Customer Reviews The North Face Women's Recon

I bought this backpack for college yet I seem to want to wear it everywhere... It has really good support and weight distribution. I loaded a 15-inch Dell XPS 15 laptop into it, put it on, and wearing it felt like I might have had a few small books in there, definitely not a heavy laptop! The colors (I got TNF Black/Powder Blue) look sci-fi and very polished; I really like my choice. The build quality is excellent, better than my older L.L. Bean backpack (which I had considered the best I had ever owned), and I like the thin profile when the backpack is empty. I have not fully loaded the backpack yet, however the amount of storage pockets available blew me away.

This thing was awesome! Carried our water, some snacks, a camera and lenses, laptops, extra clothing and more! My favorite part is how comfy the straps are. This will be used for many trips to come! This was ideal as a carry on for airport travel as well.

I took this backpack with me on a mission trip and loved it!

I have been looking for a backpack for four months. I had very specific requirements and this pack is perfect! The most specific requirement was that it fit my frame and it easily met that need.

This backpack is very comfortable and lightweight and easy to walk around and carry things like heavy books in. One of the great things about it is that there are straps to make it bigger and to fit more stuff into it if you are carrying a lot, but you can also fold it all back together and it becomes very small and easy to carry around. It is very easy and good for traveling because it is comfortable to walk around in and can fit a lot of things in it for big trips. There are lots of great pockets and little slips which I really like because I can feel safe putting small things in these pockets and not worry about losing them. One thing that The North Face could work on a little bit to make the backpack a little better than it already is would be to make the zippers a little less sticky. The zippers are okay, but sometimes when I zip them up or down they'll get stuck and I have to tug on them and jostle them around to get them working again. This backpack is great and I would definitely recommend getting it!

If you are looking for a backpack for your school life, commuting, office life, get this great backpack! It is really comportable to carry your stuffs during everyday! It has absolutely large capacity enough to put 12 beer cans in the backpack! Nice capacity, fabulous cushioning for back, good design, the best backpack ever! ;-)

Absolutely an amazing bag. I had a 22L bag that I'd been using for school. The problem with that bag was that it was too small, didn't have enough compartments, there weren't many pockets at all, and my stuff sat really weirdly in it. So when I decided to look for a bigger bag, I decided that it needed to be one that had everything the 22L was missing and that I could also use for backpacking and traveling. I found this bag and I fell in love with it. Not only does it have way more compartments and just the right amount of pockets, it also has the space that I was looking for and I don't really have an issue with the way my stuff sits in it. I take this bag almost everywhere with me. I take it to work, on weekend trips, if I'm going to a friends house, traveling. I use to carry so much extra stuff and now this is the only bag I really need and use(besides a super lightweight day bag I usually keep in the large compartment in the back or the mesh compartment on the front). My favorite feature on the bag is the front little zipper pocket. I use that pocket so much and it's great for easy access to essentials. My only complaint would be that the waist belt isn't very wide so it doesn't provide the support that I would've like to have from a waist belt. Other than that, this is the best backpack that I've ever had and I'm still just as in love with it as the day I got it.

I loved this backpack so much! Sadly, I just had it recently stolen at school (after only 1 month of use :/ ) and I really miss it a lot. Sometimes during long drives on the highway , I still think of her (yes, it's a her), sitting on the shoulders of some miserable soul out there... But I digress, now that I'm browsing backpacks again, I figured I should review this one. I bought the grey/maroon colorway at The North Face store in Brentwood. It fit perfectly (6'1, bigger build) and always hung on comfortably. No matter how much stuffed I piled into every compartment - books, folders, notebooks, clothes, water bottles, tablets and keyboard - it always remained the same shape and didn't feel heavy like my basic Jansport would with 1/3 of things in there. Absolutely heartbroken that I don't have my backpack anymore, but I am looking forward to purchasing a new one again soon. If you are really considering purchasing a North Face bag, buy THIS backpack! Recon is the way to go, you won't regret it! Just don't lose it or you'll be left heartbroken like my lonely self, left with nothing to hold on to, but vivid reminiscence of the wonderful times spent with my beloved Recon backpack..

I purchased this Recon BackPack for my 15 year old grandson as a back to school present. Not only does he use it daily for his books, papers and laptop, but he also uses it to transport his swim gear. As a year round competitive swimmer and also on the Myers Park High School Mustang swim team, he needed a durable backpack for not only school but dual use with swim gear.

This backpack is extraordinarily comfortable. I've owned a lot of hiking packs but the woman specific design is fantastic. It feels like I am carrying a very light load when I fill it up and I can walk with good posture. I chose this over the Borealis because I thought that the front pocket would be more useful. This is a very well engineered pack and it has a lot of room as it expands. I primarily use this for grad school. It feels like my laptop is well protected in there. For reference, I have a 15" macbook pro. I'm also excited to take this pack on my climbing trips. I just might have to buy another one for that.

