Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I thought this was going to be my 3rd Recon backpack in a 12 year period but the new changes made me return my new Recon and order the Carhartt Legacy Deluxe Work Backpack. I don't see this new obsession with companies boasting they've made great laptop backpacks and then proceed to think they've done that by turning a once versatile, functional backpack into a rigid, stiff, inflexible, one dimensional new product. Newsflash, my Recon backpack from 6 years ago had a laptop slit in it's large back pocket and it worked just find and dandy. Relax, we've gone overboard with the idea of being secure. Backpacks are pushed, stuffed, and shoved around quite often throughout their lifetime. I'm an everyday user of mine. Whatever piece of hard foam, plastic, or whatever kind of stiff material you have now running top to bottom of the new Recon has ruined it for me. Besides making it extremely, one dimensional and inflexible... it somehow also makes the ability to open the back wide gone too. Buying a new backpack to find you can't get one of the major pockets to barely open wide at all is an awkward and not very useful design choice. I was happy I was getting a new Northface Recon backpack until I saw a new hire, or bored employee tried to outsmart the room and took for granted some basic things an owner expects from a backpack. I can't believe I'm writing this but I also can't believe I bought a simple classic Recon backpack and thought... I can't use this. I never thought that was even possible until I took this out of the box.

If i could return this bag I happily would. Such a terrible design and not useful at all.

I'd give this bag zero stars if I could. I'm a law student, and bought this bag exclusively for classes. It is one of the worst purchases I've ever made. The bag doesn't stand up, it flips forward no matter how much or how little you put in it. You can't even lean it against anything. The only way to prevent it from falling forward is to lay it on its back. It's totally impractical. Don't make the mistake I made and buy this backpack!

I bought this for my family's trip to Europe and cursed myself the entire time for choosing this one. The back is hard as if there was a wooden board making it super uncomfortable. It tips forward (will not stand for nothing in this world) so its annoying, but the worst is the zippers don't open all the way, making it almost impossible to reach things at the bottom of the bag without removing everything else. Try changing clothes of a screaming toddler in the middle of a trip holding the child with one hand and with the other trying to grab stuff from the bag that keeps tipping forward and because the zippers are so narrow, you cant reach things from the bottom! We tried it again in our trip to Disney, and omg what a nightmare again... my husband had a better time with his $30 UA bag.... I HATE THIS BAG and wish it wasnt too late to return it

I had this backpack years ago and I just bought a new one and the quality has decreased tremendously. The straps are stiff and hurt my shoulders and the pockets are set up so wrong that my stuff gets lost in the bag. I will never buy another North Face backpack

The backpack was very small. Uncomfortable too. Cannot fit 90 bagels, only like 30. I would rate it .5/5 if i could. Disappointed and such a waste of money. You should buy Jansports backpacks instead smh

I love North Face bags but this was a disappointment. I have used many North Face bags and feel like the bagpacks are getting smaller. I got this bag for college and I could barely fit 2 1-inch binders, 3 notebooks, and my laptop. I did use it for air travel, however the only reason it worked for travel for me was because I only had my laptop and my clothes were rolled up. Overall, great bag but horrible for a college student.

The description clearly says that this bag comes with a fleece-lined laptop sleeve. Mine came without one, so my 13" Macbook pro has a lot of room to move in there. Are there two models that are being represented on the same page or something? Not sure if returning for a new one will fix this.

No fleece lining in the laptop compartment, bag will not sit properly due to the flexvent hitting the floor first, not roomy enough for all the college books, notebooks, supplies I need to care for college, and not reflective at all. Laptop compartment feels too tight to put a laptop plus charger in it. Book compartment can probably hold maybe 2 books and 2 notebooks. Pocket that holds pencils, pens, and other necessities is to small.

