Customer Reviews The North Face Women's Recon

I loved my previous North Face backpack and expected to love this one too, particularly with the "women's" proportions. I'm only 5'0" and curvy but a size 2-4. The Recon did look nice, though the Harbor Blue was very green in person (not even teal). My biggest disappointment was the awful fit. It sat way above my shoulders like a tortoise shell, with the handle poking the middle of my head. You could see several inches of the pack itself above my shoulders. Maybe it was just super stiff coming out of the base, but the straps chafed and it seemed not to hit in the right places due to the narrowness at the top. Forget about comfort: it wasn't baseline functional. I still think that North Face has good quality and style, so I'm going to try a couple of other designs. However, I'd think twice about this one if you're petite.

I've had this pack back for two years, and it's still usable. However I do have my qualms. The bag fits my everyday school supplies (2 books 2-4 binders) and not much more. I liked all the pockets, everything in my bag has it's place. My biggest issue is how quickly it looked dirty, my bag is the zinc grey and surf green, and the green is disgusting to me now. Other issues are how hard the straps and back are, and the water bottle pockets developed large holes in the mesh. Also I don't think you're going to be fitting a soccer ball in the front mesh pocket anytime soon.

I have had this backpack for a year, so I do feel able to give an honest review. Cons: I purchased this backpack in the sea foam green color. In the picture it appears to be a mint color, however the bag I received is more green and is made of a different material than the picture. - This backpack was smaller than I expected, however I do pack a lot each day for school. So if you are a high schooler who does not bring a ton of textbooks, it should work for you. - Ths shoulder straps on this backpack are hard. When completely full and heavy this backpack hurt my back and shoulders. It especially made my neck muscles tighten. Pros: - Overall I would say the backpack is good quality. I have not had anything break and the zippers work fine. - The fleece lined pockets are nice for glasses, electronics, etc. - Every compartment in the backpack is extremely useful and they are set up in an easy to use way.

I really like this backpack, and it fits my books and computer well. The sole problem with it is that the mesh on the back of the backpack ruins your clothes. Every article of clothing I've worn while wearing my backpack has pills all over the lower back. When moving, the back pack's mesh moves back and forth tearing at the fabric of your clothing. I wouldn't buy this product again, and I'm now looking for a backpack that won't ruin hundreds of dollars of clothing.

If you were to by this backpack you should go to the store and check it out before buying it.

I really like this backpack. It is large & holds a lot of stuff inside. However, when I ordered this backpack it was supposed to come in white with green and coral accents. Instead the backpack I got was all green with a few coral accents. I was starting school & needed a backpack ASAP so I didn't have the time to send it back. The color it came in actually quite ugly & I really hate that part about it. I get a little annoyed with it being the wrong color every time I look at it. I am considering purchasing this bag again, but hopefully in the correct color, once I save enough money.

I got the surf green color which looks like a beautiful mint on the computer screen but when I got it in the mail is was an ugly green color. Y'all need to make your pictures of the product look like they do in real life. (Btw I know it's called surf GREEN but I went off of the picture) and they get really dirty really easily. The backpack also doesn't sit up. It's always falling over or sliding down. This product was horrible considering the money I paid for it.

I thought the Recon backup was the best design ever with a space for everything from school to day hikes. My first one lasted forever and the only reason I got a new one was that I'm an adult now and needed a more professional color. As other reviewers have mentioned, my newer model has had fabric and foam ripping. Apparently that's not covered under warranty and that's a shame because I've only had this one for a year. I've bought this backpack for several other people because I've liked it so much, but I might have to look elsewhere due to quality issues.

It is a great backpack for school, but I was extremely disappointed in the color. The online pictures make the book bag look like a lighter gray with bright teal as the accent but when I opened my package I found a dark, almost black gray and a very dark blue. I absolutely hate how it looks, but it is too late to return it before the school year starts. Again a great bag for school, but be aware of the color difference.

This pack can be customized to fit you perfectly. Also, I love the compartmentalization in the front pocket, along with the stash pocket - it'll be easy to store a variety of small items in easy-to-access pouches. Aesthetically, this pack has a great streamlined look. The Pamplona Purple is gorgeous; it's a bit deeper in person, and less bold than it looks online. However, I'm VERY disappointed in the rigidity of the main compartment from the overly-robust laptop sleeve. Sure, that may be great when I want to schlep my devices around the city - but I bought this pack for day hiking and international travel, when I carry irregularly-shaped items that could benefit from some give and adaptability in the pack. I believe equivalent laptop protection could have been achieved with a fraction of the padding.

I just received this product and although online I loved it, I am not pleased with the plastic sleeve at the back. This should have been part of the description. It makes the bag a little stiff. I wish it was a removable option. Not sure if I will keep it or not. Everything else described is perfect.

