Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

Bought this backpack for first year of high school - no lockers, have to carry chrome book, binders, etc. all day.I LOVE the way it looks, but the side mesh pockets which held my smooth Hydrofask, ripped. I only used the backpack for almost 2 months before the holes developed. I was careful with it, and it shouldn't have ripped - I don't think. While my backpack was being returned, I used my old Borealis, which technically is smaller. BUT it had so much more room than the Recon - can't explain, but I had more room in it. When I switched from the Borealis to Recon this school year, I thought I was getting more room and an additional back pocket (where the Borealis has cords). That pocket, again looks good, but is not very functional. Wish I could have the functionality of the Borealis in the look of the Recon! (;

I use the product for carrying my computer around campus. There are plenty of pockets and they are all functional. But this is my second time with this style of book bag, and each time the side pockets have developed holes in the side pockets within the first few months of having using the item. I don't feel like a $100 bag should degrade so quickly. The holes have continued to get bigger, and now I can't put smaller items like my keys in there because I'm afraid i will loose them if they fall out. however, I do like the color and design of the North Face bags. The pictures on the website are very accurate representations.

The backpack looks amazing and is the perfect size for a 15 inch laptop with plenty of room for a lot of stuff with multiple compartments. The only major issue for me was the stiff back that this backpack comes with :(

There are 2 large compartments. The one closest to your back has a soft lining. That one might be better for a (large) laptop. However, there's no (or not well-placed) protection on the bottom of the compartment, so your laptop could get banged around on the bottom. There's no divider in that compartment, but room for books, a binder, etc, as well as the laptop. The 2nd large compartment, the one in the middle of the bag, could also be used for a laptop. This one doesn't have a soft lining, but again, there's no protection on the bottom of the compartment, so a laptop could be susceptible to damage. There's also room in this compartment for add'l books, binder, etc. Again, no divider in this compartment either. In both of these large compartments, I would add some foam to the bottom to use for a laptop. The outer zippered compartment - furthest from your back - has an open pouch, a zippered pouch with organizing slots for small items on the outside of that pouch, and then another open pouch. Neither of these 2 open pouches is large enough for a tablet, unless you have a Galaxy Note. I'm not sure where the "extra padded tablet sleeve" is; I couldn't find it. Finally, on the outside of bag, there's a small zippered pouch that they say can be for sunglasses. I need it for the things I'd grab the most, like keys and ID stuff. Also on the outside is a medium-size but roomy pouch. It's not secure, so you wouldn't want to leave wallet or cellphone in there. I'm using it now for small bicycling items like gloves, headband, earwarmers, etc. The thing I like least about this bag is the support bar or brace at the bottom of the bag. It looks to provide some support for the structure of the bag, but it prevents the bag from standing upright. So if you put the bag down, it's going to flop over and could possibly spill stuff if the compartments aren't zipped. Also, I can predict that the first place that will wear out on the bag will be the fabric covering this support bar.

Backpack is very well made, nice looking, and very sturdy. Straps seem very comfortable. Somewhat discount in size, although measurements were described isn't as roomy as would like it to be.

I know several people that have this backpack and love it. Unfortunately I don't love it as much as them. I spent a long time researching what backpack I should get for college and finally decided on this one. First impression was that the backpack is very heavy and stiff. I was most concerned about how much space it would have and it just doesn't have enough space for me. I pack a ton of stuff though, probably more than the average person. I am going to keep it, because I don't want to go though the return process. On the bright side it seems very sturdy and seems as though it will last me throughout college.

I bought this backpack two times already and don't get me wrong I like it but my main complaint is what is stopping me from buying another backpack because when you put things in the 2nd pocket(before the main compartment) it is always leaving you with less room for the big compartment because it's bulging out into it! It's gets quit annoying epically when you have to fit a binder and like 3 notebooks! The reason why I would put yes I would recommend this backpack is because it's very durable and if you can get past the annoying part of the 2nd pocket bulging into the big one the I would recommend it!

So I got this backpack for freshman year of high school and it was pretty good overall but I do have complaints. First off the backpack material doesn't stretch that much so a lot of stuff fit but was realllllly tight. The backpack itself is already heavy so adding books to it does hurt my back. Also after a while of using a bag the shoulder straps using being soft and mold to your back but that wasn't the case for this bag, it stayed stiff even after a year of school. That being said the pockets are great and are really useful.

I have back issues, and I thought buying this would solve that problem. However, the top part of the shoulder strap is uncomfortable. There is also a lot of space, yet the two big compartments are very constricting and I have to take everything out to either get something or put something back. The most annoying part is that it does't stand still when I put it on the ground during class, and it tilts over. It also does not have a laptop bag, and that was very disappointing. If you're a college student I would not recommend this backpack!!!! I do like the style, but overall it's not comfortable and does not have enough space for a college student.

The backpack has a lot of great features and pockets. It is also comfortable to commute with a heavy load. The cons are that it can be a little bulky and it does not stand up by itself, but not a deal-breaker for me. However, the back support arrived bent (u-shaped) twice, the first one worse than the second one. I am still considering whether or not to return it again...

I asked for this backpack for my birthday because my old north face had a pen that bled all over it. At first, I loved this backpack. But it is not like any of the other backpacks north face has. The middle pocket isn't as deep as the others, either. It constantly falls over and has a certain sweet spot that it will stand up. It gives me so much frustration as I'm a college student and use it daily. I wouldn't ever think to question the engineering on their backpacks, but the way this backpack is shouldn't have been sold because it can never stand up.

