The 17 Very Best Workbags for Women
Photo: Marcus McDonald
The best workbag isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes you need it to do everything at once: look professional but not too stuffy, accommodate gym sneakers and a laptop, and organize all the miscellany you definitely don’t need (reading material, kids’ toys, and even the odd wine bottle). Other times, you might just be looking for a stylish tote that fits the essentials and can go from in the office to after-work drinks. I cycle through a few options, ranging from my Longchamp Le Pliage Tote or Cuyana Easy Tote on lighter days to my Dagne Dover backpack for when I have more things to carry around (more on those below).
To help you find the bag that suits your lifestyle and budget, we surveyed a bunch of stylish, industrious women about the multitasking tote bags, backpacks, and over-the-shoulder options they rely on to get them through the workday — and beyond.
What
we’re
looking
for
Material
In general, you want a workbag that’s strong enough to hold heavy laptops and durable enough to survive being squished on the subway but still looks good to bring to the office. The material will be the main thing that determines that. Leather is a no-brainer in that department, but it can be expensive. Canvas, especially waxed or coated, is another common option; it’s still durable and usually less expensive than leather. We’ve also found some nice nylon options, which are generally easier to clean than either leather or canvas.
Price
Prices for workbags are broad, ranging from $20 to a few hundred dollars, depending on their durability and materials they’re made of. Most of our picks are in the range of $100 to $250, and we’ve found that’s generally the sweet spot for durability and looks. But we included affordable options as well as worth-it, and every bag is denoted as either $ (under $100), $$ (under $250), or $$$ (over $250).
Best overall workbag
Madewell Transport Tote
$168
Material: Leather | Price: $$
The Madewell Transport Tote has been a favorite of Strategist editors and readers alike, since it was first recommended to us by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen in 2018: “I do not have very exciting or expensive tastes in handbags; I just need a bag with a handle-drop length, so I can shove it over my shoulder while wearing a puffy jacket that holds a laptop, water bottle, and all the toys my kids swear they want to play with that I get stuck carrying home.” This tote is just that. Graphic designer Meagan Sapashe says it’s “quite literally the perfect medium” because it’s big enough to fit all of her day-to-day necessities without being too bulky. And we recommend taking advantage of Madewell’s complimentary personalization service: It’ll give you up to ten characters to play with, so feel free to go for your initials or favorite (short) phrase.
$168
at Amazon
$168
at Madewell
Mục Lục
Best (less expensive) workbag
Best workbag with zipper
Madewell the Zip-Top Transport Tote
$188
Material: Leather | Price: $$
Our favorite workbag from Madewell is also available with a top zip, in case you’re worried about accidentally dropping something from a too-stuffed tote. It’s also got two different sets of straps: two short top handles, plus a detachable shoulder strap that allows you to wear it across your body.
$188
at Shopbop
$198
at Madewell
Best workbag with compartments
Best work tote bag
Paravel Cabana Tote
$185
$185
Material: Canvas | Price: $$
Adair Ilynsky, co-founder of the salon Tenoverten, initially bought her Paravel tote in Domino Black for a recent international trip. It was so handy for keeping her things organized that it became her everyday workbag. Ilynsky notes that it’s spacious enough to fit everything: her computer, chargers, a sweater, a notebook. “And even a smaller handbag if I’m leaving the office to go out to lunch,” she says. What’s better is that the bag’s canvas outer is water resistant and easy to clean: “When I’ve spilled some matcha on it a few times, it’s wiped right off.”
$185
at Paravel
Best (less expensive) work tote bag
L.L. Bean Hunter’s Tote Bag, Open-Top
From
$40
Material: Polyester | Price: $
Siraad Dirshe, a storyteller and social-content manager at direct-to-consumer razor brand Flamingo, carries this “perfect-size” L.L.Bean canvas tote, which she says looks “slightly better than the old canvas tote bags” you probably have cluttering your apartment. “You can also customize it, which I really like.” Since L.L.Bean says the bag is designed to be taken when you go “waterfowling, dog training, or shooting,” you can safely bet that the durable polyester shell and water-resistant interior will stand up to daily use. The bag comes in medium, large, and extra large, but Dirshe prefers the medium for running around.
