Checking all the boxes, including style, elegance, and utility, men's leather bags add a defining edge to your personality.
They are not just a unique way to express your identity and fashion choice but also come in handy when you're traveling with some luggage or a laptop.
However, if you end up buying an unsuitable bag for you, that could be a nuisance.
The best men's leather bags make your life easy and add a unique touch to your personality.
But if you're not careful to get one great bag, you might have to suffer through a dozen useless ones.
To avoid that, you can rely on our editorial board that tries the best-selling leather bags and gives suggestions to the customers.
To get first-hand experience, the team sniffed through dozens of bags and wanted to get you the top leather bag.
So, without further ado, let's get you to the crux of this article. The purpose here is to review each bag as per our personal experience and list them according to our expert opinion. The following list is the result.
Related post: Top 5 Picks for Men’s Leather Crossbody Sling Bags
The Best Leather Bags for Men
Let's see which ones are the best leather bags for men. Remember, each of these bags has the edge over the other, so choose the one that makes the best sense for you.
Handmade leather bags are much better in durability and usage, and Cuero knows that best.
This vintage leather bag for men has been made from full-grain leather, which is better for stitch durability and breathability.
It has an outer zipper pocket where you can keep your books, notes, or an iPad without completely opening the bag repeatedly. Dimensions are height 13", width 18", and depth 5".
The company's designer does a great job regarding size and space allocation. With one full-size compartment for your laptop, two small sections for books, clothes, or files, and four small pockets.
These pockets are great for GPS placement, cell phone keeping, wallet, keys, and pocket-sized diaries.
Not just that, it also has two zipper pockets, one in front and one at the back, to keep small gadgets.
In terms of comfort and design, Cuero has done a great job. This men's leather bag looks tough on the outside but is comfortable to carry and soft inside.
Two front pockets give it a symmetrical outlook, and the middle strap provides the anchor design.
The main strap is adjustable and has a shoulder pad that gives you a comfy feel. Also, it contains a top handle so you can carry it when it's packed lightly.
Next, you might wonder how it feels to use it daily. Firstly, it's a vintage design that never goes out of style. So, you can gift it to your loved ones on any occasion.
Multipurpose use of the bag ensures an excellent fit for students, artists, office executives, teachers, and technical workers.
It is also a great fit as a leather messenger bag for men. You can also use it for a business trip.
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Clifton is one of the best men's leather bags on the market. It's smart and stylish and gives a modern outlook, unlike many vintage designs.
The design and compartments are smartly used, so you get an easy-to-use format.
Made of 100% leather with polyester lining and magnetic closure, it's a great commuting solution.
Overall, this bag gets a lot of praise for its practicality and application.
Starting from compartments, the craftsman kept it simple yet practical. There are three pockets.
The main pocket is a zipper which is great for keeping your laptop and other articles safe.
Within the main zipper is a laptop holder pouch, a mobile keeping pocket, and a books or notes holder pouch.
The laptop pouch is padded to keep it safe and fixed, and the maximum size limit for a laptop is 15.6 inches.
Next, the comfort level of this bag is high. It gets friendly with the user quickly and helps carry it around easily.
The adjustable and removable strap has shoulder padding for keeping the bag easy to bear.
The strap is removable, so you can keep it in the bag when traveling on a vehicle, train, or plane.
You don't have to open tedious buckles whenever you want to access the main pouch. High-end magnetic buttons make it a child's play to open and close it instantly.
Finally, this men's leather bag is multipurpose and also great for stylish women. You can use it for office, college, trips, meetings, and business travels.
Moreover, you can gift the bag to anyone from any field and age. Durable and classy, this leather bag for men is an excellent fit for every profile.
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Next on our list is Komal's crossbody bag. This bag would have been on the top slot only if it had more reviews and time on its side.
In terms of user experience, this bag is the best among men's leather bags. Made from premium buffalo leather and top-quality YKK metal zippers, it gives a great overall experience.
With multiple benefits in design, style, and sturdiness, this soon will become the top choice for most people.
The first thing people notice about this bag is its style and beautiful design. The chested front compartment with unique benefits inside makes people love this bag.
When you open the front pouch, there are sections for cell phones, calculators, keys, pens, cards, and other small articles.
