Customer Reviews The North Face Recon Squash (Big Kid)

As a high school student, I needed a small backpack to fit my Surface, a binder, and a snack for travel. This pack is perfect!! The back has enough padding to feel comfortable and I feel that my electronic is safe. This pack can be used from preschool to adulthood!

I bought this for my 3 year old son. It was too big for him though! The Sprout would be better for toddlers in preschool. Sadly, it's not sold on here. I loved this backpack though. It is well made, padded back for comfort, plenty of compartments, a front clasp, reflectors, and places on both sides for drinks/bottles. I was sad we had to return it. It would be perfect for Kindergarten!

Bought this for my 2 and a half year old daughter as a big sister present. It is well made, and the colors are fantastic. I got the blue. However, it is a little big on her and she is 3' tall and 32 lbs. I think the smaller North Face Sprout is a better fit for her, but I am not sure they sell that model any longer. The Recon Squash isn't too big though, she can manage, and she can certainly grow into it so we kept it. I would imagine this will last through first grade, maybe longer? She loves to put it on and say we are going hiking. As far as being a good toddler backpack, I think this is just a tad too big, but it is something they won't outgrow too quickly. I would say this is best if your child is at least 3-4 years old, depending on their size.

This bag is adorable! I was pleased with it when we got it. There is plenty of room for school work and plenty of room for clothes and necessities for overnight stays or traveling.

I was looking for a backpack for my four year old to carry on to a long flight. I wanted something big enough to hold an iPad, some coloring/activity books, a snack, and her camelback. This was perfect. We fit all of those things plus a small blanket. I then ended up using the backpack when we biked and hiked on vacation and it did not look like I was carrying a child backpack. It did get a bit dirty on our trip and care instructions say to spot clean and not wash. But it needs more than a spot cleaning so I'll probably put it through gentle cycle on cold and keep my fingers crossed!

This is a very cute backpack and the perfect size for my son who is in pre-k. It is smaller than your average backpack but not to small. It fits a full size folder that he needs to carry everyday. I love the colors and design. He hasn't seen it yet since it is a Christmas gift so I can't give his opinion of it yet. Over all I am very happy.

This backpack is great for K-2nd or 3rd grade. Perfect for my son who is a 2nd grader on the smaller side. Also got one for my daughter who is 9 and going into the 4th grade, but ended up returning it and going with the Jester because the Recon Squash was too small.

I bought this backpack to store my daughter's seizure resuce meds as we have to take them wherever we go and wanted something durable. This is the perfect size backpack to hold her medical supplies and the outside and side pockets are great for holding car keys, cell phones and water bottles. This backpack actually fits myself and my husbamd well so we can be hands free! If you are looking for a backpack to use as a diaper bag, this would be perfect for that as well.

My (very tall) 3 yr old loves this backpack! It is a great size for her, probably on the big side. There were some reviews I saw that had said the backpack was small, but it is not. I'm relatively confident that it will fit her well into elementary school (if she wants to keep it for that long!). The pockets inside are great for storing all sorts of things. We used it most recently on an airplane, and it was perfect for keeping crayons/paper/etc organized.

I have purchased a few of the youth recon squash series back packs. I would purchase more but because they are so durable and last forever, I dont need to! This is perfect size for my son entering 4k and he will use it for a few years. My daughter is on her 3rd school year with her recon squash. I highly recommend these bags!

Purchased this backpack for my 7 y.o. and it’s the perfect size. It will be roomy enough to put his lunch bag inside with any folders or notebooks he will need to carry. It has a padded back and feels sturdy. Besides the mesh drink pockets on the sides and the mesh pocket on the front, it has small accessory pockets in the large zippered compartment and also a small zippered accessory pocket on the front of the backpack.

We bought this for my daughter in preschool, she will be entering 1st grade this year, and like all TNF bags, it still looks brand new. I can throw it in the washer and it comes out looking like the day I bought it! She'll probably be able to use this all the way through elementary!

This book bag is perfect. My old one ripped on the handle. I hope this one will last along time.

1.5 years in and this backpack has held up and looks practically brand new still. Great durability compared with the popular Character backpacks (that fall apart after a few weeks). Only thing is I wish the internal volume was somewhat/slightly bigger. I know i could get a bigger TNF backpack, but we need straps and other sizing features to remain child-like

It’s exactly what I was looking for. Did not want to carry a large backpack on busy NYC MTA. This backpack was big enough to carry iPad, binder, textbook, lab book and folder with enough space to even carry a small jacket without the bulk.

I bought this for my 7yo who is in second grade. This backpack is great quality, plenty of room and compartments. He will definitely get several years out of this.

I bought this backpack for my son when he entered Kindergarten. It held up the whole year, and I was happy that I wouldn't have to buy him a new one when he started 1st grade. The quality of the bag is amazing, however, it is almost too small for his 1st grade binder this year, which is 1 and 1/2". The depth is fine, but the width is the problem. I'm sure the bag will hold up the rest of the year, and next year I will buy the adult version of the Recon Squash...and hand the Youth size down to my youngest who will be entering Kindergarten next year.

My daughter who was entering 1st grade decided that she wanted a "grown up" backpack. It is the perfect size for her, and carries all that she needs for school. Would definitely recommend.

My son loves this pack - the colours, the pockets, the comfort, the fit. It holds his homework, library books, lunch box and water bottle perfectly. It will be great for hiking and travel as well, and I am happy with the quality. A great investment.

I love this product but I found this year the bag is smaller than the previous year. I now have to look for a slightly bigger bag. I would definitely recommend this product to everyone.

This is a great product but the youth recon squash bags are too small. They were bigger last year. Can you all please do something about that. I can't find no other faults with this product.

I Bought it to my young brother and he loved it! It is beautiful and stylish but a little small! High quality for sure

Gave this to my daughter for her 2nd birthday so she can carry her own snacks and toys when we travel! The chest clasp is perfect. She will have this for years and will grow into it but she can wear it and wants to wear it!

The first backpack we bought is still going strong 3.5 years later, and you know children are usually not kind to backpacks. We just bought another one for our 2nd child's big kindergarten debut. Great value for a great backpack