Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

Great for all occasions!

Excellent backpack with great colors to choose from! It's great for hiking, air travel, and bringing to work. Highly recommend!

Good

This pack is terrific except for one significant flaw: it will not stand on end unless you fill the main compartment with books or bricks. Just packing clothing or a notebook does not make the main compartment heavy enough for the bottom to sit flat, meaning that this pack is forever needing to be leaned against something in order for it to remain upright. On its own, it will flop over onto its front or back, something not exactly optimal for the laptop inside.

much space and comfortable.

I first bought a recon backpack in 2011 for college. It has (and still does) served me well and I love it. I've used it for everything - school, work, gym, hiking, weekend trips, etc. My favorite thing about the old one has been the front mesh pocket and the small front zippered compartment because it's easy to stash / access things like my phone or keys throughout the day. I wanted a new recon because while my older one is still holding up well, the padding has thinned out and there are some spots where it's wearing out. Here are my thoughts so far when comparing the two recons: 1 - More compartments = smaller feeling? The new one definitely feels a bit smaller and I think it's because it's more compartmentalized. The old one had a larger main compartment with a small laptop sleeve while the new one has a separate main compartment and laptop compartment. While it's nice to have the separate laptop compartment, it seems to take up space that could otherwise be used for packing things. Still, it's nice to have, and I can use that section for other things (like my planner or clothes, even) if I'm not bringing my laptop that day. 2 - Front mesh and front little zippered pouch: the old recon's mesh seems sturdier and wider than the new one's mesh. It can hold my running shoes pretty easily whereas the new one is a bit smaller and softer, but stretchier. I can get my shoes in there but I have to work a bit harder to stuff them in there. The old recon mesh has a clip at the top whereas the new one has an elastic band to further support. Both are fine to me and generally keep things in place The front mesh and the little zippered compartment are still my favorite thing about both recons. 3 - Water bottle holders: the new pouches are much nicer than the older ones. They can fit my 30oz nalgene. Because the sleeves come up higher, my water bottle doesn't fall out as easily as on the old one, which was pretty annoying. 4 - Additional pouches compartment: this compartment on the old recon extended down beyond the little pouches at the top, but on the new one, the compartment stops right under the pouches. This is fine for me because I rarely used this section on the old one, but it might be a little bit of a bummer for people who do. 5 - Tightening straps: On the old recon, I used the straps on the side to tighten my backpack when it was stuffed to the brim. This helped squish everything so I could fit it in places like under the airplane seat or just make it a bit less top heavy. The new one has these, and I still like them on the new one, but I don't use them as often because the new recon doesn't seem to protrude as much when stuffed. Overall, I like it. I do wish it was a little less compartmentalized and FELT bigger, but I do like it. This one is definitely great for work/school/day tripping, but I will probably opt to use my old one instead for hiking and weekend trips.

I use this backpack largely for travel. It fits my laptop and a few essential clothing items in the two large compartments. The small half depth compartment is good for quick access items but it's tight for over ear headphones. Overall it's a great carry on pack if you are flying and if you are a light traveler you can even make it work for an overnight trip.

Feels really good on your back, even in the rain because it bounces off as soon as it touches. It has a lot of room for everyday use and I use mine for school.

So, I started my spring semester with this bag, and I will say the pockets are such a plus. I've always gotten simple bookbags, but this one has been my favorite.

Bought this to replace a prior Recon that had an issue with its lining. The North Face warranty held up and allowed me to do so. Because the prior bag was so useful, I just decided to buy the new one again.

Nice size, useful pockets. I like the soft lined pocket for glasses. Nice colors. The zippers seem solid and functional. It fits all my stuff and is physically smaller than the bag it replaced. Would recommend.

I use this backpack as a work laptop bag

Very useful Bag has very nice structure I use it for business trips I loaded it up and it didn't feel like I had a anchor on my back, and the straps didn't dig into my shoulders

Sturdy, comfortable and well designed.

I bought this pack for a business trip where luggage space and weight matter (when doesn't it!). Overall it is a good pack so far. My trip is in 10 days so I'll have a better report at that time, although I'm using the pack for everyday carry to work now. Pros: Lots of space to put things with quiet zipper pulls, adjustable straps, compartment with a soft lining for things like glasses, a separate laptop compartment, and an organizing area. The water bottle pockets are also a generous size with straps that can be adjusted. The materials are nice, the color and logo are subtle (navy with a white logo) and straps feel comfortable. Cons: The laptop compartment is really long allowing the laptop (a Macbook) to drop to the bottom. There isn't much/any padding at the bottom so I'l be adding something to keep my laptop from banging against the ground when I put the pack down. The organizing space is nice but the zippers to access it only go half way down so it feels restricted. More use will tell if this is bothersome, or just different from my previous bag (an ebag pro slim). Like most bags, once you fill one compartment, space in another compartment gets infringed on. I hope a designer will figure this thing out. I don't want to lose space in the main compartment just because I filled the organizer section. This pack sits low on my lower back; in hindsight I should have purchased the women's model for a better fit, but I wanted the storage space. I'll try adjusting straps (and there are many to try!) to help it sit higher off my hips. It might also be because my laptop sinks to the bottom of the pack which makes the weight feel low.

Perfect for all my electronics gear I'm a business traveler

I got this as a Christmas gift for my husband. He uses it daily for work. It fits him well and has plenty of room for daily needs. He is a bigger guy so I was worried it might look too small on him but it's perfect.

I use this bag for school as an high schooler and it works really well. All my supplies and fit perfectly and the laptop pocket holds my computer comfortably. It sits comfortable on my back and got a lot of neat pockets to put stuff here and there

This backpack is great - roomy with good pockets and internal organizers. The one drawback were the straps around the exterior water bottle pockets. They just added an unnecessary gizmo that was cumbersome and distracting. I returned and purchased the Borealis backpack instead.

I just used the backpack for a snowboarding trip. Just perfect! Pockets for goggles. Big pockets for snowboard pants. Pockets for extras. Definitely a great backpack

I loved the bag it's is comfortable and well designed. Not really sure how to incorporate into the existing design but I carry a mouse and charges for my laptop all the time and there is not a great place for them.

A very nice design bag with the great colors, the only thing I wish is that all the zip had the same tips of the end of it

Great backpack for high schooler. Plenty of room and great support. Glad I went with the standard recon for my daughter as it holds a bit more. Very please!!

Theres many pockets, its comfortable to wear, and looks great with any outfits lol

Spacious and compact. Love the different pockets and the space for laptop