It also contains two zippers, one at the back and one inside. The main compartment is also zipped at the top to keep your laptop safe.
What's best about Komal's crossbody men's leather bag is its practicality. There are minor design elements that help you a lot.
For example, the bag is trolley compatible through its specific strap. Also, it has an easy-to-open compartment through zippers.
Moreover, multiple sections help you organize your stuff effectively. Finally, there's a comfortable padded strap and a top handle, making it a complete package.
This men's leather bag is a great fit for multiple professions and all age groups. With a one-year replacement warranty, you can confidently gift the bag to your loved ones.
Be they a student, college professor, office worker, government servant, doctor, lawyer, or frequent traveler; it's an excellent fit for everyone.
In short, this is an elegant and stylish solution to your everyday carriage problem.
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Are you willing to spend extra bucks for more excellent utility and comfort? If yes, then this bag is for you.
It's an executive article for people with lots of stuff to keep in their leather bags. It's more of a briefcase but easier to carry, with much more design flexibility.
For professionals and frequent travelers, it's a must-have. It'll help you look confident, organized, assertive, and elegant.
One of the best men's leather bags, Luxorro has fine craftsmanship with quality material. This ensures an unbreakable bag even when filled to the brim. YKK zippers are great for long-term use and do not give way to wear and tear.
Also, brass for knuckles and metal parts keeps the rust away with a promise of unbreakable straps. Elegant on the outside, this bag is made to withstand the test of time.
This bag is for you if you're an IT professional and like to keep wired headphones, chargers, data cables, and other gadgets.
It has hooks, compartments, and a specialized interior to keep such objects organized and disentangled.
Plus, you get a large compartment for the laptop to keep up to a 17" laptop. It's internally padded to keep your laptop safe.
The strap is also padded at the shoulder, making it comfortable and easy to carry. With a luggage strap, you can easily use it for plane commuting.
Now to the best part, Luxorro not only has the best men's leather bags on the market but also offers a lifetime warranty. Not only that, but it also provides customer service free of charge for a lifetime.
In short, with vachetta leather, brass hardware, incredible organization, elegant design, and lifetime warranty, Luxorro crossbody leather bags are a fine choice.
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If you're a heavy traveler and need to carry lots of cards, documents, multiple gadgets, and notebooks, this Augus bag is best for you.
There are plenty of compartments, each with unique functions and further subdivisions.
Its features are some of the best in the market, and with full-grain leather and YKK zippers, the product is durable and sure to last longer than many.
When it comes to its qualities, it truly is a briefcase-cum-crossbody bag. Its adjustable and removable strap allows you to keep it at your preferred length or remove it completely.
Furthermore, you can carry the bag from the top handle, which is comfortable and contains buttons to close the top off. The strap is padded to make it comfortable on your shoulder.
Also, a back sleeve is a wonderful addition as it helps you carry the bag on a trolley without worry.
Next, talking about compartments, the craftsman has done an excellent job here. There are three main compartments; all have YKK zippers, making them safe and reliable.
Further, each compartment is organized for maximum utilization of space. Opening the first one of the main pouches in front contains space for cards, cell phones, pens, diaries, and keys.
The middle compartment has room for credit cards, books, notes, small luggage, and miscellaneous items.
Finally, the third compartment contains a padded pouch for a laptop, a pouch for a cell phone, and space for a large iPad.
The front of the bag has two separate pouches, one a zipper; the second has magnetic buttons. You can keep a cell phone and tablet in each of these pouches.
The top of the bag has a handle that closes with buttons. Overall, it's a wonderful bag to keep lots of things organized.
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This one is for people who love hunter buffalo's rugged and all-natural leather texture.
From the inside, it's lined with a canvas of superb quality, thus making it a complete handmade package of fine craftsmanship.
With a large size, 18 inches, fit for any laptop, you can enjoy a vintage look with all the modern gadgets.
It also has a sturdy construction and multiple pockets to make it more practical to use.
Talking about practicality, the bag has two big front pockets for wallets, books, cellphones, and iPads.
The main pocket can carry a large-sized laptop along with books, notes, and a diary. The smaller compartment can carry small books, iPad, and folders.
After that, in the front are two pockets for small journals and two for cell phones, keys, pens, and other small articles.
