Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

The bag is really comfortable and seems durable. However, the bag has a huge flaw. Once you put things in the main compartment, the organizing bags in the secondary compartments become useless because nothing will fit in them anymore. For something to fit in these small bags would require the main compartment to be almost empty.

I use this backpack for school and it drives me nuts that I always have to battle putting my laptop in the tight laptop compartment. I have a neoprene cover so it's hard to slide in. I had a Recon before and the laptop compartment was stretchable so I liked that better. In my backpack I can only fit max 3 textbooks, a notebook and my pen bag. Compared to the other model which more spacious. Might be best suitable for hikers with light loads not for students.

This bag was not at all as pictured. It was much darker in color. I didn't give it a chance since the color was so off. I returned and ordered a different style.

This was a gift for a family member

Love the backpack, but the color wasn't anything like displayed on website. We returned for a different NF backpack,

Sorely disappointed I did not buy last year's model of this backpack. This new model is not nearly as good looking as the previous. Will continue to search for a new favorite for school next semester.

I honestly really love the padding on this backpack, the colors are nice too! But my complaint about this backpack is the new designs... in my opinion, the old model of the recon backpack looks way better

This was a backpack for women. The ad did not state that on the webpage. I ordered it by mistake thinking it was for a male. It was very inconvenient to buy the item and had to return it because of inadequate description of the item.

I would not buy this product, or any other from The North Face ever again. I purchased a Recon backpack after doing extensive research when starting university in Winter of 2014. After spending 4 hours doing online comparisons, I thought it was time to replace my Jansport backpack which I had for over a decade, & which, there was nothing wrong with it, but it did not have a Macbook pocket for a laptop. I take 3-4 courses a semester and this is all I use this backpack for. After having it for about a year, the mesh water bottle pocket wore down. I was not concerned about it really and kept using the backpack just the same. Last year, the back fabric wore down. I took it into the North Face Store in West Edmonton Mall in December of 2017 (where I purchased it) in between my semesters to have it replaced/fixed because I thought this was unusual for a lifetime warranty backpack I had had for only 3.5 years. On December 30th, the store manager replied that the warranty department could not fix it because the backpack was undergoing normal wear and tear (meaning wearing it on your back is going to destroy the fabric) I replied to the store manager with this: "Hello and good afternoon. Thank you for your response, however, I find it to be absolving your company of the onus of accountability. By simply wearing a backpack on your back, the fabric is supposed to have a complete deterioration in a mere 3 years time? How is that normal wear and tear? I would call that faulty craftsmanship and an inability to accept responsibility for a product that claims to carry a lifetime warranty, when in fact it is actually only a few years time. I do not find this acceptable. I feel like I have been duped and furthermore, that I have honestly wasted good money on a product that has no quality associated with it." I was also informed the backpack was ready to pick up, but when I spent two hours in January going to the West Edmonton Mall location to pick it up, it was not there.

I am totally stunned that there aren't more reviews stating how uncomfortable this backpack is! The straps are the absolute worst design of any backpack I've ever owned. They come in right up against my neck if I don't deliberately position them more outward than they are intended to sit and make an ongoing effort to keep them there. They are also very stiff! But what makes it almost unbearable to wear is the sandpaper-like material around the straps. It will rub your neck RAW quickly if you don't wear a high collared shirt. The same goes for the inside of your arms if you aren't careful, but at least your arms aren't smashed against the straps. Additionally, this backpack holds less than I anticipated, sits weird on me, won't stay upright when I sit it down, and the laptop compartment is TIGHT. The organizational compartment is nice and there is a nice padded handle at the top (good thing too bc you'll need it to keep it upright and/or carry it once your poor neck can't take anymore abuse!). It does also seem well made although for me personally that doesn't matter being as though I won't be using it. Overall this is the most disappointing purchase I've made in a long time despite the fact that I got it at half price. I am definitely going to try to return it. I should have sucked it up and got another Patigonia backpack, but half price was so tempting and it got such good reviews. This was my first and last TNF backpack purchase.

