Patagonia Black Hole Pack 32 Review: What the 2023 Update Actually Changes

Introduction

Patagonia’s Black Hole line has been the brand’s flagship bag family for several years, known for a lightweight build, durable fabric, and a waterproof coating. The Pack 32 has now been updated with a new fabric, fresh colors, and a handful of design changes, and it keeps the same listed 32-liter capacity while looking almost identical from the outside. Whether the update is worth choosing over the older version depends on how you pack, because a few of these changes cut both ways.

What Has Changed at a Glance

The update touches nearly every part of the bag in small ways: a less shiny fabric with the TPU coating moved behind the ripstop, a larger top “brain” pocket, repositioned shoulder strap attachment points, a smaller-opening laptop compartment with the interior padded sleeves removed, and a new luggage pass-through sleeve. Capacity stays listed at 32 liters, though the dimensions are slightly different, which affects how the bag behaves in real use.

Sizing and Carry-On Fit

Although both versions are listed at 32 liters, the new model is a little shorter and a bit deeper toward the top, sloping upward rather than staying rectangular. Filled with packing peanuts, the older version measured closer to 30 liters in real use, while the newer one came very close to the full 32-liter mark.

For travelers, the shorter, deeper shape matters most at the gate. Both models exceed a standard personal-item sizer of 18 by 14 by 8 inches, but the new version squishes into one more easily. It is still a fight, and this is really more of a carry-on-sized bag, but if a strict airline ever checks bag dimensions, the updated shape gives you a slightly better chance.

Fabric, Finish, and Colorways

The biggest change is the fabric. The classic Black Hole material has always been lightweight, durable, and waterproof, but also very shiny. On the updated pack, the TPU coating now sits behind the ripstop grid instead of on top of it. The grid pattern remains, the stiffness and durability feel about the same, and the waterproofing is preserved, but the surface is far less glossy.

Color is another genuine improvement. The tin grey and tan pairing contrasts nicely with teal accents, and options like belay blue, periwinkle, touring red, smolder blue, and plain black cover both bold and low-key tastes. The black version in particular has a much less pronounced logo. The one complaint: it would be nice if the logos were toned down a little across the board.

Exterior Features

Outside, most of the familiar elements carry over. The front daisy chain loops are still there, the side water bottle pocket is unchanged, and the front pocket area sees only minor tweaks. The new model is slightly rounded at the front, which changes how the zipper behaves: it can catch a bit at the side and the front panel has a permanent-looking crease, whereas the older, more squared-off front opened and packed more smoothly. These are minor annoyances rather than deal-breakers, but the previous version was sleeker in this area.

The top carry handle is a highlight of the update. It is now flatter, wider, and sits closer to the pack instead of hanging like a simple loop, making it noticeably nicer for grabbing the bag. The side carry handles are slightly longer, which is a change you may or may not prefer.

Top Pocket and Interior Layout

The redesigned top pocket is one of the most visible changes. Its orientation and zipper are different, and the interior is now gigantic compared to the older version’s modest pocket. It works well as a large brain pocket and adds useful exterior organization, though the flip side is that there is still no zipper organization inside the main compartment.

Interior Layout and Organization

Inside, the Pack 32 stays true to its minimalist identity: one huge volume with very little internal organization, which keeps the weight down. The one change is a small mesh sleeve that has been enlarged, gusseted, and moved to the other side of the bag. It is easier to reach from outside now and adds a bit more structure, though it is hard to feel strongly either way about the tweak.

Laptop Compartment

The laptop compartment is the most polarizing update. The old design had a zipper running all the way to the bottom of the panel, with a separate laptop sleeve and a tablet sleeve held together by a small buckle. The new version only unzips along the top and partway down the sides, and the separate sleeves are gone. What remains is a single padded compartment with a much less pronounced false bottom, barely an inch off the base of the bag.

For travelers who only carry a laptop, this is arguably an improvement: the extra bulk and weight of unused sleeves is gone. If you routinely carry both a laptop and a tablet, or you relied on that extra protection, the update removes padding and security you liked, and the laptop has a bit more room to slide around.

Carry System and Comfort

The shoulder straps themselves are largely unchanged, though they are sewn a little closer together on the new model. The meaningful change is where they attach. Previously they were sewn behind the laptop compartment, so opening that panel meant folding the straps out of the way. Now they attach on the back panel slightly below the compartment, so it opens cleanly without moving anything.

Back padding has also been reworked: instead of two large panels, the new pack uses two side channels running down the middle, with the luggage pass-through sleeve occupying the center. This does not change comfort much. The padding remains thin and this is still a minimalist pack, but the pass-through adds real versatility if you travel with rolling luggage.

Should You Buy the Updated Version?

For most buyers, the 2023 update is a net positive: the less shiny fabric, better colors, bigger top pocket, improved strap attachment, and luggage pass-through all add genuine value. The trade-offs are the slightly awkward front crease and zipper behavior, a laptop compartment that suits single-device carriers better than two-device users, and a shape that, while easier to squeeze into a sizer, is less clean-looking than the original. If you loved the older model’s squared silhouette or its dual laptop and tablet sleeves, consider hunting down the previous version; everyone else should be happy with the new one.

Conclusion

The updated Patagonia Black Hole Pack 32 keeps what made the original great, a simple, durable, waterproof 32-liter pack, and refines it with better fabric, smarter strap routing, and more travel-friendly touches. It is a thoughtful refresh rather than a reinvention, and for most travelers it is the better pick, provided the simplified laptop compartment matches how you actually carry your gear.