PGYTECH OneMo Backpack Review
It packs an impressive amount of gear, is stylish, durable, comfortable and expandable. Is the PGYTECH OneMo the ultimate camera backpack? Read our review!
The first time I came across PGYTECH was during the early days of drone ownership, scouring the internet for affordable accessories to use with my DJI Mavic Pro.
Fast forward a couple of years and their ambitious Kickstarter campaign for the ultimate multi-purpose camera backpack – called the OneMo – started appearing regularly on my social media news feed.
PGYTECH’s aim was to design and develop a backpack that would do far more than just hold your camera gear.
They wanted it to be durable, customisable, modular, functional, and able to carry pretty much anything and everything you may need on a trip or out in the field.
Wear-resistant, waterproof, comfortable and breathable, this pack has and does it all.
I have to say, this would probably be a feat in itself for an established bag company, but PGYTECH hadn’t even dabbled in a simple rucksack before – and here they were charging headfirst into a hugely competitive field with their very ambitious project!
I’ll admit that I had my concerns with it at first. I felt that there was going to be too much being offered and that they may just fall short of the goal.
However, when this bag arrived at my door and I removed it from its delivery bag, I was really taken aback. This thing was a beast!
It looks great, it’s built well from great feeling materials, and boy is this thing equipped for pretty much anything. PGYTECH sure did deliver on their promise!
So allow me to dive deeper into the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack with you, and showcase everything I like about it, as well as any of the little oddities, quirks, or things I feel could be improved in further iterations.
PGY-TECH OneMo Specs
- Built well and built tough
- Hugely customisable with multiple access points and pockets
- It looks fantastic and that green interior is super nice
- Lots of capacity is fantastic for travel and adventures
- You can tell a great degree of consideration has gone into many of the features
- It’s too large for me to daily carry to the office, please develop a 15L OneMo Mini!
- With the bag adjusted for a heavy load, the side pockets are hard for me to reach
- I find myself always placing my camera in upside down through the side lids!
External Size: 480mm x 320mm x 230mm (18.9″ x 12.6″ x 9″)
Internal Size: 470mm x 300mm x 170mm (18.5″ x 11.8″ x 6.7″)
Weight: 2.1 kg (2.85 lb)
Max Laptop Size: 15.6″ (ie: Gaming laptop or Macbook Pro and iPad Pro)
Colours: Twilight Black or Olivine Camo
External Size: 270mm x 180mm x 120mm (10.6″ x 7″ x 4.7″)
Internal Size: 260mm x 150mm x 115mm (10.2″ x 5.9″ x 4.5″)
Weight: 0.4 kg (2.85 lb)
Colours: Twilight Black or Olivine Camo
– Expandable storage
– Anti-theft RFID safe side access pocket with zipper
– Quick access tech pocket
– Dedicated battery pouches with manual level indicators
– Bottle pouch with cargo strap
– Shoulder strap pouch and elastic holders
– Weather and wear resistant materials
– Waterproof rain cover for extreme conditions
– Shoulder and waist straps
– External carry options
– 1x OneMo Built-in Pouch/Shoulder Bag
– 10x Removable dividers (6 different size and shapes)
– 2x Waist straps
– 2x Binding straps
– 1x Shoulder Strap (for Built-in Pouch)
– 1x Small storage bag
– 1x Waterproof rain cover
The PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is made from ultra-durable materials and comes with a wide array of customisable dividers to set up the bag however you need it, for whatever you need it to do.
Whether you’re one who travels light and only needs the one bag full of clothing with a single camera packed inside, or somebody who travels heavy with multiple camera bodies and lenses, the OneMo Backpack is diverse enough to cater for either style (and everything in between).
The full package that you receive when you purchase the OneMo Backpack.
Rain, hail, snow, or shine this backpack is water-resistant and comes with a waterproof rain cover for the more extreme conditions.
Work, travel, and play – the OneMo has enough space for your gear whatever the occasion, and is durable enough for the toughest of adventures!
Build & Appearance
The OneMo Backpack is a stylish and very durable package.
Built tough and built to last, the OneMo Backpack is PGYTECH’s first entry into the highly competitive camera bag market and is definitely a fantastic piece of kit.
It’s water, scratch and tear-resistant, constructed from a multilayered composite with reinforced seams prevalent throughout the entire build.
It’s a sleek, tough, and very modern-looking bag that’s just as much utilitarian as it is stylish.
