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20 Best Work Bags for the Office and Beyond

Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the Retailer

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For those who are begrudgingly heading back to the office after a nice long holiday break: We found some of the best work bags to bring along with you. You didn’t need a hefty tote when you were “commuting” from, say, your bed to your kitchen table, but you might need one now that you’re lugging your laptop, chargers, lunch, extra sneakers, and multiple lip balms.

What kind of bag should I bring to work?

Glad you asked. Totes, shoulder bags, and backpacks are all options, but if you’re more of a minimal person, you can go with a smaller crossbody. Just like the best dresses, it must have pockets and come in a color that would either go with all of your clothing or clash pleasingly with everything you own. And, of course, it has to be non-hideous. Plus, durable materials like leather and nylon are preferable since it’ll get a lot of use.

What qualifies as a good work bag?

We’re judging totes, shoulder bags, and backpacks on three main factors: functionality, strength, and durability. The best work bags on the market feature plenty of pockets, straps, and clever design details that make the process of transporting your work and personal items to and from the office so much easier. They also need to be strong enough to hold heavy laptops and durable enough to withstand commuter wear and tear. Our picks below are stylish, too — you definitely want a work bag that adds to your business-casual office outfit, not one that takes away from it.

Meeting all these criteria without completely draining your reserves seems borderline impossible, but we found a lot of nice-looking, practical options that won’t set you back thousands of dollars. Below are 20 of the best work bags for schlepping, hauling, transporting, etc. all your stuff to and fro.

The Most Stylish Work Bag

$200
Photo: Courtesy of the Retailer

Material: 100 percent leather | Colors: 4 | Dimensions: 13 inches high x 6.25 inches deep x 9.75 inches wide

Your favorite brand made the perfect work bag.

The Best Classic Black Work Bag

Photo: Courtesy of the Retailer

Material: Italian leather | Colors: 3 | Dimensions: 13.25 inches high x 19.5 inches wide x 6 inches deep

You can’t go wrong with a basic black tote that’s big enough to fit everything from your laptop to a change of shoes.

The Closet Staple

Material: Italian leather | Colors: 9 | Dimensions: 12.3 inches high x 20.6 inches wide x 5.1 inches deep

Say hello to the basic work bag you can always rely on. The Cuyana Classic Easy Tote is spacious, versatile, lightweight, comfortable (thanks to the unique double handle), and available in nine different colors. It is designed to be your “everyday companion” for years to come.

The Most Practical Work Bag

Material: Coated canvas and vegan leather | Colors: 3 | Dimensions: 14.75 inches long x 11.5 inches high x 6 inches wide

If you’ve ever owned a Dagne Dover bag, you knew the brand specializes in durable and intentional designs that make life easier — and this work bag is no exception. It’s sturdy and spacious, plus it’s equipped with a padded laptop sleeve, phone and wallet sleeves, a lipgloss loop (!), and a water-bottle holder. so you can stay organized during your commute.

The Best Work Bag With a Zipper

Material: Leather | Colors: 9 | Dimensions: 12.25 inches high x 11 inches wide x 5.5 inches deep

The brand’s aptly named Transport tote is a perennial favorite, and for good reason — it’s soft, lightweight, and looks just as good after years of wear and tear.

The Work Tote for Fashion Girls

Material: Custom-developed pebbled vegan ultrafiber leather; vegan ultrafibe lining | Colors: 5 | Dimensions: 19 inches long x 11 inches high x 5.5 inches wide

Whether you’re going to happy hour with co-workers or meeting up with some friends after a long day at the office, this is the effortlessly cool tote you’ll actually want to carry. It will add to the vibe of your day-to-night look instead of taking away from it.

The Best Affordable Work Bag

Material: Faux leather | Colors: 14 | Dimensions: 17 inches long x 11.8 inches high x 4.5 inches wide

Your eyes are not deceiving you: This really does cost only $18. It just looks much more expensive because of the understated design and pretty light-blue hue.

The Best Recycled Option

Material: Italian leather | Colors: 9 | Dimensions: 14.17 inches high x 9.84 inches wide x 3.54 inches deep

This very cool tote from Ganni features an adjustable strap so you can make it a cross-body bag.

The Most Comfortable Tote Bag

Material: Vegetable-tanned leather | Colors: 4 | Dimensions: 12.5 inches high, 12.5 inches wide, and 5 inches deep

For me, an absolute no-no when it comes to work bags is an uncomfortable strap that digs into my shoulder blade while I’m commuting. By the time I finally make it to my desk, I’m in pain! Enter the Everyday Crossbody by Harper. It features an extra-long and extra-thick strap that can be worn as is or tied in a variety of different ways to achieve maximum comfort and functionality. Also, the minimalist, chrome-free design will go with everything in your closet.

