I bought the Borealis last week and after a couple of days of use I decided I wanted to try out the Recon to see if the extra 2L was worth it and figured I could always add bungee straps so I'd have both the pocket and a bungee system. Now I know TNF claims the Recon is bigger by 2 liters but comparing them side by side, the Borealis actually seems to be the bigger of the two. It is definitely wider and more of a rectangular shape where the Recon has more rounded corners giving more of an oval shape. I packed both bags with the exact same gear to test. (4 pairs of socks, 4 pairs of boxer shorts, 4 polo shirts, a pair of jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt. The Borealis definitely felt roomier and felt like it had more room to pack another couple shirts or a small jacket. Even viewing the two side by side when full, the Recon appeared to be completely packed, whereas the Borealis appeared to be able to fit more. I'm honestly really questioning if someone at TNF made a mistake with the specs listed and the Borealis is actually the bigger of the two. I highly doubt they would make a mistake like this but after seeing them side by side in person, I think I'm going to stick with the Borealis. It really does feel bigger overall. 🤷♂️
I believe the Recon is more technical and better than the Borealis. Here are the 5 reasons I go for Recon, but not the Borealis.: 1. The Recon offer free to add the bungee cord, and the Borealis bungee cord is not removable nor replaceable, that’s the main reason I got for the Recon. 2. The Recon offer side compression strap, the Borealis doesn’t have such features. 3. The daisy chain and front mesh pockets offer you clipping things and putting small stuffs like gloves, USB cable. The Borealis doesn’t come with the daisy chain. 4. The Recon design is better fit for commuters and office employees carrying stuffs go to work. If you use for hiking, you can add the bungee cord to the front anytime. If you don’t use the bungee cord, you can remove it anytime. 5. The Recon water bottle pockets are deeper than the Borealis. If you put a water bottle of more than 20oz big to the Borealis water pocket, it will fall out easily although it offer a bungee cord to hold it, but if you put into the Recon, the pocket is deep enough for the bottle. Again, one thing that I would like to emphasize is that you can buy a short bungee cord to put into the ring on the side for your Recon Backpack, so you could better hold your tripods or selfie. Although I am not professional, I made a video clip to show you how it looks like after adding a bungee cord. If you’d like to see it , you can look at my short clip.
Oh! Thank for the amazing idea. How it holds with time? Are the shoulder straps stripes attachments are good? Just bought the Recon, but some reviews with straps frayed make me worried
i have both of these bags (got recon in 8th grade, borealis in 9th) but personally i prefer the borealis because i found it can fit my big binders for school better!
Thank you for the video! I was trying to choose between the Borealis and the Jester (decided Borealis because the Jester didn’t have a computer slot) and now I am thinking of the Recon instead! I really like the color scheme for the Recon, and it is technically a better looking version of the Borealis. I do wish the computer slot had more padding (my school supplies computers so it’s not really for personal relief) but still, it would be nice.
You are right. Recon is more technical and better than the Borealis. The design of Recon also allow you to add a bungee cords. Ever you don’t use the bungee cords, the Recon still better for commuters carrying stuffs going to work. I have both Borealis and Recon. The fabric of Recon made is better than the Borealis too. For the same price of $99, the Recon is definitely better than the Borealis.
I just spent 1hr in the store, thoroughly comparing the Surge, the Recon and the Borealis. I brought my 16" laptop and pretty much everything I usually have with me when I travel, and spent a lot of time testing if/how it fits in each model. Although I liked its webbin, I found the Borealis to be just a little bit too small for my needs, so I discarded it pretty quickly. Now the Surge was the one I was initially interested in, but astonishingly, although it's supposed slightly be larger than the Recon, I found the laptop was a bit too tight, and overall, for some reason I can explain, I had the distinct impression the Surge was smaller than the Recon. Can't explain why, and that's something I could only realize by comparing the too. The Recon, in the other hand, felt perfect for my needs capacity-wise. I was a bit afraid of the laptop sleeve going all the way down but honestly it's very acceptable : if really I'm bothered by it I'll add some extra padding in the bottom (a rolled t-shirt or a pair of socks or something). It was a deal breaker on paper, but turns out it's actually ok. I love the fact the side water bottle pockets have compression straps : it's a huge plus. Admin pocket, again for some reason it works better for me than the Surge, so another win for the Recon. After ample reflexion, I decided the Recon outer mesh pouch was better for me than the Surge two zipped pouches. But I suppose it would be different for everyone. So as you can guess I bought the Recon, I'm very happy with it, and what I'll do is by some cheap elastic nylon cordage and some clips, and i'll add my own webbing, the same as the Borealis, on my Recon, and I'll then have the best backpack I could wish for in this price range and given my needs. Definitely feels like a win.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your experience comparing the bags! That’s great to hear you will be able to customize the webbing on the recon and that it meets your needs so well!