Bought to use at college. Strap broke less than three months of use. Never had a strap break on less expensive packpack. Disappointed in the quality I thought would be there.

I feel like something is either wrong with me or my backpack. Everyone is writing these great reviews and I am not impressed. I love the look and color of my pack but it is so heavy and uncomfortable. My shoulders hurt from wearing it after only a few minutes. It could be the stiff cardboard in the back or the stiff shoulder straps. My water bottle pouch also tore very easily and my dog bit through the straps in minutes.... not impressed with my first ever North Face backpack.

Previously had a Recon, in middle school into high school and loved it. When it was finally time to get a new one, I wanted the same backpack. It was comfortable and fit everything I needed it to while protecting my laptop. Bought a new one < 2 years ago that was the model before the redesign and the back has already started to rip and show the foam underneath near the base of the backpack. As a poor college student, this was an expensive purchase for me and I am extremely disappointed with the quality of the new backpacks and will probably need to buy a new one shortly. It will probably not be another North Face.

Took it on one 15 mile hike. Several areas of the fabric wore, frayed and distressed and fabric dye discolored. One hike, standard load. The pack couldn't handle the movement, any moisture, and didn't properly secure. It's pretty obvious that you market a "durable, outdoors" pack for use as a backpack or office laptop carrier. The logo gives off a perception for the user but the actual product doesn't hold up for the way it is marketed. Even worse, is the warranty doesn't cover actual use the way it is advertised.

I was SO disappointed in this backpack! The pack is supposed to be 31L, but I highly doubt it. There's certainly not 31L of usable space. That stupid non-removable and inflexible back stiffener board not only hampers pack capacity, but makes it impossible for you to sit your pack upright. The front of your backpack (part away from the back straps) will get constant wear and tear on the floor when your pack tips over. All. The. Time. I am a teacher (not an option in the choices given), and I was hoping to use this pack for work, but there is NO way it's big enough for: wallet, pen pouch, lunch, planner, EDC organizer, glasses, notebook, sweater, e-reader, keys, girl things pouch, water bottle, coffee mug--by now I would have to be leaving one or more of those things out. And if you have one or more things in the organizer pocket, the space of the back pocket is cut down even more. ALSO! Any backpack over $50 should REALLY have strap keepers!! Also, the bag is HEAVY on its own. I could not be more disappointed, and I wish I could get my money back. (The backpack is durable, and the double water bottle pockets are very nice, as is the front stretchy pocket. But with as little as it holds, and the constant tipping over, it makes this bag almost unusable. :(

I bought this bag to use for school and for short day hikes. Almost immediately upon putting it on out of the shipping box I found that this bag was wildly uncomfortable. I adjusted the straps multiple times hoping for a good fit and less strain on my shoulders but nothing seemed to help. I was very disappointed considering this backpack is advertised as "fitted for women." I think they simply made the straps thinner which made the bag all the more uncomfortable. After wearing the bag around my house to test it out, my back was sore the rest of the day. I really wanted to like this bag and knew that North Face was known for quality backpacks but I was sorely disappointed. It has so many good reviews so I thought it might just be the way the bag fit me in particular. I had multiple other friends and family try the bag on and they all agree: the bag was quite uncomfortable. I think the reviews reflect the hype around North Face bags, not the actual quality and comfort of this backpack.

I was really excited for this backpack to come in, but the color turnout was so disappointing! I don't know if anyone else got the hydro green/ snow cone red one, but it was a lot darker than what the picture showed. I didn't like that it was also so stiff. I felt really awkward carrying the backpack. But I loved the design and the compartments. I probably won't purchase one again though. :(

The colors are so attractive, but after adding ny school supplies inside. It lacks space and constantly fearing the straps will break off because they are not really well atached. With all the cushion added the straps it still causes your shoulders with SO MUCH PAIN!!!!! Last season straps were so much better!