I've been searching high and low to find a backpack that suited my needs. I am a full time college student currently in nursing school, as well as a mom and working full time. This backpack is big enough to squeeze all my stuff in for a full day of classes as well as my scrubs for work. Its comfortable and easy to wear, not to mention it looks good too. My only complaint is the structure could be a bit bigger for the front pockets. You cant squeeze too much in them or it takes away room from the "main" pocket. I've learned to pack a little less. Since im a mom I tend to be an over packer. I've really cut down and just brought necessities and it seems to work fine. I also bought one of these for my very rough 7 year old who seems to wear backpacks out within days of getting them, and his has survived a year and still looks brand new!

I bought this backpack for hiking. After using it several times I am a little disappointed that the upper straps rub terribly on my neck when I clasp the top buckle. It rubbed a raw spot and is very uncomfortable. The backpack is made very well and is quite sturdy. I would recommend this backpack for travel, commuting or school but for my purpose of hiking I wouldn't recommend it.

This backpack is very comfortable, but it looks bigger than it is. It's so slim laterally that I have trouble getting a 1 1/2 inch binder to fit. The front organizer panel only goes down a few inches. Because of this, it "cuts off" the bottom half of the back main compartment, making it very difficult to reach in and take things in and out, and near impossible to do so one-handed or quickly. I love the look of it and it is very durable, I just wish it was more functional. It is almost like The North Face designed a backpack based on looks without testing the actual function of the layout, pockets, length-to-width ratio, etc. Overall, it seems like it will last forever, but I'll be looking to replace it sooner rather than later due to the poor layout.

Bought this bag for long college days that require many different textbooks, waterbottle, laptop, and various notebooks and it was too small which was unfortunate given the quality of the backpack. Would be good for someone who doesnt require too carry as many things with them for the day.

I like the backpack, but I wish the small pockets were bigger. I don't like how the small compartment interferes with the main one (not the laptop one). Anything bulky will poke out and block room to put stuff in the main compartment. The two front pockets are also smaller than the original recon. I can't fit as much stuff there either. The design is nice and all but what use is it if you can't fit all the things you need. I can't even fit half the stuff in the front I used to put in my old recon.

I was really disappointed after I read all the reviews & ordered this bag. The reviews were great! Maybe I'm one of the few that wanted to use it for work/commuting as opposed to school. I am a female in my 40's & wanted a sturdy backpack for commuting. I have very specific needs when it comes to a laptop bag. One is for it to stand up on it's own. This backpack does not do that because the pockets are not evenly proportioned. The front pocket is only half the size of the bag. The back of the backpack is curved; I don't know if this is a defect in the one I received or if this is normal? Super uncomfortable on my back though. I am also petite with a short torso & I felt the backpack was too long for me. Really disappointed. I was hoping the search would be over. If having a laptop bag stand up is important to you - do not buy this bag.

The panels on the front are depicted as being a light grey but, in reality, they are dark grey, only a shade lighter than the black. Also two of the straps were just tacked and never completely sewn.

The bag is ok very comfortable the biggest issue I found is there is no pocket for the bottom straps that go around your waist so there left dangling behind you. My other backpack from NorthFace had them did not realize how valuable they are.

I am a grad student and used my old TNF "ILLINOIS" bag - 32 Liters - to go to the university: I usually put in there 2/3 notebooks, textbooks, a 13" Thinkpad laptop with sleeves + charger, and when I go play soccer twice a week I add my shoes and short/t-shirt as well. I also use it to go on weekends and take it as carry-on on long flights. So I wanted a more modern looking bag and be able to do the same. I can...but it is incredibly uneasy. On the bright side, in addition of previous comments, the front outside pocket is very convenient, I put my gloves in there and this is much better than trying to shove them in my jacket pockets. Also I just walked 15 minutes under a snow shower and everything inside the bag was completely dry. Water drops slide or stay on the cover, you can just shake your bag a little and they fall off. The problem of the Recon (I am talking as of Nov. 2018) is packing and accessing things. Once I put my laptop (without sleeve of course) in the back pocket, and very few things like pens/small painkiller/ID in the front, the main pocket seems very small. Basically the front pocket is half the height of bag and goes inside the main pocket. The laptop pocket does the same on the whole length from the back. There is room, I was able to fit all my stuff in this reduced main pocket, but how painful that was! I needed to squeeze my shoes and sports clothes past this bottleneck (zipper only goes half way which doesn't help), then put my notebooks on top. Once in the gym, I had to empty all my school stuff to reach the sport clothes in the bottom, then repeat the process when I left the gym. Bottom line is : there is enough room...but it is hard to make use of it, the bag is too stiff which is very frustrating. Not sure if it's a problem specific to the 2018 new design but I'd love to be able to pack/unpack in less than 2 minutes and not play Tetris everytime I have to.

i bought this bag and it seemed great and first but is now starting to shift to the left a lot making it look and feel uneven tried to do something with the backpakc strings to make it even just made it worse

If you like style overcomfort this might be a great backpack for you. I got it because I was hoping for both but the straps are very hard and uncomfortable and so is the backing. The place where you put your laptop is going to keep it safe, but it also makes the back hard and uncomfortable as well. I had a Patagonia backpack that is much more comfortable with more room. Maybe I just need to use the backpack a few times to break it in.

I had the yavapai backpack for a long time and have been thinking about getting the recon backpack for a long time! I was really excited to get my hands on one of these, and its indeed a pretty good quality backpack, however, the compartment is so much smaller than it was before, like so so so much smaller!!!! The first and second compartment wasn't as deep as it used to be, and the additional laptop compartment take up too much space that makes the main compartment smaller & couldn't fit a lot!! I love the backpack but I wish I would've bought the older version online or at outlet for less of a price and a overall larger compartment!

If it could stand on its own while places on the floor this bag would be absolutely perfect! However, it doesn't so that's why I'm rating it this amount of stars

Too small