The 9 Best Leather Backpacks for Men | Casual, Work, Best Value, Luxury, and More | Stridewise (2024)

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If you think you’re too old for a backpack I strongly urge you to consider a leather backpack.

We love leather backpacks and leather bags, but at such high prices, you have to be careful to pick a fantastic product and not, an overpriced, ho-hum book bag.

We’ve reviewed a wide range of leather bags, from those that cost a thousand bucks to some that cost a third of that, and what’s hardest to find is a leather backpack that’s both practical and beautiful.

I’ve compiled the best leather backpacks for a range of uses: a classy office-ready bag, a rugged everyday bag, a durable unisex bag, a high end luxury backpack, and more. We’ll discuss the leather, construction, hardware, design, and of course, the price. For an in-depth look at our selection criteria you can scroll to the end of this article but for now, let’s get straight to the picks.

[Related: My list of TheBest Leather Briefcases for Men]

1) The Best Men’s Leather Backpack: Satchel and Page’s Leather Backpack ($575)

Pros

• Beautifully designed; if you like a clean, elegant look, this is for you
• Plenty functional; loaded with pockets, compartments, and laptop sleeves
• Italian, vegetable tanned leather
• Lifetime warranty

Cons

• Just one color available
• Shoulder straps aren’t micro adjustable

Satchel & Page is a very cool leather goods company based in New York with leather made the old fashioned way in Italy. The designs are inspired by 1940s prewar Americana and designed with modern, minimalist looks that no one can argue with.

It has just the right balance of function and minimalism. A lot of leather backpacks that are designed for the office can look a bit feminine — not necessarily a bad thing, but not what most guys want — or they can be super rugged to the point of over-designed. Buying an expensive bag that you can only wear with jeans isn’t the most versatile option.

This bag is both sleek and minimalistandbristling with hidden features.

Satchel & Page Backpack’s Leather

• 6 oz leather
• Tanned and finished in Ponte a Egola, Italy
• Gold Rated for Sustainability by LWG
• Certified full grain, Italian, vegetable tanned leather
• Imbued with oils and waxes for durability and character

There is just so much to say about this leather, but in short: it’s the best I’ve ever seen for bags.

The depth of color and character is phenomenal, even when it’s fresh out of the box and especially once it ages a year or ten. Or fifty. Vegetable tanned leather is how all leather was made until the cheaper chrome tannig method was invented in the mid-19th century. While it’s stiffer at first (and pricier), veg tan is less harsh on the leather fibers and ages more beautifully than any other leather you’re likely to find today.

There are a lot of veg tan bags on this list, but Satchel & Page’s is by far the most beautiful: dyed through and imbued with an array of waxes and oils, it has terrific luster and depth of character that will only get better with time. It looks antique and well cared for like it was in a museum, but not beat up in a way that comes off as casual.

Construction/Features

• 17″ x 12″ x 4.5″ (15 liters)
• Suede-lined interior
• Laptop sleeve fits two 16” laptops
• Interior zippered pocket and key clip
• Fits onto a travel bag
• Padded and suede-lined adjustable straps
• Exterior zippered pocket with area for phone, small notebook, passport, pens, and cables.
• Padded back for comfort

This is a well-designed bag. The laptop sleeve fits up to a 16″ MacBook Pro and they’ve also added a compartment for a tablet.

That’s usually all I demand for vintage bags like these, but there’s also suede lining, a zippered internal pocket, a front exterior pocket for organizing all the items you’ll travel with (including a passport), and there’s a pass-through luggage strap so you can attach it to your suitcase.

Quality backpack manufacturers reinforce stress points by adding rivets, which Satchel & Page added to the shoulder straps and carry handle where most of the weight will be felt.

[Related: My list of TheBest Boots for Men]

2) Best Leather Backpack for Office: Carl Friedrik Bowen ($645)

Pros

• Premium Italian vachetta leather
• Very elegant, minimalistic look
• Micro adjustable shoulder straps
• Individually polishedzippers
• Great color consistency(for dressier, less rugged use)
• Available in 3 colors

Cons

• Not a ton of pockets and sleeves
• Recessed front zipper pocket is hard to access if the bag’s full
• Pricey

If you want something that will impress CEOs and guys who only buy luxury bags that cost four figures, check out Carl Friedrik.

