In this era of flexible work hours and informal office dress codes, the leather briefcase has lost a lot of ground to outdoorsy backpacks and tattered tote bags. So to find some more stylish men’s work-bag options (that are still comfortable to wear and large enough to hold a laptop and set of gym clothes), I reached out to well-dressed men across a range of professions to find out which ones they carry. Their answers ranged from classic messenger bags to sleek and (they promise) boardroom-friendly backpacks.
Update on November 6, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Briefcases and messenger bags
Filson’s soft briefcase is an enduring option. My fellow Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa has been carrying one for around five years and says its water-resistant oiled cloth has developed an attractive patina over time. The bag has a luggage sleeve so it can sit atop a wheeled suitcase, and its internal and external compartments are thoughtfully laid out. Our hard-to-please menswear columnist Chris Black also endorses this bag, writing that even though it “got rinsed during the 2012 menswear boom, it’s time to bring it back.” (If you need more proof of the brand’s resurgence, Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy wears a Filson tin-cloth coat throughout this season of The Bear.)
Geoffrey Perez, global head of luxury at Snapchat, takes this appropriately high-end shoulder bag to work. Its visual appeal is obvious, but he says the bag is also extremely functional for his daily bike commute. “It’s the perfect size, easily fits my laptop, and has pockets for all my other stuff,” he says. The recycled nylon is waterproof and durable — it has protected his office supplies in both rain and shine for several years with no signs of wear and tear.
For a nylon option under $1,000, Black has “always loved” this messenger bag from Japan’s Porter-Yoshida. “The navy is chic and a nice change from the typical black, and it has enough storage for your laptop, legal pads, gum, cords, an extra pair of briefs, sunglasses, keys, and a bottle of Mountain Valley sparkling water,” he says. Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has also told us that he’s a fan of the brand.
Writer and District One Studios founder Dan Q. Dao says his leather work bag from Italian brand Officine Creative is “giving Bottega, but at a friendlier price point.” Aside from looking sleek, the bag is practical in that it offers two methods of carry. “I really like having the choice between top handle and shoulder strap on a bag, depending on how heavy it is that day and what I’m wearing,” he says. “Because I hate when the strap wrinkles a shirt.”
Backpacks
Substack video and podcast lead Austin Tedesco is a Filson guy too (he upgraded from Everlane when someone he was dating declared that “there’s nothing sexier than a man with a Filson bag”), but prefers backpacks to messenger bags. “Shopping for men’s work bags can be tough because most of them lean too far into tech-dork efficiency, wilderness cosplay, or impracticality,” he says. With its grown-up look, a Filson backpack offers “the rare good middle ground.” Tedesco’s exact bag, the Dryden, is no longer available, but this style is similar.
Rains makes our favorite men’s raincoat, and its matching waterproof backpacks are excellent for office commuting. Jaye Thompson, a creative at Mother New York, has been taking this one to work for two years and loves how it looks. “It’s nice and minimal,” he says. “Its design features have function and utility without being distracting. And I have the all-black one, which blends in quite nicely.” There’s a water-bottle holder and lots of zippered internal and external pockets for organization, and he adds that the exterior elastic strapping is ideal for holding a bike helmet. And as you’d expect, the bag keeps anything inside of it bone-dry during downpours.
Gonzalo Donoso, a designer at Mother Design, is also team Rains but prefers the brand’s smaller backpack. “The construction is very sleek,” he says. “It looks expensive, even though it’s fairly affordable.” On a typical workday, he’ll place his Macbook Pro and a number of notebooks in the bag, and he has also been known to take it to Trader Joe’s to load up on groceries. A hidden pocket close to the straps means you don’t have to fully open the bag to grab smaller items.
Like many of the guys I spoke with, David Zwirner Gallery senior director Thor Shannon resisted bringing a backpack to work for a long time. “I tried a cross-body, briefcase, and a gym bag, and none of them worked as well for my back,” he explains. He settled on an older version of this lightweight and water-resistant Uniqlo backpack, which he says is “anonymous and unprecious” with no visible logos. “I’ve had it for probably four or five years, and I destroy it and throw it around all the time,” he adds. “And ultimately, it can take that abuse, which is why I like it.” He typically uses the bag to carry not only a laptop but also “every charger known to man,” his gym and swim gear, and a bike helmet. He’s held onto it for a long time (leaving an AirTag inside has helped), but points out that the affordable price means “I could lose it and get another one easily without guilt.”
Note: This backpack is currently sold out, but you’re able to sign up for stock updates over email.
Totes
Nick Dierl, the co-founder of music PR firm Orienteer, first came across Yeti’s rubberized tote bag when deciding upon a gift for the groomsmen at his wedding. He’s since transitioned into using it as a work bag, finding that it works especially well for business travel. It typically holds his computer, toiletries, and a pair of running shoes, and it is surprisingly comfortable to carry even packed to the brim. While Yeti is best known for making coolers, this bag isn’t designed to insulate what’s inside — although Dierl says that fact that it’s fully waterproof means you can fill it with ice and drinks in a pinch if need be. His bag lacks any meaningful signs of wear and tear after two years of regular use: “How many totes can you say that about?”
As Strategist contributing writer Molly Dektar observed last year, this convertible backpack-tote has become something of a status item among 20- and 30-something-year-old NYC working artists. It is functional and durable, as you’d expect from a Patagonia bag, but doesn’t look too technical — especially in the all-black colorway. “Though it is crafted of black ripstop, it does not scream, ‘I hike!’” she points out. “And though it has a large number of pockets and adjustable straps, it does not scream, ‘I code!’”
Rellosa cheats on his Filson briefcase with the brand’s more casual-looking zippered tote and says that it has ended up being the work bag he uses the most. “I like that it’s slightly more formal than a canvas tote, plus it zips up and has two deep side pockets,” he says.
If you are going to carry a canvas tote to work, make sure it’s a sturdy one with a zipper. Beloved by bicoastal elites, Pacific Tote Company’s colorful bags (made from repurposed sailing canvas) are designed by Roman Coppola’s creative agency the Directors Bureau. Film producer Chris Chang, who works closely with Coppola and told me he owns “not ten, but more than five” Pacific Totes, says they’re the perfect casual bag for grown-ups. “It’s kind of fun because I’ve always sort of been a tote-bag guy for as long as I’ve been alternative or whatever,” he says. “But it feels like a real bag — a New Yorker tote, it’s just a flimsy little thing.”
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