Whether you’re gearing up to hit the tall mountains, low valleys, busy streets, a quiet park, or a lazy sunny beach, the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is primed and ready to be equipped with your drone, camera gear and anything else you may require.
Suited to one-bag travel with clothing and camera gear together, or to just hold your gear, you can choose how you wish to utilise the great storage capacity and customisable storage options available to you.
It features a wide array of external and internal carry options, while its beautiful green internal compartment comes equipped with an assortment of dividers in a range of different shapes and sizes.
So whatever type of creative mood you’re in and wherever it’s you’re heading, the OneMo provides you with a multitude of options to reconfigure and set it up however you require.
You can use the Built-in Pouch both inside and externally with the OneMo Backpack.
It also comes equipped with a smaller built-in pouch which is removable through the back or side of the OneMo Backpack and can be attached to your belt or hooked up to the included Shoulder Strap for an extra convenient shoulder carry option.
This provides you with the option to expand your carry capacity up to a maximum of 35L, or simply the ability to leave the OneMo Backpack in place while you move about with a lighter carry.
It’s also carry-on sized for convenient stowage in overhead compartments, while the Built-in Pouch can be quickly and easily removed through the side and kept at your feet while you’re aboard large flying metal tubes.
Exterior Features
The OneMo Backpack comes with a ton of exterior corded loops and weatherproof zippers.
Other than the size and sleek external materials, there are a number of things you’ll immediately notice upon removing the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack from its delivery bag… and that is the sheer amount of handles, zippers, and corded loops built into this thing!
As I mentioned before, it’s a sleek and stylish backpack, but it’s also very utilitarian at the same time.
TL;DR: This thing has a lot of external features. Lots of zippers, pockets, hooks, and built from super nice ultra-durable scratch and tear-resistant polyester fibre materials.
The OneMo Backpack also features a number of pockets, pouches, and entry points.
As mentioned, the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is constructed from an ultra-durable polyester fibre material which features scratch-resistant and tear-resistant properties.
This thing can be dragged along the ground or roughed up against trees and rocks without leaving a mark on it (or if you get a little one it’ll likely just clean off).
PGYTECH show the OneMo being seriously mistreated and coming out just fine in some of their online videos to prove this.
The two of the zippered lids on the right side of the OneMo Backpack provide you with convenient access to the main internal compartment, which, depending on how you have arranged the internal dividers, will give you quick access to your camera or other gear.
The lower right-hand side lid is large enough to slide the Built-in Pouch through if you wish to access it without opening up the entire bag.
The top left side features a thin quick access tech pouch to store things such as a portable USB charger or hard drive with cables, or just somewhere to drop your keys into since it also contains a small mesh pouch and a thinner zipper pouch inside.
If you use the waist straps along with the other cargo straps you can carry multiple things on the outside.
Located around the front, back, and sides of the OneMo are 11 corded loops. Paired with the two included Binding Straps, these provide you with a quick and convenient external carry on the front or top of the bag.
The Built-in Pouch also contains four more of these corded loops on the outside. Placed on the left side of the backpack is a cargo strap which can be paired up with the bottle pocket for side external carry as well.
If you’re looking for the Binding Straps, they are packed and hidden inside a very discrete magnetic pouch on the front of the backpack. I actually couldn’t find them, I only discovered them when I read the included features booklet!
The body-facing side of the OneMo Backpack features a super comfortable and soft cushion. It has a mesh design with inbuilt air tunnels for added airflow to assist in keeping your back comfortable and dry.
The shoulder straps pack away on the back, allowing for convenient stowage and carry options.
Situated in the middle of all of that comfy goodness is a nice thick carry strap to allow for an alternative way to carry the bag.
It doesn’t get in the way while wearing the backpack but it’s quite handy when moving or stowing the bag. It also functions as a luggage handle pass-through so you can place the OneMo on top of your trolley bag while racing through the airport.
There are two other grab handles built into both the top and side of the OneMo Backpack for added convenience, and they feel well built so I don’t expect they’d come apart too soon.
The Built-in Pouch features the same type of grab handles too – you’ll find one on the back and one on the right-hand side.
The wide, thick and padded shoulder straps tuck away inside two flat pockets on the back of the bag which stops them from catching or flapping about when the bag is being stowed or carried by any other means.
The shoulder straps feature attachment straps, a sternum strap, a thin pocket for small items like memory cards and keys, and a pair of elastic holders for lens caps.