This is a direct-to-consumer brand that focuses on making Prada-level bags that are affordable to mere mortals. If you just want a very nice leather backpack and don’t want to pay 2,500 bucks for it you’ll like Carl Friedrik. (If you don’t want to pay over $500 for a backpack, you won’t. This is aimed at guys used to the luxury market.)

Carl Friedrik Bowen Leather

• Italian Vachetta leather
• Vegetable tanned
• Produced in a small, family-run tannery in Tuscany, Italy

Carl Friedrik’s signature material is vachetta leather. Like the Cravar and Satchel & Page backpacks it’s vegetable tanned, but there are a few key differences with vachetta, which is widespread among luxury brands.

Vachetta is distinguished by its high fat content, which gives it a buttery soft feeling, plus its typically unfinished with the surface of the hide exposed. But being typically made from calfskin instead of cowhide, it has a very smooth, consistent look. This vachetta comes from a small, family-run tannery in Florence, Italy.

Unlike the other bags we’ve looked at, this leather backpack comes in three colors: Cognac, Chocolate, and Black. I picked Black because it’s more dressy, but their other colors are no slouch.

Construction and Hardware

• 12.5″ x 15.3″ x 5.9″ (18.5 liters)
• Custom gunmetal hardware from Portugal
• Silver nickel finished zippers from Italy
• One zip pocket, two fabric pockets, two penholders, and a padded laptop sleeve

There are a fair few pockets in the interior, but this isn’t a bag for guys who want a technical, feature-rich hiking backpack. It’s for guys who enjoy the minimalist aesthetic that’s inspired by German and Swedish design.

What I really like about this bag is the hardware: custom-made matte gunmetal for the rivets and buckles, and individually polished silver-nickel zippers from Bergamo, Italy. These have a stunningly smooth look and feel to them: unlike some other high end zippers, these won’t scratch your laptop or fingers (I’m looking at you, Filson!).

Even though this is a simple design, you still get an integrated luggage strap, a padded back that provides airflow, and just enough pockets and sleeves that you aren’t frustrated.

There’s a lot to like about Carl Friedrik’s emphasis on using super high-end luxury materials while charging much lower prices than other brands who make similar products.

3) Best Casual Leather Backpack: Cravar’s Daypack ($515)

Pros

• No breakable parts
• Vegetable tanned leather
• Large sleeves for laptops and papers
• Padded shoulder straps
• Exterior water bottle holders
• Riveted stress points

Cons

• Very stiff leather takes time to break in
• No zippered pockets
• Very casual; might be too eye-catching for some

We also had to include Cravar’s Daypack, made by a tiny independent company in Indonesia that has become world renowned for their quality.

The only reason this isn’t our favorite backpack is that the design is less versatile and the stud closure system makes it a little hard to get in and out of when you’re on the go. That said, there are no zippers because it was designed to contain zero breakable parts, and it’s more secure from pickpocketers, so choose what’s best for your needs.

Cravar’s Leather

• Vegetable-tanned in pits
• Made over 2.5 months in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
• Available in 2 leathers and several twills

This leather isn’t quite as lustrous as Satchel & Page’s but it certainly holds its own and if you peruse the brand’s Instagram, you’ll see dozens of happy customers showing how wonderfully it ages.

Vegetable tanned in a series of pits with increasingly higher concentrations of tannins, Cravar developed this leather strictly for their own products and they keep the cost lower than Satchel & Page’s by being made entirely in Indonesia.

Construction and Features

• 10.6″ x 16.5″ x 5.3 ” (15.2 liters)
• Waterproof closure system
• Stud-secure laptop sleeve
• Key chain
• Exterior sleevefor papers/laptop
• Copper rivets

Note that there are two backpacks from Cravar: the Workpack (15.2-liter capacity) and this Daypack (21 liters).

It has 5 inside pockets, water bottle holders on the exterior, a front pocket that’s big enough to store A4 documents, a a luggage handle slot on the back to attach to your suitcase, and a spacious main compartment that’s lined with Sunbrella, a synthetic material that’s similar to canvas but it’s easier to clean and doesn’t pill.

The oversized flap makes it water resistant and a leather drawcord helps to further secure the interior, all without any zippers. The flap-and-strap approach does make it look more old timey than Satchel & Page, but for many customers that’s exactly what they want from a leather bag.

The last thing we’ll point out about this bag is the brass hardware and handset rivets, which are only found on 5 percent of backpacks. They are very durable, reinforce stress points, and look great — plus the studs are much easier to open and close on the go than a buckle system. (We’re thinking about the annoyance of buckling and rebuckling , here.)

