There's a difference between schlepping all your stuff around and carrying your daily essentials in style.
Let's say you've got an important business meeting coming up. Trust us, you don't want your first impression to be one of a guy barely keeping it together. Present yourself as a man who's organized, a little debonair, and has great taste.
Any of the five briefcases below will help get you there.
Bellroy Designers Edition Laptop Brief »
($590, available in Burnt Sienna and Black)
Bellroy really put all of their considerable design expertise and meticulous attention to detail into their recently released (and supremely handsome) DE Laptop Brief.
It's made from smooth, premium European leather that’s been tanned to the gold environmental standard of the Leather Working Group. On the inside you’ll find a lustrous, lightweight, suede-like lining that’s been sustainably produced and designed to hold up to years of use.
In terms of organization, the briefcase sports a magnetized compartment for laptops up to 13″, generous pockets for all your daily essentials (like your phone, chargers, sunglasses, notebooks, etc), a couple of pen loops, and an easily accessible business card pocket.
The Satchel & Page Aviator Brief »
($345)
When leather goods company Satchel & Page turned their attention to the waxed canvas game, the result was the Aviator Brief.
This sweet-looking travel briefcase is really something special. It features the company’s new British-sourced, 20 oz. waterproof waxed canvas with leather accents made from French cowhide shoulder, with some antique brass hardware to pull the look together. While it’s a handsomely rustic look, it won’t at all look out of place in today’s business environment.
The suede lining is a lighter “tobacco” color that’ll make it easier to identify the contents inside the surprisingly spacious interior, and there are a number of features (in addition to the main compartment itself) to keep your stuff organized:
- Padded laptop compartment — Fits a laptop or tablet up to 14.2″ wide, and is centered within the interior so the device won’t be scratched by the YKK zipper.
- Smartphone pocket
- Slots for pens and business cards
- Key clip
- Slip pockets on both sides of the exterior
The Framework Briefcase 2 by This is Ground »
($750)
When we first wrote about This is Ground's Framework Briefcase early last year, it was already a luxurious option crafted from a soft Italian vacchetta leather that's to die for. They've since updated that design to include a front dual-zipped organizer "Pod" for your smaller essentials — writing tools, cables, cards, a notebook, etc.
The main part of the bag still fits a 15″ laptop, an iPad and iPhone of any size, an Apple Pencil, a notebook or two, and then some. You’ll be the envy of everyone at the office or in the cafe. If you take it on a business flight, a pocket on the back unzips to let you slip the briefcase onto the handle of your roller.
The Canvas Briefcase by WP Standard »
($228)
WP Standard’s Canvas Briefcase is simple and stylish, with just a dash of rugged. The bag combines 18 oz green duck canvas with full-grain leather accents, plus a solid leather bottom. You can carry it with either the top grab handles or the detachable shoulder strap.
Inside the main compartment is an interior pocket, while the exterior provides easy-access pockets all around. The two-way top zipper lets you open and close the bag however you like.
The "Natural" version is especially classy:
Killspencer Briefcase 2.0 »
($525 for black or charcoal grey leather; $395 for black nylon)
The Killspencer Briefcase 2.0 is a classic briefcase fused with a tactical military aesthetic. Every single material choice feels considered, from the gorgeous full-grain leather to the interior nylon lining to the mil-spec webbing that composes the strap to the all-metal Cobra buckles used to secure the front flap.
You see and feel the quality when you run your hands over the nylon lining, or when you tuck an iPad Air snugly into one of the large front pockets. This bag was made by people who were paying very close attention to what they were doing. It's a real head-turner.
+ Read our full review of the Killspencer Briefcase 2.0.