Interior Features
Even the side entry point lids have little inbuilt storage options, including an RFID pouch.
The interior and the wide array of interior dividers included in the OneMo Backpack come in a beautiful shade of forest green.
The entire interior space including the dividers is made from wear-resistant and waterproof fabrics that are relatively easy to clean.
Coming in at a total of six different shapes and sizes, all 11 included dividers can be easily removed and placed in countless different configurations and arrangements.
They may appear relatively thin, but they are built to be rather firm and strong to support the weight of lenses and camera bodies while on the move. So you’re not losing valuable storage space to overly thick padded dividers, but you’re also receiving the added benefit of stronger build quality.
I have to say that PGYTECH made a fantastic choice on the interior colour of the OneMo Backpack. It’s not something I can easily say that I’ve seen in another bag and is something I really do like. I appreciate points of difference from the normality of greys and oranges that you more often see everywhere else.
PGYTECH have placed a number of smaller little pockets throughout the interior of the OneMo as well, from tiny zipper pockets built into the side access lids, all the way to a larger 5L expansion pocket built into the front.
Small battery pouches, a storage strap inside the expandable pocket, a laptop and tablet sleeve, mini pocket, and RFID pouch, plus more.
The top right side lid also has an inbuilt RFID zipper pocket on it, with a perfect little space to store valuable cards and other things you want to protect from RFID thieves.
The lower right side lid also has dedicated spare battery pouches which also feature manual charge level indicators. Drop your depleted batteries into the pouch and flick the marker over to red to remind yourself of their levels.
The expandable storage is accessible by opening the forward set of zippers followed by another set of zippers which are then revealed. This forward-facing pocket provides you with an additional 5L of storage suitable for extra clothing and includes a thick stretchable strap for securing larger devices such as electronic gimbals.
The included Built-in Pouch (which can be used as a shoulder bag) has a small zippered pocket on the very top of the outside main lid, and one on the inside of the lid within the main compartment.
The Built-in Pouch can hold 2 x lenses and a mirrorless body, or a fold-up drone with controller, spare batteries, and more!
The Pouch is also expandable and this is done via a zipper on the side of the main lid. This turns it into a bonus pocket for extra accessories such as a drone controller or larger spare batteries that don’t fit inside the main compartment.
Although a feature I would suggest including is a zipper that opens up the inside of the top expanded pocket into the main compartment for any lengthy items that you may want to store in the Sling bag, such as long zoom lenses or electronic gimbals.
This would then provide you with a great side carry solution where you can carry a long lens upright, proving you more space to store another lens with a single camera body, instead of having to use a full-size backpack or leaving something behind.
Storage Capacity
Plenty of space can be found inside, along with plenty of dividers and customisable arrangements.
Running the zipper the entire way around the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack will provide you with full unobstructed access to the entirety of the interior compartment.
The bag unzips sideways instead of longways (I don’t know if that’s better or not, but simply how it works).
The main compartment of the OneMo Backpack will happily contain upwards of 25L worth of items including but not limited to different types of camera gear, drones, clothing, tools, and whatever else it may be you require on your adventures!
The expandable front pouch has a stretchable strap built in to keep taller devices or items in place inside the pocket, and definitely suitable for extra clothing rolled up and placed inside as that keeps them separate and out of the way of your gear in the main compartment.
You can fit even more than this inside if you use the expandable pocket and the external Built-in Pouch.
With the OneMo Backpack open nice and wide you’ll easily be able to drop in everything you need! Based on my image you’ll see I’ve put in my Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 attached to it.
I’ve also placed in:
- another lens
- Canon charger
- DJI Mavic Pro multi charger
- a Canon 600EX RT Flash
- 2 x lens filters in their cases
- a DJI Osmo Pocket with filters
- spare t-shirts
- Sennheiser Headphones
- a 15.6″ Gaming Laptop
- charger cables
- a Logitech mouse
- a Samsung Tablet
- a Zhiyun Smooth 4 gimbal
And I still have space for more things as I haven’t made full use of the expandable front pocket yet.
I’ve also placed a DJI Mavic Pro, two spare batteries, controller, lens filters, and cables in the Built-in Pouch but have not expanded that either, so there’s still space in there too!
The Built-in Pouch that comes with the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is expandable and that extra space allows for more gear!
The Laptop compartment also will fit in a Macbook Pro along with an iPad Pro tablet. There’s a thin material divider inside of the laptop sleeve to help separate and protect the two devices from rubbing against each other.
