PGYTECH OnePro Ultralight Backpack Review

The PGYTECH OnePro Ultralight Backpack is a new direction for PGYTECH, trading some of the bulk and rigidity we typically associate with camera bags for a lighter, more flexible design. It’s a unique approach that combines a rolltop system, suspended back panel, and modular camera insert into a single 30-liter pack. There’s a lot to like here, especially if you want a camera bag that doesn’t feel like a traditional camera bag. Let’s dive in!

External Components

The OnePro Ultralight is made from nylon and feels pretty lightweight in the hand and on the back. We’re not sure it’s quite lightweight enough to earn “Ultralight” in its name, especially given how many lighter camera bags are out there. Still, it’s certainly less bulky than some of the big, beefy camera backpacks we’ve tested. If you only take it out on the trail a few times a year, it should hold up just fine. We wouldn’t choose it for frequent off-road adventures, though. The material has held up well during testing, and it offers a good balance of durability and water resistance for everyday travel and occasional outdoor use.

YKK zippers appear throughout the pack, which is about as good as it gets for travel gear. They operate smoothly and have held up well during testing. There’s nothing particularly exciting about them, but that’s kind of the point—when it comes to zippers, boring and reliable is exactly what we want.

There’s a surprising amount of different hardware here, too. The main rolltop closure uses a metal G-hook that looks good, feels durable, and is easy to use. The strap also has a plastic keeper, so there’s a mix of metal and plastic hardware in the same area. Elsewhere, the sternum strap attaches using small plastic nodes. They’ve worked without issue so far, but they feel a little cheap for a bag at this price point. The hip belt uses a Nifco buckle, which has a satisfying snap and works exactly as expected.

And that’s a recurring theme with some of the exterior components. Nothing feels outright bad, but some of the plastic hardware doesn’t quite match what we expect from a backpack priced over $300. The bag is perfectly functional, but it doesn’t always feel as premium as the price suggests.

There are two stretchy mesh water bottle pockets, one on either side. They accommodate both smaller and larger bottles well, with a surrounding bungee helping keep everything secure. They can also hold a tripod, and there’s a compression strap higher up that can help secure the top of a tripod or a particularly tall water bottle. We dig these pockets—they’re flexible enough to handle more than just hydration and stay secure on the move.

There are also top and side handles. Both work well, feel comfortable enough for grabbing the pack, and stay out of the way when you’re not using them. There isn’t much else happening externally, which keeps the OnePro’s overall appearance relatively clean.

Fit Notes

The shoulder straps are adjustable in a couple of different ways. You can slot them into one of two positions to make the harness taller or shorter, accommodating different torso lengths. They also use hook-and-loop adjustment for additional length changes, which gives you plenty of flexibility when dialing in the fit.

The straps have a nice curve and widen around the lower chest, giving them a shape that reminds us a bit of a running vest. It works well, particularly when the pack is loaded with camera gear. There are also plenty of attachment loops on the shoulder straps. We didn’t really use them during testing, but they’re a nice inclusion for anyone who wants to add accessories.

The right shoulder strap has a small mesh pocket that works well for a phone, snack, GPS, or smaller camera accessories. It’s easy to reach while wearing the pack and is a useful place for things you want close at hand.

The sternum strap is less impressive. It’s very thin and attaches to the shoulder strap rail using those same small plastic nodes we mentioned earlier. It works, and you can remove it fairly easily, but we wish it felt a little beefier. There’s nothing wrong with its functionality; it just feels flimsy compared to the rest of the harness.

The removable hip belt works as expected, taking some weight off your shoulders when the pack is heavily loaded. If you don’t need it, you can remove it entirely to keep the pack streamlined.

The real winner here is the back panel. It reminds us a lot of Osprey’s AirSpeed Suspension, to the point that the similarity is hard to ignore. It creates a suspended structure that provides cushioning, airflow, and a comfortable carry. You’ll still get sweaty on a hot day, but nowhere near as much as you would with a traditional camera backpack that puts a padded panel directly against your back. For a camera bag, this is one of our favorite aspects of the OnePro, and it makes all-day carries considerably more comfortable.

The load lifters are another welcome addition. Camera kits can get heavy quickly, and being able to shift some of that weight around makes a noticeable difference. We’re always happy to see load lifters on a pack designed to carry photography gear.

Inside The Pack

The OnePro has a pretty unique interior design, and it won’t be for everyone. Instead of one traditional camera compartment, there are essentially two rolltop compartments on the front, followed by the main compartment. It’s an interesting approach that gives the bag a lot of flexibility, although it also introduces some quirks.

The front-most pocket uses a rolltop closure with a magnet. Technically, it’s a rolltop, but you can’t really roll it as much as you want. In practice, you secure the magnet and give it about one roll before closing it up. Still, it works well and makes for a convenient, quick-access area. Inside are two mesh pockets, while the rest is open space. It’s a good spot for something like a packable jacket or other gear you want to grab without digging through the main compartment.

The second front pocket is a more traditional rolltop design. You can roll it more or less depending on how much gear you have inside, which adds useful flexibility. This compartment expands into the main compartment and is intended to provide additional space for gear. However, it isn’t particularly large and only extends about halfway down the bag. It can be a little deceiving at first glance, but it’s still useful for smaller items. And if you like rolltop bags, it’s a fun feature.

There’s a small pocket on the top of the pack that works well for your phone, wallet, keys, and sunglasses, too.

The main compartment is accessible in two ways. The primary access point is through the back panel, which unzips nearly completely for a large, clamshell-style opening. It gives you excellent visibility into the bag, though the back panel is quite heavy and padded compared to the lightweight materials elsewhere. That makes opening and closing the bag a little more cumbersome than we’d like.

Inside is the modular camera insert, and this is where things get complicated. The system gives you a lot of freedom to configure the space however you want, and you can really make it your own. Unfortunately, we found the process of doing so annoying and less intuitive than with other camera inserts we’ve used. Getting the dividers positioned correctly and fitting the insert into the lightweight body takes some trial and error. Once you get everything dialed in, it works well, but getting there can be a chore.

It’s a little like using Linux compared to a Mac. Can you do more with it and customize it more? Absolutely. Is that necessarily better for everyone? Not really. Some people will love being able to configure everything exactly how they want, while others will prefer the simplicity of a system that just works without much tinkering.

You can also access the main compartment and camera insert through a side-access opening, which is a great feature for quickly grabbing a camera without taking the pack off. It’s a genuinely useful addition for photographers who need their gear in a hurry.

The lid of the side-access compartment has a large zippered pocket with five mesh battery pockets inside. Two of those pockets have PGYTECH’s Battery Indication System, which uses a small slider that moves from green to red. Keep it green when the battery is charged and switch it to red when it’s dead, making it easier to grab a live battery without checking each one individually. The system is clever, although we’re not sure why only two of the five battery pockets have the indicator. The exterior even calls it the “Battery Indication System,” which makes the selective implementation a little confusing.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about the OnePro’s approach. The suspended back panel is excellent, the harness is comfortable, and the combination of rolltop compartments and side camera access gives the pack great versatility. At the same time, some of that versatility comes at the cost of simplicity. Making changes to the setup can be frustrating, and the modular camera insert isn’t as easy to configure as others we’ve used. There are also a few areas where the hardware feels cheaper than we’d expect at this price. We didn’t hate using the OnePro, but we did find ourselves wishing it were a little more refined. It’s a new direction for PGYTECH, and we think there’s a good foundation here. With some refinement in future versions, this could become a much more compelling camera backpack.