Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I use this as my daily school bag as my last one was really cheap and broke within a year. Its really nice and a nice bag.

Very spacious. I wish it came in the XS duffel since I'm only using this bag for my gym class.

Good Quality, an excellent product I use it to travel worldwide carrying my personal belongings!

Use it daily for work and going to the gym. Use it for travel as well. Love the storage for sunglasses, and loads of pockets to keep things dry. Only downside was it felt like it is smaller then 30 liters capacity. You might have to really shove stuff in to get to 30 liters. Overall id but again... Better than some competitors bags!!

Great backpack, quite compact. I should have done more research as I was looking for one with a bit more storage capacity but I'm happy with my purchase.

Love the elastic front sack. It is ideal for snacks and random small items that you need quick.

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.

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.

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.

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

Really like the laptop compartment but wish the front zip space could be combined like the old recon I own.

I use this as a school bag. The inside fabrics of the bag feel a bit cheap. We will see how long it lasts overall.

Very uncomfortable on a petite woman. The straps don't sit well, and wearing this for long periods of time or with much weight in it is terrible. Another problem is the carry strap on top. It is situated too far from the back of the pack, which makes it useless for hanging on anything. Since I bought this pack specifically for international travel, not being able to hang it on a hook in bathroom stalls, etc is incredibly inconvenient. I do appreciate the sizes and locations of the pockets, though, hence the overall 4 star review. I would never buy this pack again, and wish I had never bought it, but it may work fine for people who have a larger frame, don't wear it for hours a day walking all over cities, and don't plan to hang it on anything.

It's a great backpack. One of the pockets gets in the way of being able to use the other one 100%, but besides that it's really well designed, really comfortable, and still has tons of space so I never feel like I need more

I love my new backpack! This is a replacement for my surge from about 8 years ago. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because I wish it had one more lather pocket.

Not instuative, but love it otherwise for hauling a laptop

Not the biggest fan of the new straps, but they're ok. Good bag, except the laptop compartment does not have a sleeve for iPad. Overall, satisfied.

I downsized and am happy. I feel the big pocket is hindered a bit by the smaller front pocket otherwise would be a 5 star.

This bag manages to keep a low profile while still having a lot of space. Excellent build quality and comfortable to use with the strap system employes The only reason I would not give it 5 stars is because while there are a lot of pockets, very few of them are "deep" pockets and the material on the straps don't feel as durable and could rip

Great backpack for school a little on the small side.

Overall it's a great product but I'd say it's kind of heavy compared to other backpacks. I don't think it's a great everyday backpack for this reason. But if it's for long trips, this is the only one you need!

I really like how comfortable it is but I would like more padding for the laptop compartment

Great backpack for everyday use. Sturdy and durable. Good pockets and organizers for high school use. Wish it had a laptop pouch but overall very happy with the performance so far.