35L PGYTECH OneMo 2 review: light, clever, expandable
PGYTECH has introduced the OneMo 2, a new camera backpack for photographers and videographers that refines the design of the original OneMo, plus a new, larger 35 liter size to carry more gear. The OneMo 2 offers similar capacity and features found in other mirrorless and DSLR camera backpacks, plus a few unique features that set it apart.
- Unique design touches
- Comfortable shoulder and waist straps
- Customizable interior with padded, velcro partitions
- Expandable to 45 liters
- Good value for the money
- Front isn't usable without expanding
- One pocket for tripod/water bottle
- Waist belt is cumbersome to remove
- Not designed for larger and/or taller tripods
Note: Get 10% off using the code "DOMINEY10" through PGYTECH's website.
OneMo 2 exterior
The design of the 35L OneMo 2 is dark, sleek, and minimal, with clean lines and a smooth exterior shell. The look is tight and polished, with small red details and an unusual (yet satisfyingly different) teal green interior. The bag is a boxy looking (especially when extended), and I do find its materials to be a bit plasticky, but overall it's a decent looking bag.
35 liters is the maximum size airlines allow to be used as carry-ons, so the OneMo 2 may be used to travel with camera gear anywhere in the world. When carried on the ground, the OneMo 2's front may be expanded; revealing an additional 10 liters of cargo space.
This expandability is helpful for storing extra gear like a jacket, food, gimbal, or anything that doesn't fit inside the main compartment. It works fine and does the job, but the design could be better. I found opening the expandable area to be slow cumbersome because it uses two sets of zippers. I also would have preferred a flap that opens downward (like the back) and not to the side, for the latter feels awkward when adding and removing items.
Another thing I would have liked is a front-facing, zippered pocket for quick access to small items like headphones, wallet, phone, etc. As designed, the front of the bag feels like wasted space that could have been more effectively used.
The exterior of the OneMo 2 is 85% polyester and 15% polyurethane, the latter of which is a common outdoor industry material used to help waterproof jackets, pants, gloves and other garments. This protects the bag against light rain and mist, but for heavier rain the OneMo 2 comes with a free rain cover to better insulate the bag and its contents.
The exterior has two zippered compartments with pockets inside for storing smaller items. There's also a large pouch for storing a water bottle or tripod, plus a lateral strap to tighten and secure taller items. The pouch and strap works fine with compact travel tripods, but not as well with larger and/or taller tripods. I would have preferred two pouches (one on both sides) so a tripod and large bottle could be simultaneously carried.
The interior gear cavity may be accessed through the side, top, or back. The side and top openings provide quick access to a camera.
The side zippers have "anti-theft" loops that prevent unwanted unzipping. They do this by threading the zipper pulls through tightly stitched loops. I had to practice this a few times, but eventually I got the hang of it. Nice feature to help protect the side pockets while wearing the bag.
OneMo 2 interior
The main interior is accessed through the back of the bag. Everything inside has a distinctive teal color, with multiple velcro partitions that may be moved and reorganized to accommodate custom gear layouts. There's also a clever black velcro elastic strap that secures top-mounted cameras from falling out when opened. All dividers may be removed to use the OneMo 2 as a regular backpack.
The dividers work fine, but are a little thin, and some have weird shapes and dimensions with limited usefulness. I get the feeling more thought was put into creating specific gear layouts than designing a truly modular system, for the latter would utilize more standard sizes and shapes.
The OneMo 2 also comes with an additional shoulder bag that doubles as a camera cube. Smart feature, for it gives photographers a second, smaller camera packing option instead of carrying the entire backpack. I was able to fit a Canon EOS R5 with a mounted lens, plus an extra RF lens inside the shoulder bag.
Inside the OneMo 2 is a small pocket for hiding an Apple AirTag (or other brand of tracker with similar dimensions). Once inserted, the AirTag stays in place and remains hidden. There's a small tag indicating where the hidden pocket is located, but it may be removed afterward.
Inside the bag's side access flap is one of the OneMo's most clever features: three battery pockets with switches that indicate whether a battery is charged. When a battery is dead, flip the switch to red, and when it is charged, flip it to green. Helps make finding a charged battery easier and quicker. Nice lo-fi solution to a common problem.
The back flap provides a large, protective sleeve for carrying laptops, tablets, or e-readers. The sleeve can hold laptops up to 16" and uses an elastic band to enclose and secure its contents. The band does an okay job of preventing a laptop from accidentally sliding out, but I'd prefer an envelope-style flap to better secure and protect its contents.
Wearing the OneMo 2
The shoulder straps utilize an s-curve shape that conforms to the body better than the straight straps seen on some backpacks. Each strap is padded using high density foam, plus nylon straps to shorten or extend their length. I lowered my straps all the way down to position the hip belt lower on my hips, and while I couldn't get the bag as low as I normally like, it was fine for general use.
The right shoulder strap includes a zippered pouch for holding a smartphone. The pouch has a flexible mesh cover that stretches to accommodate different phone sizes. I tried storing a big iPhone 14 Pro Max, and it felt a bit snug. Was also awkward adding and removing the phone while wearing the bag. It's a cool idea, but I'd rather store my phone elsewhere.
The left strap has a few areas for mounting a clip-on wireless microphone or PGYTECH Beetle Camera Clip (pictured below) to carry a camera on the strap. This clip doesn't come with the bag, but is a great add-on designed to hold a camera on your backpack or belt while hiking. Faster and easier then to get quick, handheld shots instead of stopping to take off the entire bag.
The sternum strap clips onto the front of the shoulder straps and helps keep the shoulder straps from pulling outward when carrying heavier loads. The strap bites onto one of five loops on each shoulder strap (one set is hidden under the aforementioned phone pocket), and may be removed when carrying lighter loads. I found the strap to be comfortable and easy to attach while wearing the bag.
The waist strap provides additional support by redistributing weight from the shoulders to the hips. The strap can be removed to clean up the exterior of bag when carrying lighter loads, but not easily, unfortunately. Each strap attaches using a very stiff clip (shown below) that's difficult and time consuming to use. The waist straps are comfortable (especially after lowering the shoulder straps), but I do wish they had at least one zippered pocket for smaller items like lip balm, an AirPods case, etc.
Final thoughts on the OneMo 2
Overall, the OneMo 2 provides good value for the money. It's comfortable enough for general use and includes a number of unique design details. I also like that the bag expands to fit more items, and the addition of the extra shoulder bag and rain cover makes the bag an even better deal.
I do wish the front of the bag was more useful when collapsed to its 35 liter size. At least one additional pocket on the outside would go a long way towards making the bag more useful and functional. I also wish the front used two zippers instead of one, and opened flat like the back, instead of awkwardly to the side. Having the option of extra room is wonderful, I just wish the user experience was better.
Otherwise, the OneMo 2 is a good, comfortable camera bag at an affordable price. How durable the bag will prove to be long term remains to be seen, but thankfully the bag is backed with a lifetime warranty should anything go wrong. For photographers and videographers looking for a good, comfortable bag that isn't going to break their wallet, the OneMo 2 will do the job for less money.
