Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Review

The Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L collapses for easy storage and protects your gear with durable materials, yet includes minimal organization.

Our Verdict

8.0 /10
Great info

Form

80/100

Design

80/100

Value

83/100
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Pros

  • It collapses for storage
  • Side handles make it easy to switch between rolling and carrying the bag
  • The wheels are quiet and roll nicely

Cons

  • The unstructured sides make it hard to pack without cubes
  • There's not much built-in organization
  • You can't compress it on the outside when packing less

Technical Details

1 %

Carry-on Compliance

View 1/146 Airlines

  • Capacity

    40l

  • Weight (lb)

    7.76 lb (3.5 kg)

  • Dimensions

    21.75 in x 14.5 in x 11 in (55.2 x 36.8 x 27.9 cm)

  • Notable Materials

    Recycled Nylon, Recycled Polyester, Ripstop, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), YKK Zippers, Duraflex Hardware, Polyurethane (PU)

  • Manufacturing Country

    Vietnam

  • Warranty Information

    Patagonia Ironclad Guarantee

Buying Options

Brand
Price
Deal
Patagonia Logo
$359.00 
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Public Lands Logo
$359.00 
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Full Review

When choosing carry on luggage, there are a few choices to make. First, do you want something hard or soft? If you go with the latter, what kind do you want? Some softside luggage has as much structure as hard shells, while others are more flexible.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Side
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Is it a roller or a duffel? It’s both!

As you might guess from the name, the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L is more like a bag and less like a suitcase. That makes it more adaptable to different spaces and even allows it to collapse (more on that later). But how does it work in practice? We took it on vacation to find out.

External Components

The Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L is made with some durable and water-resistant materials, including 900D 100% postconsumer recycled polyester ripstop with a postindustrial recycled TPU laminate on the exterior, 200D recycled polyester for the lining, and recycled nylon webbing straps. It’s made in a Fair Trade Certifiedâ„¢ factory, too, so if you’re focused on sustainability, it’s not a bad pick.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Brand
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | The material is durable, yet crunchy.

If you’re familiar with Patagonia’s Black Hole line, you might have a decent idea of what this material feels like. It’s durable, water-resistant, and flexible, but it’s a bit crunchy. It’s probably not loud enough to wake your travel companion, but it’s something to be aware of.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Side Handle
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | There are two carry handles.

With duffel in the name, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the bag has two carry handles, one on top and one on the left side. They’re long and comfortable to hold if you need to carry the bag for a while instead of wheeling it behind you. There are also daisy chains of attachment loops on either side so you can connect other gear. We didn’t use them in testing, but we don’t mind the look.

The side without a handle features the Patagonia brand name printed vertically in large letters, again, in keeping with the look of the remainder of the Black Hole line (and really, every Patagonia product we’ve tested has always featured rather prominent branding).

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Zipper
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | It’s easy to grab the zippers.

YKK zippers each have cords woven through the metal pulls that make them much easier to grab and use, and all of the zippers work well. Nothing catches around corners, which we appreciate.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Wheel
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | The wheels are durable and feature treads for off-road rolling.

Since this is a wheeled duffel, there are, of course, wheels on the bag. They feel slightly rubbery and feature treads to help you on different surfaces. There are only two wheels, but they roll smoothly and are quiet on smooth surfaces, yet allow you to go off-road, as well. When it’s time to take a break, a stand on the bottom of the bag helps it to stay upright, so you don’t have to take up more than your allotted space at the airport gate. However, there are also two bumpers on the back of the bag to protect the material when you do lay it down, whether on the floor or in the overhead bin.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Back Support
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Bumpers protect the back of your bag.

A note on overhead compartments: Patagonia, like many major brands, claims that the Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L is carry-on compliant. However—again, like many luggage companies—we’re not sure where they’re getting their dimensions since the bag is at least 2 inches too deep and anywhere from ½-¾ of an inch too wide and tall to meet major airline guidelines. Be sure to check your airline’s allowable dimensions or be ready to gate check the bag if you encounter a rule-following gate attendant or have to “drop” your bag into the sizing bin without shoving it to show that it fits.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Telescopic Handle
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Grips underneath the extendable handle prevents your hand from slipping.

The retractable handle has a grippy underside that makes it comfortable to hold and a button on top that you depress to pull it out or push it back. There’s only one stopping point—the top—which we find typical of rolling bags you drag behind you. There’s no real reason to make the handle shorter if it’ll be rolling behind you through the airport or hotel, as the fully extended length ought to work for most users.