Check out the rest of Cravar’s collection too if you’re interested in other great leather bags with personality in spades.

[Related: The Best Leather Bags for Men]

4) Best Rugged Leather Backpack: Saddleback Leather Co: Thin Front Pocket Backpack ($539)

Pros

• Very thick leather
• As few seams as possibleto minimize break points
• Extremely durable components
• Available in 4 colors
• 100-year warranty

Cons

• Best for outdoors, casual environments
• Bulky design; not for guys who want a sleek modern look
• Chrome tanned leather

Saddleback Leather Company has amazing leather, durable hardware, and transparent advertising. I recommend taking a look at their website; they might write some of the clearest and most entertaining marketing copy out there. (Their tagline is “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead.”)

Their backpack is extremely rugged and outdoorsy looking, something you can see Indiana Jones stashing an idol in. If you want a bag that you can depend on, as in 12,000 ft above elevation in the Rocky Mountains, this is that bag. Something for serious adventurers — or at least, guys who want to look like serious adventurers.

Saddleback’s Leather

• Thick full-grain, water-resistant leather
• Pigskin lining
• Mostly single pieces of leather for durability

Saddleback has their “lowest possible seams” approach to design.” Fewer pieces of leather equates to fewer seams and greater durability because of fewer places for the leather to tear. Whole cut leather boots and shoes are considered some of the highest quality, and the same goes for leather backpacks — even though more single pieces of leather makes a product more expensive.

This leather is famously thick and made at Lefarc Tannery, a world renowned facility with a great reputation for quality and sustainability. It’s not veg tan, but this is built so rugged that it’ll definitely outlast the 100-year warranty.

A brand for backpackers, hikers, and travelers, these are meant to get set down on dirty floors, dragged over abrasive surfaces, and thrown around by baggage handlers.

Features and Construction

• No breakable components
• Medical grade stainless steel
• Padded shoulder straps
• Lots of pockets and sleeves, great for work, traveling, and hiking
• Fits a 15″ MacBook Pro

This bag has all the features of durability we’ve discussed: lots of rivets and few seams, and the stitching is spaced out because fewer holes also equate to increased durability.

It’s a good size to take as your carry-on and day bag while traveling.

Saddleback added padded shoulder straps that are both durable and comfortable, and the pocket design is clever: they close with secure buckles, but with sleeves behind them so you can put your phone or travel documents in the quick access areas while moving through airport security, then transfer them to a secured pocket when you want them to be more protected.

There are no zippers or buckles because of their “no breakable parts” design philosophy, a little like Cravar. If you’ve ever owned an expensive hiking backpack and had a zipper break on the trail, you’ll appreciate this. Their stainless steel clasps are rated to hold up to 750 lbs without breaking, so unless you’re carting around a white dwarf star, you should be fine.

Lastly, you can fit multiple laptops in the interior sleeve. If you work in a casual office, or from home and like to travel, this bag is really great.

It’s not a cheap bag at $539 (and this is the smaller version; here’s the bigger, pricier one), but your bereaved relatives could be fighting over it after you’ve shed your mortal coil, so that’s pretty cool.

5) Best Value Leather Backpack: Madewell’s The Lorimer Backpack ($228)

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Veg tanned leather
• Versatile unisex bag

Cons

• Zippers aren’t technically unbreakable
• Doesn’t fit 16″ laptop (Maxes out at 15″)
• Country of origin unclear
• Technically it’s marketed at womenbut look, it’s unisex

This bag is a great value and works well for folks who carry smaller laptops or tablets — it won’t fit a 16-incher, but it’s a solid everyday bag with a simple and sporty style.

Madewell’s Lorimer Backpack Leather

• Vegetable tanned leather
• Tannery has gold rating from LWG

The headline is: veg tanned leather for under 300 bucks. That’s very inexpensive and very uncommon at this price point, which can only be explained by the fact the bag is “imported” — no info as to where it came from. Still, it’s meaningful that the tannery is Gold Rated by the Leather Working Group, which inspects tanneries worldwide to ensure best practices in everything from waste management to worker treatment. There are a lot of crummy tanneries out there; an LWG rating means peace of mind in this regard.

Features and Construction

• Wrapped zipper pulls
• Lots of pockets
• Casual look
• 15.5″x 11.37″ x 4.75″ (13.7 liters)

This is essentially a leather version of something like an Eastpak bag, so you get a simple design but the durability of leather.