From
$40
at L.L. Bean
Best leather work tote bag
Cuyana Classic Easy Tote
$248
$248
Material: Leather | Price: $$$
Former Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson was a devoted Madewell Transport Tote user until one ill-fated trip to the airport, when the strap on her “(admittedly overstuffed) tote tore off” while she was waiting in the security line. She ordered the now-discontinued classic zipper version of this Cuyana bag from her phone on the spot and called it a “big upgrade.” “The pebbled leather doesn’t show scratches or wear as easily, and it holds everything you’d need for a workday,” she says. Both senior writer Liza Corsillo and I tested Cuyana’s new Easy Tote, which features the same pebbled leather as the classic. It comes in two versions — wide and tall — and I chose the latter. I appreciate its slim, streamlined silhouette and that it’s still able to fit my laptop, wallet, phone, keys, and even a couple journals. Corsillo has the wide version, which is now her go-to on her subway commute. “My favorite thing about it is how light the actual bag is, so I’m not adding any weight to what I’m carrying,” she says. “It also has double handles, so I can carry it two ways really easily.” Corsillo’s blue pebbled leather bag is currently unavailable, but you can shop the tote in seven other colors, including Pine and Cream.
$248
at Cuyana
Best faux-leather work bag
Medium Telfar Shopping Bag – Red
From
$448
From
$448
Material: Faux-leather | Price: $$$
“The main complaint I hear about Telfar bags is that the small is too small and the medium is too big — but I couldn’t disagree more,” says Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths, who used this shopper as a work bag. On previous commutes from Liverpool to London, “it had more than enough room to fit my laptop, a notebook, some snacks, a makeup bag, and even a change of clothes if I was heading out in the evening. It also never failed to turn heads on the Tube.” Griffiths knows faux- or vegan-leather bags can rub and fade over time, but after using her Telfar for work for two years, it still looks as good as the day it arrived.
From
$448
at StockX
Best crossbody work tote bag
Baggu Duck Bag (Sailor Stripe)
$34
$34
Material: Cotton | Price: $
Baggu’s Duck bag has been a favorite workbag here at the Strategist for a number of reasons. It has a snap closure, top handles, an adjustable strap long enough to make it a crossbody, and it’s deep enough to accommodate documents and a laptop. Kule’s content and partnerships manager, Elizabeth Tamkin, also counts herself as a fan. For about five years, she has used Baggu’s tote whenever she has her laptop on her. She likes that it is extremely long-lasting and sturdy, comes in fun patterns, and is machine washable.
$34
at Amazon
Best sustainable work tote bag
Kokolu Daily Eight Tote Bag
$49
$49
Material: Nylon made of postconsumer plastic | Price: $
While other bags on this list are made partially out of sustainable materials, this Kokolu tote is made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. Strategist senior editor Chelsea Peng, who has been carrying her work computer in the yellow Kokolu bag for three months now, says she “swears its springiness (probably thanks to the water bottles it’s made from) gives some sort of energy return that makes things feel lighter” than in other totes she’s owned. Peng also appreciates the bucket shape, because it can fit “a sweater, pouches, and other softer things around your laptop both to protect it and to obviously fit more inside.”
$49
at Kokolu
Best convertible tote for work
Freitag Backpackable Tote
$190
Material: Recycled tarpaulin | Price: $$
Suitcase Magazine columnist Anna Hart and designer Tyler McGillivary told us they use the sturdy bags from Freitag as their workhorse. The Swiss brand recycles truck tarpaulins into sturdy bags. Hart says her tote is a “compact yet virtually indestructible carry-on that can be converted into a comfortable backpack with a simple clip-on strap.” McGillivary also loves the strength and look of her bag: “It’s the perfect shade of yellow, in my opinion, and paired with a washed-out orange, it reminds me of fruit and fresh paint.”
$190
at Freitag
Best backpack for work
Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack
$195
Material: Neoprene and mesh | Price: $$
I’ve never been a big backpack person, but that may be because I always had a plain, unfussy Jansport. After testing out Dagne Dover’s Dakota backpack, I’m a backpack convert. It has that clean, minimalist look I like but with all the features I didn’t know I needed. It’s made of a thick, durable neoprene material that’s weather resistant and easy to clean and just looks more luxurious than canvas. My laptop, notebooks, pens, and other miscellaneous things stay organized with its laptop compartment, two exterior zipper pockets, interior zipper pockets, and more. And it’s incredibly comfortable to carry around with its padded straps. When we spoke to cool women for another story, it was also brought up multiple times. One of its fans, personal stylist Cassandra Sethi, says that the neoprene and mesh material “molds to your body and breathes.” Sethi adds that while it can comfortably “hold everything you need” for the workday, it’s also great for travel. She says “it was the perfect backpack to bring along” on her four-country honeymoon trip.
