Recon Everyday Laptop Backpack

Great backpack. Has plenty of space and compartments for any necessary items for a busy day on campus. The best daypack I have ever purchased. Also works great for short day trips and/or hikes. As a student and researcher I have to carry a number of things with me each day including a laptop, several books, planner, food, pens/pencils, portable charger, iPad, and other small items. The North Face Recon is a great bag to keep all items organized while looking extremely stylish. Materials are very durable and have served me well for about 7 months so far. Looking forward to keeping this bag throughout the rest of my undergraduate studies and also into medical school.

They managed to engineer some great features that are only found in 120$+ backpacks. Pockets for sunglasses, double bottle holder, straps galore, carabiner holes, incredible front pocket which stretches enough to fit some of my jackets (this should be in more backpacks), reflectors,roomy laptop pocket(could probably fit a 23 inch laptop), a F*** whistle (lol), plastic material on the bottom to prevent it from getting soaked when laid on the ground, zippers feel premium. Most comfortable back pack I've worn, the padding is nice and plushy-stiff (if that makes sense). Areas for improvement: The organization from inside the pockets could be miles better, it just passes as okay. There isn't enough padding at the bottom of the laptop pocket for my liking, I would recommend having a laptop sleeve. Back pack doesn't sit upright when placed on the ground. You won't find a better backpack for the price.

Product is being used for a book bag. It will certainly be put to the test.

A gift for my daughter who loves hiking. It’s perfect in every way.

Well, this thing is just impressive. I did a bunch of research looking for a new backpack, and had it narrowed down to this one and the High Sierra Fat Boy, which I also have written a review for. I originally went with the Fat Boy, considering it has more liters of space and was about half the price, it seemed like a good value. While that pack can absolutely hold more stuff than it seems it even should, it's just not comfortable. This Recon backpack, in my opinion, is everything you could want out of a pack in this price range - and then some. Allow me to explain... The first thing is the shape of the pack. It is more "tall" than wide, and this is very important. As it gets loaded up, the weight is perfectly distributed and stays "up and down", rather than the pack pushing out and making you feel like you have to work against it to not tip over backwards. Combine this design with the chest and waist straps, and this thing is not going anywhere if you don't want it to - very good for hiking, etc. Next is the comfort, which is top-notch. The straps are nice and thick, but not "squishy", they feel substantial. They are perforated in the top of the shoulder area which is going to allow them to breathe in hot weather. The material over the foam is like a thicker basketball jersey mesh, which is very comfortable and allows you to move around. The back has really well-designed foam "pockets", which have channels to help ventilate the area. Inside the back is some sort of board (assuming plastic), that keeps the shape of the pack intact no matter what's in the main compartment. I have seen a couple other reviews describe this pack as "heavy", and I completely disagree - I think it's this board that might make it seem like it's heavy, but with the pack loaded, this is what helps it keep the weight distributed nice and evenly. It doesn't feel heavy at all on your shoulders. Lastly, the compartments are insanely useful and well-designed. The secondary pouch is particularly impressive, going all the way down to the bottom of the bag and giving plenty of space. The various pockets and compartments within this part can take pretty much whatever you throw in there. The main compartment does not spread out as wide front to back as other packs, but it is very deep and still can swallow up plenty of items. There isn't really a feature on this pack that I don't think is awesome, including the front mesh pouch for quick access and the double bottle holders. This is just simply a well-designed and very comfortable backpack, and well worth the $75. The only slight issue I have with it is that it will definitely not stay upright on its own, and will need to lean on something or of course be hung, but that is really nitpicky anyways. The only other thing to watch out for is that the price varies wildly here on Amazon depending on your color choice, which kind of sucks, but it's not really in their control anyways.