The main compartments close with a cover that uses two buckles.
In terms of design, the bag is vintage and shows off a rugged, handsome, and rustic look.
Black buffalo leather is unique in color, so you can rely on this bag to make you stand out from the crowd.
With a concealed closure using snap locks, the design makes the access easier and the material inside safer.
Internal compartments are also designed smartly to accommodate as much as possible without the bag looking bulky.
When closed, you can carry the bag across your shoulder or hold it in your hand from the top handle.
Finally, this vintage handmade leather bag is a great find in the comfort department. The shoulder strap is padded and adjustable so you can feel at ease.
The weight of the bag feels less on your shoulder with comfort padding. Overall, it's an item worth having.
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Hulsh is a well-known brand when it comes to leather products, especially crossbody bags.
This vintage bag is also a great addition to the genuine leather lineup. It's an elegant choice for men but can also look great on women executives.
With large storage, beautiful design, comfortable straps, and plenty of storage space, it's a great product for multipurpose use in different areas of life.
The first thing people notice about this bag is its design, both in terms of aesthetics and practicality. In looks, it's a classic design with a simple outlook.
In usage, the bag is hand-stitched this sturdy. It has a large storage capacity, including space for an 18-inch laptop.
It has a simple layout of compartments and allows users to keep cell phones and small-sized books in the outer pockets.
Two pockets on two sides are great for keeping a passport, mobile, or cards.
In terms of safety and comfort, this is one of the best men's leather bags on the market.
Starting from the quality of the straps, it's visible that the hardware is durable and does not give in easily.
The strap is adjustable and has shoulder padding to keep your bones relaxed. Next, the top handle helps in carrying the bag in hand with comfort and safety.
The top of the bag closes with the main latch and has a push clip in front to keep your belongings safe and safely tucked in the bag.
Finally, you can keep your large laptop, books, diaries, files, and cell phones in the main compartment. For small books and iPads, you can use the small front pouch.
For passports and travel documents, you can use the back pouch, which has a zipper and opens without opening the main latch.
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With multiple colors, impressive design, and light on the shoulder, this COCHOA bag is one of the best men's leather bags available online.
Made from genuine leather, the bag clearly shows the signature blemishes of leather that give it a unique look.
When you're wearing this bag, it'll enhance your personality with a vintage style. The bag will probably last a lifetime with top-grain leather without changing color and makeup.
Talking about the storage space, the bag does an excellent job for its small size. It has a 14-inch laptop capacity on the lower side, so you may want to buy another one if you have a large laptop.
However, the other parts of this leather bag are great. There's a 10-inch space for your iPad and two separate compartments for calculators, keys, notebooks, and other items. Both pouches for laptops and iPad are padded for safety.
This leather crossbody bag does a great job in terms of design qualities. The bag's main compartment is a zipper and holds many items inside. Plus, a top handle carries the bag in hand, which is comfortable.
The bag's strap contrasts the bag's color, giving it a defining look. It also gives out a decent and professional look when the main flap is closed. In short, the design is suitable for every profession and is safe.
Finally, in terms of durability, leather is top-grain, and stitching is high quality. Riveting is also used on the top handle and box stitching to avoid failure.
On the whole, the stitch quality attracts much praise for this bag. The leather is waxed and distressed with oils to give the back a vintage look. It smells like leather but not strong.
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Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Fit for Your Needs
This section will explain how to choose when so many wonderful options are available. It's a paradox of choice out there, and you don't know which one you should choose.
For making a decision that proves right for years to come, you should make a checklist of these factors and sort them out one by one.
Storage Capacity of the Bag
Are you buying for traveling or regular office use? Do you have a lot of books to carry to your college, or do you just need a bag for your laptop and your iPad? These questions will help you determine how much storage capacity you need.
You should choose a bigger bag if you have many books, a laptop, two iPads, and several files. Otherwise, if you're more of a minimalist person, you may choose a small bag that's easy to carry around.
In any case, you should make a rough list of items you'll need to carry daily and pick a bag that can accommodate all these items.
Laptop Size Compartment
Mostly, people carry a 15.6" laptop when commuting, but that's not always the case for everyone.
You may have an 18" laptop, so you have to purchase a large bag. Briefcase-style crossbody bags are a great fit for such cases.