I has a RECON backpack for over 8 years. So when I came to Northface to buy another backpack I did exactly know what I want, another RECON backpack. Compare to my previous RECON packpack: shoulder padding is stiff (I guess it might get better after using the backpack more) The waist belt is narrow and not comfortable at all around your waist (I am wondering why they changed the design) I found the new shape design more supportive for my back (however I kinda think the previous RECON could get more load) The padding has definitely improved They have removed the little buckle inside the backpack that would support the laptop inside laptop sleeve (I really liked that little buckle, it would make me think my laptop is safe) Overall I expected more from the new design and if you ask me, I honestly prefer the previous design. I love Northface quality so I am not going to return this back, I wish I was more satisfied with the designe though :( I really hope somebody reads the reviews and take them into account for their future designs.

This bag is more casual looking than I expected.

It's just a little to heavy for my liking.

This backpack is great for carrying heavy loads. This is probably the most comfortable I've ever been carrying a laptop, charger, a huge textbook, notebooks, pens and highlighters, and other personal items. The straps are comfortable and the backpack feels like a tank in that it is so protective of the the laptop and of your shoulderblades. However, the inside is just badly designed. I can only fit one textbook in this backpack (which is good - it encourages me to carry less), but that just means that I have to hold the other one in my hands. And the second pocket is just ridiculous. It has designated space for a ipad mini tablet and a phone. What percentage of people who own this packpack also own an ipad mini? Certainly well under half. Who carries a phone deep inside a backpack? No. People carry wallets and pens and highlighters and chapstick and lotion and chargers and things like that. And the pockets are designed such that all of that stuff just kind of has to get thrown in. Very frustrating and very hard to get things you need quickly.

I bought this backpack for my highschooler and ended up having to return it because too much space was allocated to the laptop sleeve which limited the main compartment space for books & binders.

I am satisfied with this backpack. It is a little uncomfortable though because it is very stiff. There is a lot of room to keep items like gum, headphones, a planner, etc. the main part could have more storage because my computer takes up a lot of the space.

I loved the color of the backpack online but when I got it the color didn't look anything like it did on here.

Great backpack. Just not the same color as described at all. Returned and exchanging for a different color.

I had always admired the recon backpack, so I decided to purchase it since I will be starting college this fall. When I went online, I noticed that a new design was replaced with the old backpacks. Not gonna lie, I was a little saddened, because I loved the design of the old backpack. But, I still went ahead and purchased this one. The backpack is designed great, it fits alot of things very easily. But there's a huge downsider- the straps are VERY uncomfortable. The new backpacks have this weird attachment that connects the back of the backpack to the straps, you can see it in the photos. But, that area creates horrible pain when I wear the backpack. Even pain after I took it off! The backpack also doesn't stand on it's on! The back support is longer than the bottom of the "sack" so it makes the backpack lean forward. There is no flat surface on the bottom. A real disappointment, it is not comfortable at all. Not satisfied 100% with this design, and it's sad because I really was expecting something wonderful! I will be purchasing an old "out of season" recon on a different website and when it comes in, compare it to this recon to see which backpack I like better. The old backpacks have a smooth strand, which I am hoping will work better for me. Really wish I could say I love it, but I don't. Don't think the packs should have been changed so much.

Awesome backpack. Tons of room! Love the laptop sleeve. Not near as bright as the picture shown. Very disappointed in that aspect.

Overall a good backpack. The material used is durable though I'm not sure how it would do in rainy weather. Lots of pockets of different sizes for your storage needs. Sturdy back for shoulder and back support. The only reason it did not get an extra star was because the laptop compartment was too small for my laptop. Unless you have a smaller than average portable PC you'll find your laptop asking for more space. Otherwise, I'd choose this pack as my everyday carry.

I bought this backpack for our Disneyland trip where I carried it all day for 7 days straight. I have 4 kids that I had to carry food, water and entertainment for along with me. This backpack is HEAVY even when empty. It has a lot of space to store a lot of stuff but because it starts out as heavy as it does I didn't put as much in it as I would have liked. Also, the shoulder straps rubbed a spot on the top of my shoulders so much I had to put some body glide under my tee shirt in that spot. It was better on the colder days as I had more layers of jackets under the straps to pad my shoulders. Overall this bag was a disappointment. I don't think I will be taking it on another trip.

The bag is comfy but not as comfy as the vault bag for women. The extra compartments are great w great ways to organize, however when testing it out the middle and front zippers kept catching the material trim and it was not smooth at all to zip, I could forsee my frustration with it getting stuck constantly when it happened each time I zipped and unzipped while testing from home. The bags nice and big but I chose the Northface vault for women, it was more comfy on my back, easier to use and a nice size for school bag or hiking use. You can try it but I recommend trying the vault or comparing with something at the same time to get a real feel for how it should fit and feel. I purchased 3 total and picked the vault for women of the 3. Quickly noticed all the differences. Easy decision.

Great bag, but the padding in the laptop sleeve is very thick and stiff as a board. If it was just trimmed a half in all around I could work with it, but since there is no way to do that, it is uncomfortable to wear. I am only 5 feet tall so the stiffness of this bag makes it appear bigger than it is on me.