Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L vs. Waterfield Air Porter

Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.

Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L

Front facing view of the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L
Capacity25 L
Weight0.6 kg
Dimensions48×28×15 cm
Airline fit93%
Price$149

Feature by feature

Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25LFeatureWaterfield Air Porter
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
4 Opening 0
top Passport top
Y Passthrough Y
Carry
Y Backpack hideable
N Hip Belt N
Y Sternum Strap removable
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
3 Main Compartments 7
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2, side Water Bottle Holder 2, side
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
8.7-oz 300-denier 100% postconsumer recycled polyester ripstop with a TPU-film laminate1680 Denier black Ballistic nylon

Waterfield Air Porter

Capacity22 L
Weight1.3 kg
Dimensions42×30×18 cm
Airline fit95%
Price$420

Key differences between the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L and Waterfield Air Porter

Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, laptop sleeve, water bottle pockets, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 175 accept both. 1 accept only the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L, and 5 accept only the Waterfield Air Porter.

Only the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L fits

Great Lakes Airlines.

Only the Waterfield Air Porter fits

Air Tahiti, American Eagle, easyJet, Gulf Air, Ravn Alaska.

Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L vs. Waterfield Air Porter: which should you pack?

The Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L carries 3L more than the Waterfield Air Porter (25L vs. 22L), while the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L is the lighter pack at 0.6kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Waterfield Air Porter fits 95% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L; if you want to travel lighter, the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 25L is the better call.