Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

Bought this for my son for his freshman year of college. It will fit all his gear and has a space for his laptop too. The quality seems great! It super roomy, durable, with flexible spaces for whatever he needs. I'm willing to spend extra for quality design and functionality.

Amazing back pack!..Highly recommended!!

I have a giant, stupid 17 inch Dell Precision 7730 for work, and I wanted a good looking backpack that had a tight profile to my back when traveling. This pack nailed it. It looks great, and I can confirm to anyone looking for a backpack that it can house a 17 inch laptop in the laptop compartment. It also has no problem fitting underneath an airplane seat while fully packed. 10/10 NorthFace killed it with this one. The only downside is the straps aren't too comfortable on my shoulders, but I don't really care that much. It looks awesome.

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.

Backpack is comfortable and breathable so I was able to use it in hot weather just fine. It comes with ample compartments so it's good for different types of uses.

Needed a new backpack (28-30l storage) for travel & some hiking. After comparing with several other manufacturers, the Recon was chosen for it's electronics storage capabilities at the top as well as the amount of usable space it offers. It's been to Colorado and Kentucky in less 1 week since purchased being used for travel and hiking purposes and we leave in 8 day for a 3 week adventure in Montana. For me, this is the perfect backpack and I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Phenomenal backpack! Water bottle holders are secure and stretch to fit my bigger nalgene, which is a huge perk. the main pocket is very deep and wide which I appreciate. The backpack can fit a lot without being clunky. Larger tablets won't fit in the tablet sleeve, but I can fit my iPad and laptop in the laptop compartment, so it all works well!

Great size

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

My son uses this for school but now that school is out he is using it to take towels and pool stuff to his friends houses

I use this backpack for travel and for work. It has so many organization pockets and is very roomy. It super comfortable and durable. It holds everything I need and then still has room to fit more.

I use this bag for commuting to and from work on the bus. Holds my coffee, water bottle (massive hyrdro flask slides in no problem) Careful putting a yeti mug because the elastic can pop the lid off, and allll of my other stuff. Top pocket is a godsend for keeping little stuff from getting lost in the massive main pocket. Only design flaw is that with the compression straps on it's hard to get bulkier items into the bottom of the bag with how full I stuff my top pocket. Still 10/10 would recommend though.

Great graduation gift

After my last Recon lasted 10 years, I bought a new one. This newer one is lighter, has more space, and seems even more durable and comfortable.

I use this product for work and for when I travel. It's holds a lot of items with different compartments for organizing. I use the larger compartment to transport 2 eleven lb. weights at time just to give an idea of the durability & capacity. I would recommend this product and would absolutely purchase it again.

It was a great gift. I hope to have it for many years!

I use it to cart books, my computer, and other random things in it all the time to and from church. It's a reliable back. Very comfortable to wear.

Bought this for my brother for his college backpack. It's a perfect, roomy fit for all his textbooks, laptop, water bottle, and anything else he might need. He pretty outdoorsy and plans to use it for hiking also. Perfect backpacks for school, hiking, and travel!

For work and bringing my computer back and forth. Will also use it for travel.

This backpack lasted me 4 years and held up pretty great, the only thing that wore out were the water bottle mesh pockets

I use this back pack for anything travel, gym work and any commute. It is clearly light and stylish I would highly recommend even for hikers. It carries aveything.

Great bag.

I purchased this pack to travel via aero plane as a personal item and to use as a day pack when I reach my destination. The pack is large enough to fit 3 days of clothes and a pair of sneakers or sandals.laptop sleeve fit my 15" laptop, cords, and my galaxy tab. Laptop sleeve allows for easy access to get through TSA without all the fuss. Shout out for the water bottle pockets. I used one for a bottle and the other for my Bluetooth speaker. Lastly, I had the backpack stuffed and it was still extremely comfortable.

I really like how it manages to be both roomy and compact. I'm able to carry everything I need without feeling like I'm carrying a basketball.