I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re carrying heavy, dense things for long periods of time because the leather straps aren’t very padded, but if you’re looking for a bag to carry a tablet, water bottle, a sweater, a book — day-to-day things — this bag works really well.

I’d say it’s as functional as a messenger bag: it’s perfect for lots of little things but will get uncomfortable if there are heavy items. Also, the biggest laptop it can hold is 15 inches.

The bag costs $228. It’s just over half the price of most of these bags on this list. There are fewer features, but that very well could be a selling point for many people.

6) Best Suede Backpack: Bleu De Chauffe’s Camp Backpack (~$270)

Pros

• Lightweight
• Under $300
• Vintage look
• Made in France

Cons

• Not the most versatile look
• Doesn’t

Bleu De Chauffe is a French company that draws its influence from 19th and 20th-century outdoor gear, with the Camp based off of old climbing packs — check that center rope closure paying a special homage to them. What’s great about this brand is that each bag is only crafted by a single artisan, and once completed, they will sign the bag so you know who crafted it — no assembly lines here. This form of the intimate relationship between consumer and maker is rare these days.

All of their bags are crafted in France, and have roots in vintage designs updated for modern life. This is the perfect bag to bring on a day hike or for general commuting. It is small enough for you to squeeze through a crowd or through a dense forest and just the right size for your water, lunch, phone, and book.

Bleu De Chauffe Camp Leather

• A hardy vegetable tanned suede
• Structural components are made with vegetable-tanned leather
• Adjustable straps made with vegetable-tanned leather

Features and Construction

• Adjustable straps
• Removable interior zip pocket made from canvas
• Exterior center rope closure
• 38cm x 32cm x 18cm (20L)

We can’t work out why this bag is so inexpensive but we’re not complaining. The uniquely vintage design might not be for everyone but if you’re this deep into an article about leather backpacks, there’s a good chance you’ll find the Camp bag speaking to you.

7. Best Urban Leather Backpack: Carl Friedrik’s Day-to-Day ($495)

Pros

• Nubuck leather offers nice texture and can be paired with a leather jacket
• Modern design
• Micro adjustable shoulder straps
• Hidden pocket for valuables
• 3 colors available

Cons

• A little low on pockets
• Modern look may put off more vintage-minded guys

As a famously formal brand, I thought I was done with Carl Friedrik on this list until I saw their recently releasedcasualbackpack — that’s still made of leather.

This stands out as a backpack that’s thoroughly modern despite the traditional materials, and because it’snubuck. This is a form of leather that’s a little similar to suede in that it’s exposed the slightly nappy protein fibers of the leather, but it’s thicker and more durable. (You’ve probably seen nubuck on Timberland’s famous waterproof boot.) What the choice of nubuck does on the Day-to-Day Backpack is that it keeps the look more casual while also making for a leather backpack you can wear with a leather jacket! Because it’s so different to the smooth leather you’d have for the jacket!

We found that really exciting, coupled with the fact that this manages such a modern look. You also get the micro adjustable straps (a rarity when most leather backpacks have buckles and belt loops instead) and it’s made with collapsible construction to reduce bulk.

Carl Friedrik Day-to-Day Leather

• Vegetable tanned nubuck leather
• Vachetta leather detailing
• Nylon canvas lining from Italy

Features and Construction

• Micro-adjustable straps
• Collapsible constructionto reduce bulk
• Hidden pocket in luggage strapfor valuables
• 30cm x 42cm x 19cm (24L

A leather backpack you can wear with a leather jacket! That’s more than enough reason for us to love this bag, but the stripped down design and collapsible look makes it a great way to stay casual while boasting quality.

8. Best Minimalist Leather Backpack: Bleu de Chauffe’s Zibeline (~$573)

Pros

• Vegetable tanned leather
• Made in France
• All bags made by a single artisan

Cons

• Small exterior straps, meant to hold an umbrella or axe, might seem superfluous
• Straps aren’t micro adjustable
• Unusual design may not be for everyone

Bleu de Chauffe are making some of the most interesting bags in the game and their Zibeline is their luxury entry in the backpack scene. Made from vegetable tanned leather that’s unusually pliable, this backpack is inspired by traditional hiking bags, hence the small straps on the outside that were originally there to hold an axe or an icepick. You might find it handy for an umbrella, or you might think they’re unnecessary. We don’t mind them at all, and they help to keep this fairly unstructured bag from coming off as too feminine.