Fit Notes

This is a very casual, outdoorsy bag that’s perfect for road trips and more adventurous travel. It’s not something you want to roll into the Waldorf-Astoria, but it won’t look out of place in places that aren’t quite as posh. And it will definitely hold up better moving through the dirty slush of New York City if you’re walking to your accommodations from the subway than something less sturdy and water resistant.

You’ll have no issue rolling around corners or pivoting to change directions, either. Although its turning radius isn’t as fine-tuned as that of a bag with four wheels, the two wheels on the Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L do a better job than those of some other two-wheeled bags we’ve tested.

Inside The Carry On Luggage

One of the benefits of softside luggage is the ability to have exterior pockets you can access without opening up the bag, and the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L has one. It’s a quick-access pocket at the top with space for your phone, wallet, passport, and keys. To that end, there’s a key clip on a leash inside where you can connect them so they don’t get lost along the way.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Key Leash
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Put small gear and connect your keys in the top pocket.

It’s a pretty large space, about the size of a 1L sling, so you can even squeeze in a small e-reader or paperback book if you don’t want to carry an extra bag through the airport. Just be sure to pull out anything you need at your seat before you put it into the overhead compartment on the plane.

The main compartment opens like a duffel bag. Of course it does, it’s a wheeled version of Patagonia’s other duffel bags. The lid features a large zippered mesh pocket. It’s good for stowing thin gear like a hat, gloves, or a wrap, though you could also use it for dirty laundry throughout your trip.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Mesh Pocket
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | There’s a mesh pocket on the lid, along with a QR code to show you how to collapse the bag.

At the top edge of the lid is a label with a QR code. If you scan it, you can learn how to collapse the bag for easier storage. It’s a nice feature that sets the Black Hole Wheeled Duffel 40L apart from most other rolling luggage. We’ll save you from having to watch a video and tell you how it works.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Inside Zipper
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Pull the frame out of pockets on each side to collapse it.

There’s a zipper centered in the main compartment lining with an orange pull that says “unzip to repair.” It opens to reveal the hard backside of the bag, where you’ll find two interesting components. On either side is a bar tucked into a webbing pocket. Push the bar toward the bottom of the bag to get each end out of the pockets, and the bar will then fold down, collapsing the bag to the size of its hard backside and bottom. This is handy when you have small closets or tight spaces to store your bags when you’re not traveling. While it doesn’t save a ton of space, it definitely compresses it some.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Axle Fix
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | You can repair the wheels on the go if necessary.

Then, there is a pocket topped with a hook-and-loop fastener in the middle of the two extendable handle channels. It contains two bolts to help you repair a broken wheel axle on the go. All you need is a 4mm Allen wrench and a 10mm crescent wrench, along with the instructions you’ll get from scanning the helpful QR code on that pocket’s label. With any luck, you won’t ever need to use the replacement bolts, but it’s nice to have them with you just in case you pop a wheel halfway through your trip.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Buckle
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Two straps help to hold gear in place.

As for the rest of the main compartment, it’s open to pack as you wish. There are two sets of hold-down straps that fasten with Duraflex buckles. You can weave them through loops at the top to avoid digging to the bottom to pull them up, but we like that they’re not permanently attached to the sides. It means you can use them when you’re holding less gear, in case you’re not fully using the bag’s 40L capacity. There aren’t any compression straps on the bag’s exterior to make it smaller if you do, but at least you won’t have clothing sloshing around willy-nilly.

Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L Compression
Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L | Quite a bit of clothing, pouches, and accessories fit in this bag.

To that end, we recommend packing cubes if you don’t plan to fully stuff the bag. However, our tester shared the bag for a weekend getaway with her husband. Filling it with clothing for two people helps wedge everything into place without using cubes. The 40L bag has enough room for two pairs of men’s pants, two pairs of women’s pants, two hoodies, a few tees, socks, underwear, and toiletries without taking too much care in packing. Minimalist packers will do better and can likely pack for more than a week in this spacious interior if they utilize a travel capsule wardrobe and compression cubes to their full potential.

There isn’t much organization in the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L, but that means you have more space to pack how you wish. So, if you’re a traveler looking for something rugged and heavy-duty and routinely fly more permissible airlines that don’t question the size of your suitcase, it might be a good option. We wish it included some external compression straps to cinch things down when we pack less, but we love the option to compress it for storage, which similarly-sized hardside luggage can’t do.

Usage Timeline

Initial Usage

Condition: Excellent

  • Interested to check out the collapsibility and repair features
  • Digging the Dulse Mauve colorway
  • Excited to see how easy it is to pack
2 Weeks of Use

Condition: Excellent

  • Cinching the internal hold-down straps helps compress the bag some
  • There is a lot of space to fill
  • It rolls nicely and turns easily
mm
By Kristyne Defever
Updated June 26, 2025
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