For Phoebe Philo Fans

Material: Leather | Colors: 19 | Dimensions: 9.1 inches wide x 5.3 inches deep x 12.1 inches high

And if you were into Philo’s bucket bag, here’s a similar version that’s under $100.

The Most Spacious Work Bag

Material: Recycled nylon | Colors: 3 | Dimensions: 15 inches wide x 19.7 inches high x 9 inches deep

This can fold down into the tiniest zip pouch, but when you take it out, boy, does it really expand. You can fit everything from extra clothes, sneakers, your laptop, and quite possibly your medium-size Labradoodle if your office is dog friendly. It’s also made of durable nylon and has interior pockets to keep you organized.

The Best Everyday Tote

$194
Photo: Courtesy of the Retailer

Material: Cotton canvas | Colors: 6 | Dimensions: 17 inches long x 6 inches deep x 13 inches high

The best of both worlds: the luxury of a designer tote, without breaking the bank. And this one doubles as the perfect travel carry-on when you take your PTO.

The Bold Option

Material: Recycled cotton, faux leather, and post-consumer plastic | Colors: 5 | Dimensions: 16.14 inches high x 22.4 inches wide x 4.72 inches deep

If your office is a fashionable place full of very cool people (à la New York Magazine), you should absolutely dress to impress and choose a tote bag that shows off your personality. This Poppy Lissiman one, which features the work of artist John Prince Siddon, will make even your most boring office outfit feel more fashion-forward.

The One You’ll Use on Weekends Too

Material: 100 percent polyester with a waterproof coating | Colors: 1 | Dimensions: 19 inches long x 14 inches wide x 2.5 inches deep

Durable and waterproof, this tote is the perfect size for all your essentials during the work week and everything you might need on the weekends too. You don’t have to worry about forgetting your shopping bags during your next farmers’ market run.

The Shiny Option

Material: 100 percent leather exterior, 100 percent organic cotton lining | Colors: 6 | Dimensions: 15.748 inches wide x 9.84 inches high x 3.74 inches deep

Available in four different colors, this shiny, boxy bag has a vintage look. Not only does it fit your laptop, but there’s also space on the outside to secure your yoga mat for post-work classes. Remember those? It is so beloved that is currently on a wait list, but trust it it’s worth the wait.

The Monogrammed One

Material: Water-resistant coated canvas | Colors: 4 | Dimensions: 11.4 inches high x 12.6 inches long x 6.3 inches deep

Tory Burch has been infiltrating our closets, so it comes to no surprise we’re including it in this roundup, too. This monogrammed tote has a spacious interior and a zip to conceal all your essentials. Plus it’s available in five colorways, so one is bound to match your style.

The Best Work Bag for Traveling

Material: Vegan leather and coated polyester | Colors: 7 | Dimensions: 14.25 inches wide x 11 inches high x 6 inches deep

Yes, Béis’s work tote is just as good as its weekender bag. Shocker! Available in five colorways, this tote marries fashion and function. It’s spacious enough for your laptop and water bottle and has a trolley pass-through so you can slide it on your carry-on.

The Unconventional One

Material: Seagrass straw | Colors: 2 | Dimensions: 13.5 inches wide x 11.5 inches high x 8 inches deep

Granted, this isn’t a bag you can throw around at the end of your long work day since the straw material is more delicate than your typical leather or nylon work totes. However, given it’s extra-large size, you can fit everything you need to get the job done and then some. Plus it doubles as a statement piece when you pair it with all your work-friendly blazers and trousers.

The Best Splurge Bag

Material: Calfskin | Colors: 7 | Dimensions: 12.9 inches length x 17.3 inches wide x 6.2 inches wide

For busy days that require a few different pairs of shoes, a change of clothes, and makeup products for touchups (along with all your other work essentials), this extra-large tote is unrivaled. Its rare star-shaped silhouette and soft-to-the-touch material is worth investing in.

The Other Really Good Splurge …

Material: Leather | Colors: 1 | Dimensions: 12.6 inches high x 15.7 inches wide x 2 inches deep

No one does oversize slouchy bags quite like Bottega. This one feels especially dressy and luxurious, thanks to the gold metal handle.

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20 Best Work Bags for the Office and Beyond