If you have a lot of books to carry too, you should definitely buy a briefcase-style bag. Small shoulder bags will not help you in that case.
For people with small laptops like 14", you can go for a much more stylish option instead of office-like bags. In short, you must always check your laptop size before purchasing.
Zipped Compartments
Zippers keep your belongings safe and steady in a bag. In most cases, you'd want at least one zipper compartment. However, it's better if your bag has as many zippers as possible.
Especially the main pouches must be zippers so you can keep your laptop safe in them. Another useful zipper pouch is on the backside.
For travelers, this is a great addition as you can keep your passport and travel documents in them. This saves you from opening the whole bag whenever you need to show your passport.
Travel Leather Bag
When buying a bag for frequent traveling, you need to consider these factors. First, it should have a large storage capacity.
Second, there should be small pouches and sections for organizing your credit cards, keys, chargers, wires and headphones, cell phones, and passports.
Third, the bag should be trolley friendly. That means it should have a strap which you can put on your main bag or luggage trolly.
Fourth, it should have zippers that keep your gadgets and important documents safe.
And finally, the bag must have a safe main strap and a top handle to help you carry the bag in your hand whenever you need it. Keep these points in mind when buying a bag for frequent traveling.
Durability
What good is an unreliable bag? You don't want a broken bag in your hand when traveling or going for an important business meeting.
You can consider some factors to make a great decision that'll help you avoid such a situation.
Firstly, check the stitching on the bag and the type of leather. Although it's difficult to see online, you can get a good idea by looking at the pictures and videos attached by buyers of that bag. Full-grain leather is the strongest and the most durable.
Secondly, check the hardware, including zippers, clips, buckles, and buttons. In zippers, YKK is a great brand that you can trust.
Thirdly, check the design of the bag. Is there a single point where there's too much pressure? A clip or a strap, for example. Again, customer reviews will give great insight.
You might also be interested in How To Store A Leather Bag Properly, check out our helpful guides here!
Style
If you're buying a bag as an accessory to your fashion identity, you can compromise on the above factors.
The best men's leather bags are a brand in themselves and don't need many ornaments on them. The simplest bag gives out the strongest statement.
For a vintage style, you can choose a rugged bag. For a modern outlook, you can choose a small bag with different colors.
Remember, the more rugged and blemished a leather bag is, the more vibes it gives out.
Compartmentalization
Compartmentalization or organizational structure of the bag is important for people who carry diverse objects and need them organized. This enhances the accessibility of the belongings inside a bag.
Imagine having a calculator, keys, wires, headphones, mobile phone, iPad, laptop, and credit cards all in one pouch.
You'll never be able to find anything from there. For that, you need sections inside a bag for better accessibility.
The best bags have a size-to-organization ratio and fully utilize the space. Check this feature before you make a purchase.
Warranty
The final factor in our guide to leather bags is the warranty. Leather bags should last a lifetime as they are durable and leather does not break.
However, the problems with stitching and hardware make that idea impossible. For that purpose, you should consider spending some extra bucks and buying a bag with a lifetime warranty.
If not, at least the vendor should offer an after-sale service to make your experience worthwhile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Best Leather Bags For Men
Does leather have a strong smell?
It depends on the processing of the leather and source of origin. When the leather has been distressed and waxed, the smell is mild and bearable.
Tanning material also plays a role in removing leather odor. However, leather absorbs smell rapidly from other sources so that you may have the smell from something other than leather.
Natural leather has a strong odor, which may reflect in the leather bags. You may also have perfume, smoking, or other odor absorbed in the leather bags.
You can use a water-vinegar solution to carefully remove the odor.
Can you wash leather bags?
It depends on the bag and how it has been treated. It's best to adhere to package guidelines regarding washing or not a leather handbag.
New leather bags generally have a waterproofing line to protect them from water and rain. In that case, it's best to clean the bag without washing it.
In case you can't get rid of the stain, you may wash the bag in the machine or hand wash it.
When washing in a machine, don't use strong chemicals and detergents, avoid washing more than one bag, and use mild settings on machines.
You might want to check our guides on How To Clean A Leather Bag At Home for more information.
How to keep the leather shine intact?
Regular care is essential to keep the leather shine intact on men's leather bags. The best practice is to clean the stain from the bag as soon as you see them.
