Timeless Leather Bags for Men That Command Authority in 2025

A decent leather bag speaks volumes about masculinity, practicality, and class. All high-quality men’s leather bags attract respect, regardless of their variety in styles, colours, sizes, or shapes.

No other material exudes sophistication quite like a backpack, whether you’re using it to carry your laptop into the boardroom, your workout gear to the gym, or your stuff when hiking in the wilderness.

We’re not referring to “genuine leather bags” here, a word frequently misused to refer to genuine, premium leather. Anyone who has actually owned genuine leather understands that imitations will never provide the same level of pleasure.

When purchasing your first leather bag, knowing what to look for as a novice shopper is crucial. You want something as highly functional, distinctive, and durable as well-worn boots.

What to consider when selecting your bag

If you choose to buy a wallet, saddlebag, or another piece of real leather, you should carefully examine the underside of the skin for markings that state top-grain, full-grain, or genuine leather.

Even though the industry uses many more terminologies to categorize various types of leather, these three definitions offer a decent place to start when deciding between genuine leather and imitations.

Each grade represents a particular aspect of the leather product, which, in turn, affects how natural it looks, how durable it is, and how it feels against your skin.

Here is a list of things to consider while looking for a new leather briefcase or men’s leather backpack:

Hide type

The quality of the finished item directly depends on the animal used to create your leather purse or wallet. A thicker hide typically has a longer lifespan and produces a heavier final product. The buffalo hide excels in this regard due to its weight and thickness.

Buffalo leather is your best option if you seek leather that lasts over time. Goat or crocodile leather can be found on the thinner side of the rawhide and has several advantages, such as comfort and ease of use. Cow leather is in the center, thick enough to sustain use and soft enough to touch.

Bag type

The best leather bags for guys are available in a wide range of sizes and forms. There are several options, including backpacks, holdalls, and messenger bags. Think about what you want to decide which style you require.

Does it have to be large or compact? Do you desire to grasp it? Or carry it on your shoulder or back? It will be simpler to reduce your alternatives once you have a clearer idea of what you want.

Price

The kind of leather, the brand, and the features of a leather bag are only a few factors determining the cost. The price range for smaller types is from $60 to $6,000 for designer names and large luxury holdalls.

Size

The size of leather bags varies. Some are large enough to hold a weekend’s worth of clothing, while others simply have enough for the necessities. Make a list of the contents of your new bag before you buy it. This will help you determine the size you’ll need.

We have a full article here Buying a leather bag.

Leather Grades

Consider the leather grade to get the most value for your money. From this picture of the leather-making process, you’ll see that the most outstanding leather grades naturally have the longest life expectancies.

Rawhide is divided into the top and bottom halves before turning into leather. Similar to how you skim the cream off the top of milk, the best leather comes from the top hide. From this area, top-grain and full-grain leather are produced. Sometimes the bottom is divided further to create more grades.

Learn more in our post Leather grades.

Full-grain Leather

Full-grain leather is the best there is when it comes to leather; it is the genuine deal. In contrast to other grades, it is delivered with all its layers intact. That guarantees the kind of richness, depth, and character that can only be obtained from the best leather money can buy.

Like in the wild, where it is exposed to all the elements throughout an animal’s lifespan, full-grain leather is extremely tough and capable of withstanding the roughest conditions. This material comes directly from the animal into the bag and is used to make your leather bag. Most of the time, full-grain leather is used to create high-end accessories, footwear, and luggage. It also ages with leather patina.

Learn more in our article Full-grain leather.

Top-grain Leather

Top-grain leather is typically altered by having its top layer sanded away to remove flaws, unlike full-grain leather, which comes with the original grain intact.

Following this, top-grain leather is stamped with an artificial grain to give it a more uniform appearance, albeit doing so results in the loss of some of its strongest fibers. But if uniforms are what really tickles your fancy, top-grain leather has you covered.

Learn more in our article Top-grain leather.

Genuine Leather

Be cautious if something is labeled as genuine leather. The lowest quality of genuine leather now offered has this designation in the leatherworking industry.

Although technically still leather, it lacks the durability and luster of leather of higher quality. Industry professionals would inform you that it is a highly processed, subpar product that lacks the natural grain of the original hide.

Before processing, genuine leather occasionally gets mixed with remnants of older leather to make it resemble top-grain or full-grain leather. However, if you’re short of money, real leather is still preferable to cheap synthetic imitators.

Learn more in our article Genuine leather.

Bonded leather

Bonded leather, often known as PU or imitation leather, isn’t actually made of leather like genuine leather. Bonded leather doesn’t gracefully age since it is made from a complex mixture of dust, vinyl, and plasticized leather fragments.

