Buying guide · 9 min read
How to Choose a Leather Briefcase You'll Still Carry in 2036
Laptop fit, strap geometry, and the four details that separate a real briefcase from a leather-look box.
Dana Okonkwo — Co-founder, design · March 3, 2026
Most people buy a briefcase one size too big and one grade too soft. Size it to the laptop you actually own, and buy the firmest hide you can tolerate — soft feels good in the shop and sags in year two.
Check these four things
- Padded sleeve dimensions, not just the stated inch rating — measure your machine
- Strap anchors bar-tacked into a reinforced panel, not riveted through single-layer leather
- A base that stands on its own, ideally with protective feet
- Edges that are sanded, dyed and burnished — raw edges fray, painted-only edges chip
Two bags, not seven
Most people need something that carries a laptop into work and something small enough to wear across the chest on the weekend. That is the entire wardrobe. It is why we make ten pieces instead of ninety.
A note on honesty
We sell bags, so read this with that in mind. Everything above is what we tell friends who ask, and most of it costs nothing. If a cheaper bag does the job for how you carry, buy the cheaper bag.