But it’s not too minimalist, there is indeed a zipped pocket on the exterior for wallets and phones, and the laptop sleeve actually fits a 16-inch laptop — handy, as I’m writing on one right now and am tired of bags that won’t accommodate it.

Bleu de Chauffe Zibeline Leather

• Vegetable tanned
• Unusually pliant
• Sanded velour finish on reverse side
• Available in brown and dark blue

Features and Construction

• Zipped pocket on interior and exterior
• Holds 16″ laptop
• 44cm x 38cm x 12cm (25L)

There’s a reason Bleu de Chauffe is featured on the Instagrams of just about every “rugged” guy with taste: their products are refined and hardy, and manage unique designs that stand out in a busy market.

9. Runner Up Best Value Leather Backpack: Johnston & Murphy’s Rhodes ($259)

Pros

• Full grain leather should age nicely
• Plenty of pockets inside and out
• Great value

Cons

• Not vegetable tanned
• Branding on exterior
• Two exterior pockets looks a tad schoolbag-y

If the Lorimer we mentioned earlier is a little feminine for your tastes, you’ll enjoy the angular, definitely-for-men Rhodes backpack from shoemaking giant Johnston & Murphy. The leather is chrome tanned and full grain, so it’ll acquire more and more character as you use it. We’re also big fans of the fact that it’s got a magnetic snap on the luggage handle to help it secure onto your rolling bag, plus the shoulder straps have a rubberized finish to keep the straps from slipping off your shoulders.

We’re no fans of the branding on the exterior and the second zippered pocket, while convenient, does make it feel a little more like a schoolbag but there’s nothing childlike about this leather.

How to Choose the Best Leather Backpack

I wrote an entire leather backpack buying guide you should check out, but I’ll put the main points in this article to save you a click.

Leather

Leather is one of the most important features of a leather backpack. You want to buy something that’s both durable and aesthetically pleasing, which is why I’ve chosen a lot of vegetable tanned leather: it’s very durable and acquires a lot of character as it ages

The fewer pieces of leather the better; seams and stitches can tear, plus it just looks better. Using a small amount of leather pieces increases the price, though, because it’s harder to make the bag from scrap.

Components

Components include pockets, zippers, buckles, magnets, velcro, padding, lining, flaps, and rivets. The guiding principle is fewer is better, except for rivets, which are very important to reinforce stress points like straps.

I like zippers for ease of access but they are also a breakable component, so many prefer studs or buckles. (They can break too, but it happens much less often.) Backpack buying is often an exercise in compromise: few bags have everything you want. That’s partly because you can’t easily design a pocket to have both convenience and security; if a pocket is easy for you to access, it’s probably easy for a thief to access. Lightweight bags are easier to carry than heavyweight, but they’re less durable. A simple design will look nicer and have fewer parts than a feature-rich design that might offer more practicality, and so on.

Size, Fit, and Comfort

Another balancing act is finding the right sized leather backpack.

Most leather backpacks I like hold between 14 to 18 liters. I think that’s the sweet spot for a bag that’s right for daily use and has a combination of elegance and practicality: bulky leather bags can easily look more out-of-place than bulky canvas backpacks, but a ~16-liter bag can be used for everyday carry, for work, as a carry on when you travel, and even for a hike. (If you’re OK with the weight.)

Fit and comfort are also important. I have broad shoulders and use my bags during all seasons, so I prefer adjustable straps that can fit over winter jackets and t-shirts.

Comfort at this size means cushioning. Some leather backpacks have unpadded leather straps, which look cool but dig into the skin when the bag is loaded up.

Brands

Lastly, I like to choose brands that are transparent, which means they tell you where they source their leather, hardware, and any other materials. I also don’t want to have to call them to find out if my 15” laptop and laptop sleeve will fit the bag; good companies invest in good product descriptions and tend to make high-quality products.

The bags I’ve chosen meet all of these requirements, which often means these are going to be a bit higher priced than cheaper alternatives but they are far more likely to last a lifetime.

Wrapping Up

The changed my view of leather backpacks and inspired this list. I also can’t go past Cravar’s consistently make high-quality, uniquely designed leather goods. If you want something super classy that’ll pass any CEO’s sniff-test, checkout Carl Friedrik — probably the best value if you are willing to drop $600 bucks.

Whatever backpack you choose, you can be confident we’ve collected the absolute best for your purposes here.