Customer Reviews The North Face Women's Recon

I purchased this backpack because I have a little over a mile walk to school each way and I generally carry my laptop, several folders, 1-2 books, a water bottle, a coffee tumbler, and miscellaneous school supplies. This bag turned out to be perfect for me. It is specifically made for women, so the length of the bag is perfect for my back. The straps are super comfy and the waist belt helps distribute the heavy load so that not too much weight is on my shoulders. I would definitely recommend this bag for its utility and its great colors!

I am a full time college student, I carry at least 3-4 thick textbooks and this backpack can handle them all. It is very supportive and durable. It holds a camelbak water bottle nicely! Organizational pockets are great! I have my ti 83, tons of pencils and pens and even has nice slots for my id's and debit cards! The best part is the east access pocket at the top, I usually just toss my car keys in there. When I carry a laptop, the backpack is so well cushioned you barely feel it against your back! This is the most I have ever spent on a backpack for school but it is well worth the purchase!

This item was purchased as a Christmas gift for my daughter, who was absolutely delighted with it. My review is really for Zappos. Lightning fast service! Ordered online in Virginia on Monday the week before Christmas and it was delivered in Denver, Colorado, the very next day. That's some Superman delivery service, for sure.

I love the color soooooo much! its spacious and with lots of compartment for different purposes. Looks like it will be my bag for coming 10 yrs!

I purchased this pack for travel. I have a Camelback pack that is still in great shape after 17+ years but wanted a change. I wanted to get the women's Borealis, but the reviews & dimensions made it sound like it would not fit my 15" laptop. I believe the men's Borealis could fit it. I think NF should rethink the design to make the laptop area a bit higher on the women's Borealis. This pack is heavier than my Camelback, which was a concern, but this is likely due to the laptop compartment. I got it for the sections with pockets, as are similar to my Camelback. I can't attest to it being top heavy, as don't plan to over stuff the pocket area. While the pocket area does not go all the way down, it does go more than halfway. Many reviews make it sound like it is very short. The weight is the only part I am not thrilled with, but the separate laptop compartment is a plus. It feels a bit stiff. This is also likely due to the laptop compartment and back padding. I like the front pouch. I can see using that to put my jacket or neck pillow in when flying.

Comfortable , durable and fancy. Super elated with this purchase .

This backpack has lasted me so long I bought another one.

feels super high quality and looks very chic! only drawback is it never stands by itself and is hard to lean against seats sometimes.

I absolutely love this bag. I take it to work everyday and it fits everything I need for the whole day, including my lunch. It is super comfy on my back I will definitely be taking it on hikes with me. I'm only giving 4 stars because the stitching on one of the straps looks a little loose I'm anticipating a rip sooner rather than later.

This is a well made and attractive backpack. The stitching is quality and it fits on your back very well. I love the specific design for women. I really loved the color scheme of grey and blue. The backpack has several different pockets making for an ease in organizing gear. Unfortunately, I had to return mine- but only because it was too small for my needs as an everyday carry bag. I would consider it a medium sized bag for a hike or short day trip. Everyone is different in their needs with regards to packing- so if you are a light packer or are just looking for a smaller bag- I would highly recommend this one.

It's pretty spacious and the side pockets are very spaciousbig enough to hold a 40 ounce Owala, which many other bags cannot hold. The front compartment with the organizer is very useful, as well as the mesh pocket. This bag does not stand up very well, however, and tends to fall onto its front no matter what. The straps of the chest and hip buckles are rather long and hard to tuck away, which may be a bother to some, but I have found it alright.

I really like all the compartments in this backpack and how comfortable it is to wear. However, the large middle section fills up quickly if you put a lot of things in the front pocket, which is very annoying. I often feel like there's not much storage and that's disappointing. I think I will switch to a different north face that doesn't have this issue

thought it would be more of a sage green but is more mint green. still a great backpack, works great for me in engineering school

My daughter is using this bag for her middle school backpack. It is roomy enough for binders and ipad, pencil case and lunch box. Loves the style - it's the "must have" bag for the preteen set this year.