I wish the pack had a bit larger capacity, and that the outer pocket extended further down.

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

Got this backpack for school. The color is not as bright and vibrant as the picture indicates which is disappointing but still a good backpack. Even my camera makes the backpack look more vibrant than it really is. The main color is more a darker purple.

I was in desperate need for a durable backpack that doesn't wear out too fast. This backpack is perfect for college. There are a lot of pockets, sleeve for laptop and iPad.

I've been carrying an all black North Face Back pack for 8 years. I went to college with it, vacationed with it, exercised with it, and began my career with it. I recently returned to The North Face Online to make a second pack purchase not because I need a new pack, but because I felt 8 years of full-time service deserved a retirement. I chose an all black Recon. I really like the grey with green pack, but because I use it for work, I felt the all black look was a better fit in my work environment. The large pouch has improved over 8 years, you can either slide a full size 17" laptop (with extended battery) in the tight fitting sleeve, or leave it loose. Aside from my padfolio, this large pouch could stand to carry a lot more. The mid size pouch is perfect for Pens, electronic devices like a Kindle, digital camera, and the like. The small top pouch is great for an ipod and small snacks. I typically use the outer area for drinks rather than the actual drink holders on the side. The shoulder straps and side of the pack against your back are padded and comfortable as usual, no matter how much I stuff in to it. Aside from work, I use this pack when cycling, going to the gym, weekend trips out of town, and on vacation as my carry on. Last month we went on a cruise and I stuffed all of my paperwork, electronics, toiletries, a bottle of wine, and a snorkeling mask and snorkel in to my pack. These packs are well constructed for all purposes, long lasting, and stylish. I receive frequent compliments on my previous and current North Face pack. If I had to voice a less positive comment it would be regarding all of the straps. There is a chest strap and waist strap that I haven't had a need for. Personally I remove them and all is well in the world. Although there is a neat whistle on the chest strap fastener. I would highly recommend The North Face packs. As far as I'm concerned if you mention a pack, I assume you're talking about The North Face backpacks.

First of all, you should know that I am not one to leave reviews about products... ever. But I was so disappointed with this backpack I felt other people needed to know. I am a late-30s woman, about 5'9" for reference. I bought this to use as a work bag. I wish I would have looked around more and tried on different bags but since I bought this online, I just read the "great" reviews (which I am now in disbelief over) and figured I couldn't go wrong with an expensive North Face bag! WRONG! Overall, the bad is well made and good quality. I like the nice fleece interior pockets. That's pretty much all I like about this bag. It is the most uncomfortable backpack I think I've ever used. The back is incredibly stiff and inflexible, and long. If you're looking for a thick, heavy board to strap to your back, this bag will do the trick! Additionally, the shoulder straps are very thick and also inflexible. Using this bag when it's EMPTY is a workout in itself. Then once you put stuff in it, it only gets worse. Keep in mind, this bag weighs close to 3 POUNDS. Other book bags weigh 1.5 pounds or so. I know that doesn't sound like much of a difference, but don't be fooled. It is. Especially when it's hanging off your back from thick, rigid arm straps digging into your shoulders. This bag is seriously over engineered. Despite the awkwardness of the bag, since I paid for it and used it a couple times, rather than returning it I tried to get my money's worth so I continued using it for about a year. The bag held up nicely, to it's credit, but I'm pretty gentle with my things. Despite it looking basically brand new still, today I just gave in and went and bought myself a much more suitable bag from another company that weighs half as much and is actually comfortable. It is a DREAM! Oh, and lastly, although I'm more concerned with the functionality of things I should also add that the construction of this bag makes it so that it looks absolutely ridiculous on. It just doesn't hang naturally at all. Again, if you're interested in looking like you have a board strapped to your back, then this bag is for you. I hope someone out there finds this review helpful. I don't know how this bag gets so many stellar reviews!!

The internal organization of this backpack is very good. I use each of the compartments every day. I really like the admin compartment and the external mesh pocket. The laptop compartment accommodates a 16-inch laptop with extra room. This bag is weather resistant, I walk 2km each day and have not had water enter any of the compartments. The water bottle compartments are very deep and can hold a medium coffee tumbler and 32oz water bottle. I find that when using the compression straps, the excess strapping flaps around, I manage them with some black rubber bands. The bag does not stand up under its own weight, but this is not an issue for my daily life. I hang it on a bag hanger at home and work.

I use this product for traveling. It's great due to its large size. This can be a negative as it is quite large if you're looking for a small/medium sized bag. I would recommend trying it out in store.

I have an older version of this same backpack. This bag has been with me through high school, university, travel, and my first job. It still holds up so well! Quality counts.

Great quality and comfort with the back cushion

It is a very versatile and well built back pack, I really like how comfortable it is and the pockets make a good fit if you are using it for a day to day work commute as well as for going out for a day hike.

Love this bag. So useful for field work.

Great i love it so much

I'm really satisfied recommending to anyone

Comfy, spacious, looks nice