Procrastinating will make the stain deeper and thus difficult to clean.
You can buy a cleaner or conditioner from the market to keep the shine intact. Alternatively, mixing vinegar with linseed oil and water can also make your own.
Don't use vinegar too much, or it'll erode the leather surface. Applying this mixture at regular intervals will keep the shine safe.
Is a leather bag suitable for a hot climate?
Extensive heat is harmful to leather products, and bags are no exception. If you keep your bag near a heat source or indirect exposure to sunlight, the color will deteriorate.
That means you can use a leather handbag in summer if you avoid using it in sunlight. Leather bags are not a good fit for hiking or camping because of this reason. For one thing, they don't dry up easily if soaked.
Secondly, you cannot hang them for long periods as they become saggy. In short, if you keep them in shades and away from humidity, you can use leather bags in hot climates.
Does the color of leather transfer to clothes?
There have been many complaints about the color of leather getting on the clothes. This is a real concern. Leather dye does transfer to clothes, and those stains are not easy to remove either.
To avoid such stains, you can only do preventive care and don't let the stains ruin your expensive clothes. Other than buying a good quality leather bag, the only thing you can do is use leather bags with care.
If you are stuck with such a bag, clean it regularly and don't let the color stay on the bag in the form of powder.
What to do when your leather bag gets wet in the rain?
When you know it's going to rain, carry a plastic bag to keep your bag dry from the rain. If your leather bags get drenched in the rain, wipe out the water content with a soft cloth.
Do not dry the bag in heat or direct sunlight; otherwise, the color of the bag will fade.
After cleaning the bag from moisture, dry it in the shade and apply conditioner. The wisdom of using conditioner is to stop the bag from getting brittle once the moisture leaves the leather.
With oils, the moisture is replaced by fat molecules, thus stopping the cracks from happening.
How to save a leather bag from cracking?
When the water content in the leather bags dries up, it attaches the oil molecules with it and evaporates.
Thus, the result is a dried surface leather where cracks appear after repeated dryness. This is also the cause of stains, blemishes, and spots on the surface.
To keep the bag safe from cracking, apply conditioner all over the leather surface and use a brush to bring the shine back on.
Do not use strong chemicals on leather as they affect the long-term look of the bag. Also, always use a soft fabric cloth to clean the surface.
Which leather type is best for bags?
There are four grades or types of leather used for different products. These types have different characteristics that make them fit for different purposes.
The first and highest-grade leather is full-grain leather. Next, the best is top grain leather, then there's genuine leather, and finally, bonded leather.
The best grade for bags is also full-grain leather. Due to its durability, finesse, and toughness, it lasts longer and does not wear much.
Made from the outermost part of animal hide, it's the most resilient and gives an excellent leather texture.
Is leather lotion necessary?
While you can clean your bag with a mildly wet cloth with vinegar and water solution, you need a polish or lotion to keep the shine.
Not just that, leather lotion keeps the moisture intact, thus making your bag look new.
The best thing about leather is that it looks the same even after years of use due to its rugged natural look. All you need to do is a little care.
Does the thickness of leather matter?
It all depends on the usage of the accessory you're carrying. You'll need a thicker leather bag if you carry heavy items in your bag, such as a laptop, books, and other traveling items.
You can select a bag with leather 1mm thick for everyday use. From there, you can assess if you need a thicker leather bag.
In case you're using a leather bag as a fashion accessory, you should not buy a thick leather bag.
The thicker the leather, the heavier it gets and will be difficult to carry around. For that purpose, you can go for a 0.8mm thick leather.
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Final Thoughts
Searching for the best men's leather bags can be tiresome unless you follow expert advice. A detailed review like the one above gives you a user experience that helps you get valuable insights.
The above article lists the best leather bags for men that satisfy design and durability checkboxes.
Even with these suggestions, you'll still need to decide for yourself. When you do that, evaluate the criteria mentioned in the buyer's guide.
Also, get to know your leather type, luggage needs, and laptop sizes lest you buy a bag you cannot use for all purposes.
Finally, make sure to care for the leather bag as you care for your pet. Leather remains faithful to you for the rest of your life if you take good care of it. If you don't, you may ruin even the best of bags.
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