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The Best Laptop Bags for Carrying Your Precious Cargo

A dedicated laptop bag looks a little out of place in the era of excess, but sometimes less is more.

collage of three laptop bags Courtesy

By Evan Malachosky and Will Porter

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Packing light feels refreshing. In the face of EDC, do-it-all duffles and big, bulky backpacks, those carrying simple laptop bags look like minimalists — and the good, tranquil kind, not the trendy type. Plus, to be fair, you can do just about anything on a laptop nowadays: make music, record videos or vlogs, work remotely, file homework for your college classes or waste your small cash fortune on crypto.

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Briefcase vs. Laptop Bag vs. Messenger

Laptop bags leave little room for anything else but prove easier to carry than a briefcase. That’s the real separator between briefcases and laptop bags: the strap. In order to be a laptop bag, it must have a strap. You wear a laptop bag, whereas you carry a briefcase. Some laptop bags can double as briefcases, though, because their bodies come with loops for a detachable strap. In fact, most laptop bags are made this way, with the versatility to be both.

The messenger bag is the biggest. If it looks like the bag could fit a water bottle, umbrella or a pair of shoes, it’s a messenger bag. A laptop bag should fit a laptop, perhaps a few computer accessories (like a charger), some pens and pencils, your own accessories (phone, wallet keys, etc.) and a short stack of papers but nothing more. You can also tell a messenger from a laptop bag by the former’s strap. Laptop bags tend to have thinner, less padded straps because they support less weight. Messengers are modeled after what mail carriers wear, which explains why the straps are typically so pronounced.

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The Best Laptop Bags for Men

Billykirk’s waxed canvas No. 326 Commuter Tote is made in New Jersey and doubles as either an easy-to-carry laptop bag or a tote for heading to the market on the weekends. It has a leather clasp to keep it shut, can fit up to a 15-inch laptop, comes with a removable nylon strap and has internal organization, making it easy to keep track of all your everyday carry bits.

Made in the US using heavyweight waterproof cotton twill, Filson’s Original Briefcase features an attachable handle that transforms it into a laptop bag. But this handle is no joke. It isn’t a flimsy piece of fabric but rather an adjustable leather strap with a padded center. There’s a flap that folds over the zipper compartment to protect your laptop from the elements — even if you forget to zip it. There also pockets within for storing business cards, keys and other small items.

Although this isn’t technically a laptop bag, it’s a tote with a laptop sleeve. To be honest, this is probably the easiest bag to carry because it’s the weight distribution we’re all most used to — beside that of a backpack. There’s a padded, flap closure sleeve within, plus a zipper pocket for your phone or wallet.

One of our favorite brands for bags, wallets and other EDC carry solutions, Bellroy has another hit on its hands with the Tech Briefcase. Ideal for schlepping to and from the office, this bag isn’t as premium as other bags on the list, but that gives you the chance to beat it up a bit without worrying too much. It features a 16-inch padded laptop sleeve, a spacious main compartment and an earth-conscious leather-free design.

Laptop bags make a ton of sense for both commuters and business people who travel for work. When you travel, especially for only a few days at a time, bags can quickly become cumbersome. Having a slimmer laptop bag over a bulky messenger or even a full-on backpack ensures you can attend meeting and conferences without worrying about the added weight dragging you down. Tumi’s trusty laptop bag comes with a rear sleeve for sliding this over a suitcase trolley and a pocket for your passport and other travel documents.

Although Eastpak’s Acton CNNCT Briefcase offers plenty of internal organizers for thin items like a laptop, folder or files, there’s very little lateral space, so things like an umbrella or a water bottle will have to stay home. What you do pack will be protected by the bag’s cordura exterior, which proves rip and rain resistant.

This is probably the slimmest bag on this list. There’s enough room for your laptop, necessary paperwork and your laptop’s accessories (like a charger, dongles and even a mouse or extra keyboard. But its slender frame makes it the quintessential laptop bag. This is what I imagine when I hear “laptop bag,” because it has a simple, two-sided interior, with one pocket for your laptop and one for the rest, and a single exterior zipper pocket for a phone and other slim essentials.

Barbour carries its love for waxed leather over to laptop bags with this briefcase hybrid. It features an adjustable strap, luxe leather components and fancy brass hardware. In true Barbour fashion, the interior is tartan-lined, and the whole thing is waterproof.

This is a prime example of a laptop bag that makes a better briefcase than bag, but will pass for either nonetheless. Because of its rectangular shape, this polyurethane bag doesn’t quite mesh with the natural curvature of our bodies. That makes it difficult to wear with the strap across your chest. Instead, try a single shoulder or without the strap altogether (although that’d just make it a briefcase).

Shinola’s premium leather messenger has a slim profile but still allows you to keep all work essentials close by thanks to a dedicated space for a laptop and another area for your other work essentials. Like many of the other bags, you can swap the strap out, too.

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