$195
at Dagne Dover
$215
at Beyond Yoga
Best (less expensive) backpack for work
Fjällräven Kånken Laptop Backpack 13”
From
$110
From
$110
Material: Vinylon F | Price: $
This backpack is typically on sale for less than $100, but even at its normal price of $110, it’s a steal. Strategist writer Lauren Ro has had hers for almost a decade, carrying it “every day on the subway in New York City, but I’ve also taken it hiking in the mountains of Vermont, island-hopping in Greece, on the beaches of Tulum, and through the streets of Seoul and Tokyo,” she says. Through all those treks, she promises there isn’t a single tear or any loose threads, and the zippers have never once snagged or come apart. The backpack is made out of Vinylon F, a synthetic material made out of polyvinyl alcohol that swells when it’s damp. That means it’s naturally water-resistant and long-lasting. As for its other features, it comes with a convenient separate laptop compartment, padding on the bottom, comfortable padded adjustable straps, and two side pockets for a water bottle or umbrella.
From
$110
at Amazon
$110
at Moosejaw
Best faux-leather backpack for work
Calpak Kaya Faux Leather Laptop Backpack
$128
Material: Faux-leather | Price: $$
For a “sleek, stylish, structured” backpack that’s just north of $100, style influencer Bethany Everett-Ratcliffe suggests this vegan-leather option from Calpak. It has a separate, zippered back compartment to keep your laptop secure, a luggage sleeve, and several zippered pouches inside the main compartment that help keep the rest of your belongings organized. While the bag is available in classic colors like black and brown, it also comes in blush and mint if you prefer something a little less predictable.
$128
at Calpak
Best workbag for travel
Longchamp Large Le Pliage Tote
$155
Material: Nylon | Price: $
Longchamp’s Le Pliage tote is a favorite among multiple Strategist staffers, including myself, for being so durable. New York Magazine deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff says hers has withstood nearly two decades of wear and tear, and Strategist editor Maxine Builder says her 15-year-old Le Pliage tote is a “classic in our household” that her fiancé has “permanently borrowed.” I personally bought mine secondhand about five years ago, and it’s held up through commutes and multiple vacations. It’s so durable because it’s made of a waterproof nylon material. Seattle-based knitwear designer and blogger Elisa Yip says that it “repels water to protect all my important stuff,” including her iPad, phone, wallet, makeup bag, and eyeglasses. Yip adds that it’s a great bag for traveling, since it can fold up and fit into a carry-on, making it a good choice if you’re someone who takes a lot of business trips (and the zip makes it one of our favorite personal items too).
$155
at Nordstrom
$155
at Longchamp
Best (less expensive) workbag for travel
LeSportsac Everyday Zip Tote
$110
$110
Material: Nylon | Price: $
If you’re looking for a more affordable nylon travel slash work tote, Rifle Paper Co. co-founder Anna Bond highly recommended the LeSportsac Classic Zip Top Tote. The zipper closure at the top of the bag is “a huge plus when I’m going to the office or traveling.” The interior pockets are helpful for organization, and especially useful for days when the agenda is particularly varied. “Every day is a little different, but as a working mom, I sometimes need room for my laptop as well as items for my son,” Bond says.
$110
at Le Sportsac
Best gym workbag
Caraa Studio 2 Bag
$348
$348
Material: Nylon | Price: $$$
While this bag may cost the same as two months of membership dues at a luxury gym, Katheryn Thayer, Kickstarter’s brand content director, says it’s a must if you love to work out after (or before) work. “Caraa’s super-versatile ‘luxury sports bags’ are magical,” she promises, noting that the bag “has a million secret pockets, adjustable straps that convert to a backpack or over-the-shoulder weekender, and a big, cushiony pouch for my laptop. Plus, it zips fully closed.” Thayer adds that people stop her in the street to ask where she got it all the time. (If you’re just looking for a gym bag, we’ve got lots more options at various price points here.)
$348
at Caraa
Our experts
• Karen Iorio Adelson, former Strategist senior writer
• Dianna Baros, Budget Babe
• Anna Bond, Rifle Paper Co. co-founder
• Maxine Builder, Strategist editor
• Liza Corsillo, Strategist senior writer
• Siraad Dirshe, social-content manager at Flamingo
• Bethany Everett-Ratcliffe, content creator
• Rachael Griffiths, Strategist writer
• Anna Hart, slow travel columnist at Suitcase Magazine
• Adair Ilynsky, co-founder of salon Tenoverten
• Tyler McGillivary, designer
• Chelsea Peng, Strategist senior editor
• Deb Perelman, author and Smitten Kitchen writer
• Lauren Ro, Strategist writer
• Meagan Sapashe, graphic designer
• Jade Stenger, high-school assistant principal
• Cassandra Sethi, personal stylist
• Alexis Swerdloff, New York Magazine deputy editor
• Elizabeth Tamkin, content and partnerships manager at Kule
• Katheryn Thayer, brand content director at Kickstarter
• Elisa Yip, knitwear designer and blogger
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