Long story short: straps severely hurt shoulders, back support is stiff and uncomfortable despite padding, not nearly enough space for my books and supplies (as a graduate student). I really wanted to love this backpack. I considered giving it 2 stars because I like color, but that still doesn't outweigh the cons. I read another review stating that this backpack hurt their shoulders, and their shoulders were sore long after they had removed the backpack -- to my surprise and disappointment, this is true! The straps are NOT comfortable. The padding is stiff, almost as stiff as whatever material makes the back support of the backpack. It almost feels like it's rubbing a groove into my shoulders, like a rug burn, and while I only had it on for a minute to test out the weight of my school books/laptop inside of it, my shoulders continued to hurt for a few minutes after I took off the backpack (so I can only imagine what it's like after wearing this thing for half an hour or more). The part that goes up against your back is slightly more padded, but due to the inflexibility of it, it did not feel soft nor comfortable. I even tried adjusting the different straps/buckles, and nothing helped ease the heaviness/stiffness of the backpack. Just an added point, the buckles that go across the chest stick out funny and don't lie flat when unbuckled, which bothered me because they were basically right in my face when I look down. You can't fill the pockets in the extra compartment too much, because it dramatically reduces space in the main compartment of the backpack. After putting a few things in it, the pack became restrictive near the top, yet still roomy at the bottom. This made it difficult to fit a laptop, books, notebooks, planner, calculator, etc. because there was no more room at the top for stuff to go side-by-side, but at the bottom there's still plenty of space (maybe because it anticipates needing room for things to distribute when you put the pack on/take it off?).

Why did you guys change it??? The old design was so nice and stylish, this just looks too square :(((((

I love the new colors, but I am NOT happy with the new design. I as well wanted a new one for the next school year, and I am so upset that the old recon is now gone. This is much smaller than the old recon, and I wish y'all would bring back the old!!

PLEASE BRING BACK THE OLD MODEL OF THE RECON OR AT LEAST SELL BOTH MODELS BECAUSE I WANTED THIS FOR SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, BUT NOW I DON'T LIKE THE NEW 2015 MODEL

I still have my original Recon that I bought back in 2005! (When they were good quality products) I got it to go on my first hike in Yellowstone. It was perfect! A great backpack for hiking! I love that it has the straps on the bottom for sleeping bags or jackets!!! However I wanted a new one thinking it was still going to be great for hiking! Boy was I wrong. This new backpack is for someone stuck in a concrete jungle! Sorry but who needs a laptop pocket while hiking the backwoods of a national park?

I was a Recon evangelist having taken this backpack as my only form of luggage across the country, to Europe and South America. It was one of the most bombproof pieces of gear I had ever owned. Recently it was stolen from my vehicle and I ordered a new one with much excitement and anticipation. When it arrived I compared it to my sisters who had the same one I used to. This is where disappointed set in strong. No more drawstring side pocket, no more straps on the bottom to hold jackets or sleeping pads, no more zipper pocket on the inside of the big pocket, the laptop sleeve is not even across the top making it hard to get contents out if you??re not reaching in from the right direction, no more plastic d-rings or knife pocket on the front straps, the front stow pocket??s buckle is now affixed to the front of the backpack reducing capacity and making it harder to buckle. The only change that I see as an improvement is a zippered pocket in the second largest compartment. I immediately searched Recons on eBay and other sites to try and find one like I had bought years ago and it looks as if these changes have been gradual as there are many models between my original and the current, however it seems as though each version has become cheaper and has sacrificed the exact reasons, as small as they may be, that the Recon 5 years ago was a bombproof piece of outdoor or traveling gear that had huge value. I can only hope that this helps to generate discussions to build a better pack like before. Unfortunately, anyone that has bought this pack in the past few years doesn??t know what he or she is missing. If these changes were to be fixed I would certainly become an evangelist again, until then I will remain disappointed and return my new Recon.

My old recon was finally falling apart so I convinced my mom to buy me a new one for school. We sent it back because it was SO much smaller. It was also heavier when it was empty. Why fix it if it's not broken!! The new style/size didn't fit all of my books and lunch. I'll have to shop other brands now. Frustrating....