It is the preferred material for products like subpar purses, inexpensive upholstered furniture, and other leather goods. It has a large carbon footprint due to being a synthetic product that is chemically produced, which makes it even less appealing.

Read more on How leather is made.

Leather Bag Types

Messenger Bags

Due to their potential for versatility, messengers are one of the most popular types of men’s leather bags.

Everyone from college students to corporate executives may rely on a messenger for regular use because of its timeless appearance and unquestionable usefulness.

They take their name from the bag design that bike messengers frequently use; this bag has a huge protective flap that covers the top and front of the bag.

Although messengers on bicycles typically carry lighter bags made of synthetic materials, a messenger made of leather instantly boosts the image.

A substantial leather messenger bag resembles a cross between a classy briefcase and a robust leather shoulder bag.

The best leather messenger bags come with adequate inner pockets to accommodate things like business cards, pens, and many other small items, as well as a dedicated laptop case that will keep your computer secure.

At Von Baer, you can buy messenger bags, learn about messenger bags, or compare the best messenger bags.

Work Bags

Work bags resemble messenger bags in terms of size and style, but they lack the protective flap that covers the bag’s front. Typically, they are either laptop bags or briefcases.

Instead, they feature a top zipper that opens like a duffle bag, but work bags are slender and rectangular like a briefcase.

As suggested by their name, they’re a wonderful choice for transporting items to and from the office, particularly if you only need to carry lightweight items like a tiny tablet or a few vital documents.

Work bags typically have a more relaxed vibe than messenger bags.

However, you can improve the way they appear and feel by selecting a top-grain leather bag of high quality, which has a more upscale appearance (and fare better in the long run).

Shop leather work bags from Von Baer, or see the best bags to wear with a suit.

Duffle Bags

Another well-liked leather option is a duffle bag, which is also occasionally written duffel bag.

You can throw your water bottle and workout clothes in it on the way to the gym, bring it on a plane as your carry-on, or use it as a weekender or overnight bag for short excursions because it is roomier and more informal than your typical laptop messenger bag.

It’s vital to remember that duffles don’t really work for the office or more formal situations because they don’t have the same professional appearance as messenger bags.

However, a duffel might be your best choice if you want a casual all-purpose bag that can be used for almost anything else.

You can buy leather duffel bags from Von Baer, or see the Best leather duffle bags here.

Backpacks

Because they make them feel childish and conjure up images of the playground, men frequently avoid wearing backpacks.

The best leather backpacks, however, can really empower wearers.

You can’t help but feel like an Army Ranger putting on your pack when you tighten the straps on a well-made and durable leather backpack since leather looks indisputably badass.

(Or like Captain America wearing his shield on his back, if you’re a giant nerd like me.)

Any leather bag should be made of high-quality leather. However, backpacks may be the exception:

High-quality leather will improve the appearance overall, as opposed to cheap or low-quality leather, which tends to have a negative impact.

Shop Von Baer men's leather backpacks, or see the best business backpacks for men.

Travel Bags

Any non-suitcase bag that is practical for transporting your belongings from one point to another is generally called a “travel bag.”

Most frequently, this refers to duffels and backpacks, which have more interior storage space and can hold more items than slimmer man bags like messenger or work bags.

A designated shoe compartment and outside pockets for anything you require easy access to, such as your passport or boarding pass, are other characteristics that travel bags have.

Shop Von Baer leather travel bags for men, or compare the best men's travel bags.

Sling Bags

Sling bags, also known as cross-body bags, range in size and cargo capacity from a fanny pack to a messenger bag.

They’re perfect for people who need a small bag to take on their bike or who need to carry a few extra goods that can fit in their pockets on a daily basis.

The beautiful thing about acquiring a leather sling bag is that it transforms a purely functional bag into an elegant and macho one. Lightweight nylon and synthetic sling bags are available at retailers like REI.

Toiletry Bags & Dopp Kits

A leather dopp kit, also known as a toiletry bag, is terrific since it makes carrying around all your hygiene, grooming, and skin care goods less obviously male.

You could feel high maintenance when carrying all your grooming supplies. (at least, it does for us).

The good news is that carrying toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, and a stubble trimmer while encasing them in tough animal skin feels much cooler.

Browse Men's leather toiletry bags, or compare the best travel toiletry bags.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our article on best leather bags for men.

If you have any questions or comments, contact us at info@vonbaer.com, or leave them in the comments.

Want to read more? Check out our Leather pages here, or our Work pages here.

Author: Albert Varkki

Albert Varkki is the co-founder of Von Baer. He understands leather products as a consumer, supplier, and a manufacturer, helping you with the inside knowledge you need, to choose the perfect leather product for you.

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