I ordered this bag after seeing a milllion videos of students buying this bag on YouTube and was SO excited to receive it today. Sadly, I'm not sure how they qualified this as a 30-Liter since I could fit hardly anything in it. It's beautiful and it will kill me to return. But for nursing school I know I'll have tons of binders and books and I've been searching for the perfect bag for the job. This bag could barely hold 2 empty binders in the main compartment, the laptop compartment is extremely rigid due to the back support and could only hold maybe a couple notebooks if you wanted to squish them in there instead of a computer. I didn't wear it around much since I knew just taking it out the back that it wouldn't work, but the back support it very hard and slightly curved which makes filling the backpack slightly difficult and it doesn't stay up on its own. The organizational pocket doesn't go all the way down to bottom, so while it offers some room for additional things like a planner, they would have to be somewhat short to fit. i seriously don't know how they market this for outdoors or school it seems like it would be useless for both.

I ordered this bag after seeing a milllion videos of students buying this bag on YouTube and was SO excited to receive it today. Sadly, I'm not sure how they qualified this as a 30-Liter since I could fit hardly anything in it. It's beautiful and it will kill me to return. But for nursing school I know I'll have tons of binders and books and I've been searching for the perfect bag for the job. This bag could barely hold 2 empty binders in the main compartment, the laptop compartment is extremely rigid due to the back support and could only hold maybe a couple notebooks if you wanted to squish them in there instead of a computer. I didn't wear it around much since I knew just taking it out the back that it wouldn't work, but the back support it very hard and slightly curved which makes filling the backpack slightly difficult and it doesn't stay up on its own. The organizational pocket doesn't go all the way down to bottom, so while it offers some room for additional things like a planner, they would have to be somewhat short to fit. i seriously don't know how they market this for outdoors or school - it seems like it would be useless for both.

The straps are cheap looking and stiff

Redesign added a separate computer compartment which is nice but mostly unnecessary since the previous design had an incorporated pocket in the main pouch. Also this new pocket causes your laptop to hit the ground anytime you put the bag down; the old one (slightly elevated in the main compartment) did not have this problem. They then made the front storage compartment half the size as the old one with half the pockets. Not only can you not store as many items (e.g. calculators, power banks, cords, etc) in built in pockets but also the main portion of the compartment is shallow and small. Not much can be stored in it and any thing you do store will simply fallout if your not careful any time the pocket is unzipped. NF needs to return to the previous design or at least the old style of front pocket coupled with the new computer pocket redesigned to keep your laptop from contacting the ground. Find a store that has the old version and buy that; stay away from this version.

I have been the buying this backpack since ages. However when i ordered new version of it it had few things which does not go well with original material and design, So i decided to ditch my new one and go back and fix my old. I did lot of research and paid money to buy a older version from Australia. Things like Fleece padding, laptop sleeve outside just makes things more complicated. The backpack was known for simplicity. The new design is non flexible, bulky

Bring back the old version!!! I gave up my old one so they can fix it. Unfortunately after 12 weeks or so, they decide my Recon backpack from ten years ago is unfixable so they sent me a new one... I wish I didn't sign the paper to get a new one because I absolutely hate this backpack. It's higher in length, less compartment space and just overall does not match with the older version. The bottom of the backpack is bigger than the top. Front two compartments only go half way unlike the older version when it was full length with more pockets for organization. The original main compartment had a sleeve for laptops/tablets or if you want to separate your stuff. Now it's two main compartments but one being very thin for laptop/tablets. Feels flimsy. It does not stand on its own... come on NorthFace!!! Get your act together. My original one had a little slit in case you want to add a little cash or a spot for your cell phone on one of the straps... I am so disappointed with this 2019 version versus my original 2008/2009 version. The main compartment doesn't even hold big binders or science textbooks like my original!!! Hate it hate it hate it! I now wish I kept the original with some minor stain in the front net compartment with the click and some torn lining on the inside of the big compartment... I don't have much regrets in life but this is one of them for giving up my original Recon backpack before inspecting the newer version in store.

I use it for school and I put a water bottle in the side pocket and the water bottle fell through and I had to go home and tap the side mesh pocket shut.

