Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

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.

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

Work travel and family life

My daughter used this backpack during her 11th grade year. It's a pretty heavy pack. The biggest issue she had was that the mesh water bottle holders both ripped. She is not hard on her backpacks but she cannot use it for her water bottle anymore. She had a Jansport backpack a couple of years ago and I think we will go back to that brand. It held up just fine and was lighter.

I love the Recon pack. I had the previous version and it has treated me well for at least 10 years or more. I saw the new version with the separate laptop pocket and was sold. It is great to have the separate pocket, so you don't have to disturb the contents in the main pocket when inserting or removing your laptop. I do feel though that the main compartment size has shrunk though because of this. If the main compartment was just a little larger it would be perfect. Maybe TNF has a similar bag with slightly larger size that I just haven't looked at yet. I do still love this bag and I can seem to fit what I need in it, just with the pocket was slightly larger. You should by this bag!

I use this as a backpack for my school stuff. It works great and has lots of pockets which is really nice. However, the tablet pocket is not big enough to fit and iPad Air. It might fit a mini? I also wish that the large pocket opened wider. Overall, it's really comfy and does the job!

This bag is heavy-duty but is comfortable to wear! If you're a college student, this is a great choice for you. Plenty of space!

Upgraded my son's backpack. My daughter is a fan of NF and recommended it. My son liked the color options. My only complaint is that his lunch bag won't fit in it. I put his books in would be the laptop compartment and his folders in the middle. I wish the middle would open up wider to accommodate the bag. He doesn't want it to hang on the bp either. Other than that, he has no complaints.

Awesome sturdy backpack that should last throughout my daughter's high school and college career! Only drawback, backpack will not sit upright without falling over; other wise well made!

I picked this one because I like all the compartments and I liked the back support and the chest straps for helping reduce back pain. The the deal break is the backpack will NOT stand up! It need some base support. Without the base support you'll have to prop it up against a wall for it to stand up. The other thing is one of the water bottle pockets got a hole in it after a few months use by my middle schooler. The tipping over issue would make me not purchase this model again.

Commute and day pack

I used it going to work and on day hikes. It is great for both as long as you are okay with having a water bottle over a hydration blatter. The laptop pocket is nice and well-padded against the back overall a great backpack.

I was looking for an upgrade to my previous backpack and this one stood out the most to me. Turns out it's an upgrade of the one I already had! I bought it about 8 years ago and it still is in great shape, so I hope this one lives up to its predecessor. I typically use it while I'm traveling and could previously fit a lot in the older version. This one seems a bit smaller (not sure if that's the word I'm looking for) at the top, so it was harder for me to jam as much stuff in there. But it's still a great bag and looks really nice too!

I use it as an over night bag and work backpack. It works perfectly just the right size for everything I need.

Very durable and strong materials used, TNF always does a great job with this. Wish there was a laptop sleeve. Sometimes can be top heavy based on the pocket locations.

I use this product for work and carry a change of clothes as well as my wallet and laptop. Haven't used it for school yet, but it's been about 3 months and it still hasn't lost it's shaped, slumped, or anything. The part for your back is pretty stiff and it causes the backpack to fall or slide down the wall if the backpack is put against the wall. Maybe over time it will stop, or just pack your backpack up with stuff. Overall, I can see this product used for long-term.

I use this bag to make sure I have my books for class and my work items without having to carry 10 bags. Spacious, stylish and matches my coat perfectly. This bag is durable and distributes weight well. I barely feel bogged down with enough books to fit in a library, a laptop, and small essentials needed for daily life. Priceless

Loved my last north face backpack I used daily for 6 years and like the materials, comfort, and look of this new one I use for getting my computer, documents, and lunch to and from my clinic while to old is my hiking one now. One major concern with this bag is if you put anything in the mid small pocket it won't sit upright because it top heavy. Two small issues are they got rid of the Clip on the front of the mesh bag making it useless to hold anything you don't want to lose and I miss the big pocket having a large computer sleeve instead of another unnecessary pocket of its own. Still like the bag for the most part

I purchased this for my high school aged daughter. She carries all of her books each day for school. This bag is really well made, comfortable and attractive. The only problem is the size. Unfortunately my daughter had to go back to using her older, larger bag.

I use this product in my everyday basis, to do school work, to travel and to work.

My last NF bag was a Recon from 20 years ago. I finally decided to replace it with this. I like the laptop compartment. It fits my 19" ThinkPad. The main compartment isn't huge though. I like the organizer pouches, but honestly wished there were even more since I don't carry a separate purse if I take this bag to work/school. Super comfortable to wear.

Love the color and its just a overall attractive backpack!

It's comfortable on. My complaint is that the pockets are too narrow and when you have a laptop or iPad in it (which I always do when traveling) it falls over when standing up. If it had a little bit wider/deeper base I think it would be better. I really like the color and the way it looks, and wearing it is fine, it's just when you set it down that it's very annoying. I also wouldn't have paid full priceway too expensive, so thanks to North Face for the discount for healthcare workers.

I got this pack as an every day bag, back and forth to work, to carry on trips to the zoo, hiking trails, etc. I don't like it as a daily bag since it falls over and has a tight fit. Recommend for packing in water , snacks and whatever else for day trips since it holds things in well and has nice thick padding against your back.

Great for carrying textbooks. Durable and good quality.