Had the old Borealis backpack for 4 years and bought a new one for my next four at college. All the backpacks have new designs which is interesting but the color is great and the space is even better!

I am using this backpack for my first year of college. The color is really nice and the perfect size for a college student I feel like. There is a pocket and a space for everything. My 40 oz hydroflask fits in the side pocket which is perfect for a hot busy day on campus. I previously owned the jester and I am so glad I upgraded to this bigger bag.

Would have preferred if the "large storage" areas were a bit bigger. Initially drawn to the colors (told that for a trip I should avoid certain colors). Liked the straps for beverage bottle and to add a jacket at the bottom. But found the other storage areas a bit tight for use.

Like that the water bottle holder is not web design as those tend to stretch out and useless. Good space inside for laptop, lunch, other items. Seems to have high quality construction which is expected from North Face.

I love my Recon backpack it's really nice with the space it provides and I like the pockets it has too!

Great quality and pockets. The straps limit the sizing of the backpack though and the side pockets are tight. I can barely fit my water bottle. I wish there was a way to make the backpack expandable with the straps like in the earlier model. Overall great product with high value.

Bought this as my everyday work backpack and I am really enjoying it. I love the mesh front as I can throw whatever I need in there (keys, wallet) and it's easy to access. I don't think it's spacious enough to be the only bag on an overnight trip, but maybe if I really stuffed it. My only note is that the water bottle pockets on the side stiff (not mesh) are hard to pack when the inner compartments are full.

Its more of an orangey red colour, but overall still a very good backpack

I am a college student using this backpack strictly for school. Pros Love all the pockets and awesome internal organization pockets Nice big reinforced bottle holders Cons The plastic back support makes this backpack uncomfortable and bulky and not easily manageable, I cut mine out and the backpack is 10x more comfortable and sits upright without falling over now

I bought mine in 2006. It was stolen 2 days ago. In between it served as my every day carry (EDC) pack to work (construction) and computer pack, overnight bag for travelling, to the library, to the shooting range, day hiking and as a second bag when kayaking/camping. One of the lanyards for the zippers wore out a few months ago - well after 11 yrs what did I expect? :) Temporarily replaced it with a large paper clip. The front nylon mesh gets used a lot but the elastic wore out right away. It was a great place to put something damp - like a rain jacket. It was just a tad small for my 17" laptop but it fit. Also just large enough for my collapsible .22LR to take to the range. I put tools on the side cinch straps for ready access and my survival/first aid in the small pocket. The side mesh pockets are straight up instead of angled forward (this may have changed in the newer version) and were great for storing everything from a water bottle to misc. items. It had a lot of small pockets inside the second main pocket for items like pens/batteries/cords, etc. Most of them were superfluous for me. I may buy again or look for a slightly larger bag for my needs.

I really like the colors of this bag. I love all of the compartments. I've been using this backpack for school and some light travel for just over a year. There are no tears, fading, or any damage whatsoever, it is very durable. When I first got this bag, I noticed it was very stiff but was hoping it would loosen up but to this day, it is still stiff in the part against your back and in the shoulder straps. The padding is still stiff and I don't notice any benefit with the FlexVent. The bag itself is light, but once you put a notebook and a pencil case in it, it starts weighing more. The computer sleeve is slightly too small for my HP Envy laptop but with a little wiggling, it slides right in just enough for the bag to zip. Once you add a computer, the bag gets extremely heavy and can hurt your shoulders. For me, on a regular school day, I will have my laptop, chargers, one spiral notebook, a pencil pouch, odd things that I keep in my bag (gum, snacks, hair ties, etc.), and a water bottle. If I try to put anything else in my bag, I have to push and shove to get it in there. It seems very tight considering I only have a thing laptop and one spiral notebook. If you need to take a lot of textbooks to class, you will end up carrying them. One thing that really grinds my gears about this bag is that it has the hardest time sitting up on its base. I will have it full with everything I need for the day but it will not sit up on its base by itself, it always needs to be leaning against something or just laying on its back. Mine always ends up sliding and falling onto its back, even when I am putting my items in it! Really annoying, especially when you are in a rush and the bag is not participating. It gets the job done, though. Great quality and color.