The Built-in Pouch will easily fit most handheld cameras you wish to place in it, along with various other items that you may want or require. It works great as a separate shoulder bag or placed inside the OneMo Backpack for extra gear protection.
You can also use it to avoid re-packing if you decide to remove it and leave the OneMo Backpack behind in your hotel.
Ease of Use/Comfort
The OneMo Backpack is very comfortable: the shoulder straps support the weight nicely and are easily adjustable.
The PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is a very comfortable bag to throw on your back, and with thick and wide padded shoulder straps along with the included sternum and waist straps, the weight can be distributed very evenly across your body.
Not to mention that the thick padding on the body side of the backpack along with the built-in air tunnels helps cushion the weight while also dispersing any heat.
The side entry pockets I found were much easier to deal with after placing the bag on the ground. Swinging it around on my shoulder the top pocket was just too awkward for me to open with the back straps adjusted to my body size.
The Binding Straps connect and disconnect from the corded loops dotted around the exterior of the bag easily without having to use much force and all of the zippers move smoothly along their rails.
The only zipper I found to occasionally snag is the one used to expand the top of the Built-in Pouch, but even then it’d come loose quite easily and run smoothly from there.
Whatever it is you’re planning to do with the arrangement on the inside of the OneMo Backpack, it’s generally a good experience as well.
The thing I struggled with most was deciding how I was going to arrange anything. Having lots of options is both a blessing and a curse sometimes – there were too many options and I didn’t feel creative enough to do really cool stuff!
The velcro on the dividers is pretty strong once placed, but they can be removed relatively easily when you want them to come off. There’s also plenty of that soft stuff on the inside of the bag for them to grab on to (excluding the back of the side access lids).
The Built-in Pouch can be worn as a shoulder bag or a waist pack and used in conjunction with the backpack.
Expanding the bag is super easy and as quick as running a zipper around the outside of the bag, so there are no complaints there either. Both the main backpack and the Built-in Pouch open up nice and wide for full and easy access to your gear when you need it.
All in all, the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack provides you with a very comfortable, quick, and convenient solution to pretty much all of your camera carrying needs.
Value for Money
The PGYTECH OneMo Backpack with Built-in Pouch is great value for money, there’s no denying that!
At under US$200, the PGYTECH OneMo Backpack is definitely a competitively priced product and one that is quite reasonable at that.
It feels like it’s designed to be your “one and only” carry solution, or works just as well as a fantastic travel companion to really expand just how much you can move around with.
Built to last a lifetime and probably tough enough to actually do that, the OneMo Backpack really is great value for money.
There are many bags of similar size and capacity out there asking for a lot more of your dollars. They generally feel bulkier and heavier as well, so the thinner and lighter build that the OneMo Backpack offers makes it feel like a nicer option to consider.
I dare say this one also shoots in under the expected price point of similar products out there.
The addition of the Built-in Pouch which converts to a convenient Shoulder Bag essentially means you’re purchasing two bags for the price of one: a 5L Sling Bag and a 25-30L Backpack in a single modular, ultra-durable package!
PGYTECH OneMo Review | Conclusion
The PGYTECH OneMo is such a great package for travel and carting around gear and clothing.
My current perception of PGYTECH is that they’re a young, innovative technology company freshly entering the world of bags. They also appear to be driven to constantly improve on their products.
I wouldn’t mind a smaller and slightly watered-down version of this bag for a more daily use – such as a 15L (that’s expandable to 20L) version for my commute to and from work, keeping this one for longer days out or for specific travel purposes.
It’s definitely a bag that will join me on further adventures when they finally do come along again.
Being able to fit everything into the one bag is handy, not worrying about the bag surviving a rough trip is another benefit, and being able to also load even more later on is definitely very welcome.
It’s an incredibly durable and purposeful carry solution for basically anything you would need (pending you don’t require more than 35L of luggage).
With the OneMo, PGYTECH have done a fantastic job on their first foray into the camera bag market – and I do have great hopes for their future with whatever other carry solutions they develop.
I will definitely be on the lookout for anything else they develop and I do hope they continue to strive for improvement and don’t just settle on this great piece!
Wear-resistant, waterproof, comfortable and breathable, this pack has and does it all.
Tommy Williams is a travel photographer from Sydney, Australia. He is pretty chill, and admits he really needs to get around to updating his website more often.