Honestly this is the worst bag I have ever owned. I came in the mail bent stuffed in a plastic wrapping not even in a box. Second it doesn't stretch out so it's hard pulling out textbooks and notebooks even my laptop. Third the shoulder straps are so uncomfortable I can no longer use it. I have owned cheaper bags that were better than this. I am disappointed and would like a refund. However it is passed the return date. Last purchase of the north face for me because I also had the same issue with the jester bag as well.

I bought this backpack for my daughter for high school and seeing the price tag I figured if this is what she wants I'll get it for her for ALL of high school. All she had done is complain about how the zippers are not big enough and that she cant get things out and the zippers get stuck all of the time.... so then yesterday she told me ONE WEEK UNTO SCHOOL that both zippers broke on the top and she could not get it open she had to bend a paper clip to get it open NEVER BUYING AGAIN

I bought the backpack for school because the one I had was wearing out from behind from all the walking I do, but every single zipper and pocket was still working, note that it was also a The North Face backpack I purchased 4 years ago. This new backpack claimed to help my back but it is less spacious, has a longer frame on the back which is really uncomfortable, if it wasn't for that I would've rated it 5 starts. I walk a lot, carry all my books and school stuff in it but holding it on my lap is the most uncomfortable thing.

The colors are not the same as the pictures online. After using the backpack for about 3 months, the backpack got a hole on the bottom of the laptop compartment.

So I barely had this backpack for a few months and since I had spent a decent amount of money on it, I took lots of care of this backpack making sure I never put anything heavy in it etc, then it started ripping from the side which was very unusual, since I never put anything heavy in it. I was very annoyed that the whole side of the backpack was ripping and my mom sews a lot, she used to be a seamstress so she knows the workings and it was an old product I'm sure, because my mom said it shouldn't just start ripping on the side like that. So with warranty I sent it back to North face and first of all they took 2 months to even get any response!! Two months is so long, what was I supposed to do that long without a backpack, then we were told that it wasn't covered by warranty! I have bought quite some things from North face such as there jackets, etc and this was my first time buying a backpack. I will not be wasting my money on another North face product ever again!

I tried this on in the store, looked nice and plenty of storage for my laptop and some notebooks. I initially thought the straps and back padding were too hard/stiff and uncomfortable, but I thought it would get better. So I went home and out my stuff it in and wore it around the house, but I had to take it off because it felt like it was chaffing my shoulder blades/neck. I don't know why but the straps and back padding are so hard and stuff, feels like cardboard inside. Now I'm gonna have to drive back to the store to return it. Very dissapointing.

Okay so, waste of money. Like really. The straps are plastic and made to look high quality but aren't, same with the back part. I bet a backpack that costs 50$ or less would have better straps. It's really uncomfortable and I can't even walk around with it. And there's not enough space! Like who the heck wants a pocket that can't fit ANYTHING besides a folder or a computer.?! There's only one big pocket, but there should be two. And with nothing in it, it's super heavy. I've bought from north face before a few years ago and not a women's, but a kids or whatever I don't really remember, but anyways.... that backpack was so much more comfortable!!! Worst backpack ever, I would return it but I've had it for a few weeks and lost the tags and stuff. The old recon was better. And it's way to pricey!

This backpack is very uncomfortalbe and hurts your shoulders. We had to return.

I got this backpack primarily for college and travel. Unfortunately it doesn't work for either. It can barely fit 2 single subject notebooks. The smaller pocket was great for pens and pencils, but if you put anything bigger in (like sticky notes or a glasses case) then it poked out in the main pocket and took up a huge amount of space. It definitely would not work for travel, seeing how it could barely hold a jacket and laptop at the same time. Very disappointed. I couldn't return it so I sold it online and got an osprey instead (which cost less and carries twice as much). It's a very attractive backpack, but if you plan on using it as an actual backpack, get something that's more useful. Waste of time and money