As always, great video! Thanks for this! 😊 Recon seems to be the better choice. Loved the layout, if the daisy chain is a little thinner, I think it would look way better. Hope you could do a detailed review for the recon. I would love to see it fully packed for travel to have a better view of its capacity. ☺️
Thank you for watching and I’m glad the video was helpful! It may be a bit before I can do a dedicated recon video but if there are any questions I can help answer please let me know!:)
I assume North Face also adds the front mesh pocket capacity to the Recon's overall capacity which is why the main compartment is actually smaller than the Borealis. Who knows though.
Great video - informative without lots of waffle! Helped me to choose which to buy for my high school son (went with Borealis - want as much laptop protection as possible!). NB one thing I saw mentioned on another review of the borealis is that the front bungee cord can easily be detached if wanted - I thought that was good to know for people who might not like the look of bungee in everyday use and/or are concerned that it might get easily damaged if used everyday at school. Waist strap is also detachable.
I have both of these the older model, they are the same only difference is one borealis I can put a jacket or hoodie on the back vs the recon I can put my game controller or some snacks in the back.
Could you give a quick heads up on North Face Recon VS Alpaka Elements Travel? I have the Recon and think about upgrading - main reasons: more quality materials and look, clamshell opening for easier loading during travels, a bit more space, comfort of wearing, better waterproofed. Anything that would be a „downgrade“ in your opinion or make the north face much better value for money? I love the aesthetics of the Alpaka but the price difference is quite a bit and the Recon did a solid job for over 10 years.
Just bought Borealis, for hiking. The water hose (from hydration bladder) goes through the top loop of shoulder strap but still has a long length loosely/awkwardly hanging. Any ideas to secure it more? Is the small loop in chest strap for 🖊️ or 🕶️?
HI Dan, could you please do a comparison of the new borealis vs the new surge? I'm very torned between the two since I already have a borealis classic backpack but due to prolonged use the side pockets are not steady and useful anymore, and the overall pockets have been consumed a bit over time. Thanks in Advance Dan
I'm replacing my Borealis after 13 years, the straps are fraying. I just bought the new Borealis and I don't like that the front pocket only goes mid-way down, not even mid way. The 13 year old Borealis went all the way down and basically I think their older bag had a lot more depth and space. And the laptop pocket had good padding on the bottom in case you drop the bag, the new Borealis has none.
I think a 17" would fit fine. I have the 28L Borealis and my 16" MacBook Pro with a case on it, fits perfectly with a bit of room to spare on the side and plenty of room above it.
Hello, are you planing to do a review on the Kathmandu litehaul 38l backpack? Or the Deuter aviant access pro 55? Both seem like pretty solid and comfortable one bag travel bags.
Thank you for your review/comparison! This may be an extremely dumb question but what color are your bags? 😂 the Recon looks gray but in other light it looks black. I used a Recon in high school and it lasted me so so long. Since then I’ve used many backpacks but nothing really compares to the Recon. I’m excited to get a new one as my daily!
I see that Borealis has a much more wider opening of the main compartment compared to the Recon. Does this difference impact the two backpacks loading/unloading experience?
Thank you for watching and good question! Honestly I didn’t notice much of a difference with the items I normally carry except maybe with the packing cube it was slightly easier with the wider opening but it fit fine in both
I feel that most ppl by far are between the Recon and the Borealis but in my eyes the Surge is better in many ways, am i missing something here? Does it look more cumbersome maybe? but the dimensions' differences don't seem significant on paper at least. Price difference is also minor.
Thank you for watching and I agree, overall I prefer the surge to both the recon and Borealis. I imagine the price and size are probably the biggest factors as it is a little bigger, but not by much. Beyond that maybe people prefer the bungee or front mesh compartment on those bags to carry particular items?
They are almost the same, but Recon with a daisy chain and mesh pockets in the front, so you can clipping other stuffs and able to add a bungee cords in the front, too. The design of Recon is more classic and technical , so it is more ideal for office worker while still great for hiking, school, and travel.
That's probably the main reason I went with the Borealis. The mesh pocket on the Recon seems it will eventually weaken and maybe stretch or rip from constantly stuffing items in and pulling them out. Obviously this isn't an issue with the bungee system on the Borealis, plus you can fit slightly bigger items under the bungee compared to the mesh pocket. I realize you can add a bungee cord to the recon, but assuming you are stuffing the pocket and then adding extra items under the bungee the bag will stick out significantly more from your back making it quite unwieldy. (I'm looking at you NYC subways!) Overall I think the bungee system on the Borealis offers more versatility and I think it's a nicer looking bag overall, but either way you go, you won't be disappointed. They are both awesome. 🤙🏻
Does anyone knows a good alternative to an old Columbia Circuit Breaker backpack? (discontinued) Just got the Borealis and i feel awfully nerfed in space and organization (like how the hell the only organizational pocket it has doesnt go all the way down!?).
Thank you for watching! I’m not familiar with that one but based on the webpage I saw for it osprey might have some good comparable options such as the Proxima or the nebula
I prefer this version as I dislike compresion straps and like the straps at the bottom. I was eyeing Borealis a few years ago and passed on it but this version looks exactly like what I would want.
