, swimsuit, fins, cap and goggles, plus toiletries, glasses, keys, and wallet. Because it does not stand up but is also quite tall, it is difficult to reach all the way to the bottom while the bag is flopping over. The ubiquitous laptop compartment is useless and a waste of space if one is using this bag for the gym. Previous versions opened wider and could hold everything, plus a purchase or two on the way home. Previous versions also functioned as a carryon that fit under the seat when flying; this one is way too flat and narrow for items to be easily pulled out while on a plane. In addition, the zippers stick and do not slide easily. Back to the store it goes. I can find a much cheaper and better proportioned backpack from other sources. Please, North Face, go back to your more versatile and functional designs of the past.

This backpack's main compartment has a small opening that is not practical. My previous backpack was under armour and it had a lot more room. Also, the backpack always falls over when sat on the floor.

A friend of mine has the past season Recon bag and he convinced me to get this one. However, when I received it I realized that the current season bag had changed in some negative ways. First of all, the pack seems to be slimmer overall, and as one of the other reviewers mentioned, the laptop sleeve is not fleece lined and actually isn't a sleeve at all. It is a separate compartment all together. Second, the "tablet" sleeve is extremely small and does not fit your average sized tablet. Also, the front media pocket only zips down about halfway which is extremely frustrating. The quality still seems to be there but with these changes I will be returning the bag and looking for the past season version.