Leather Bags: How to Spot Real Leather and Choose a Bag That Lasts for Years

A good leather bag starts with the material line: "genuine leather" or "full grain leather" is animal hide, while "PU leather" or "synthetic leather" is plastic made to look like leather. After the material, you choose the type of bag by how you will use it and by the size of your laptop, keeping in mind that leather weighs more than fabric. Below: the types of leather, which bag suits whom, how much it weighs and how to look after it.

Types of leather: what the label says and what it means

On leather bags you will find several terms that sound alike but describe different things:

• Full grain leather: the top layer of the hide, with its natural texture. It lasts the longest and develops a deeper tone over the years.
• Genuine leather: animal hide, but the term is broad and does not say which layer. That is why it is worth reading the full product description too.
• Crazy Horse leather: leather with an oily finish that gives a vintage look, where every light scratch becomes part of its character. The Vanilla briefcase, for example, is made of this type of cowhide.
• PU or synthetic leather: a man-made material. It is lighter and needs less care, but it does not improve with time the way leather does.

Some bags combine both materials. The Pulsarzx Xtreme crossbody bag, for example, is made from a blend of genuine leather and microfiber synthetic leather. That is not a flaw, it is just important to know what you are buying.

Real or synthetic leather: how to tell

In a store you can touch and smell. Online, start by reading the material and features line on the product page. A few signs that help in both cases:

• Texture: in real leather the pores and creases are irregular. A pattern that repeats exactly usually points to a synthetic material.
• Edges: in real leather the cut edges look fibrous, while synthetic edges are smooth like plastic.
• Weight: real leather is heavier. A leather briefcase with a laptop compartment usually weighs more than a kilo.
• Smell: leather has a familiar smell, synthetic material does not.

If your question is mostly about overall quality, not just the material, we wrote about how we choose materials and check quality before a product goes on the site.

Which leather bag is right for you

Start with what goes into the bag on a normal day, and how you get to work:

For a bag that carries a laptop, the first rule is screen size. We have grouped the leather bags for 13.3" to 14" screens and the leather bags for 15.6" to 16" screens, and you will find every model in the leather bags category. Torn between a backpack and a shoulder bag? We have a guide comparing shoulder bags and backpacks for work.

How much does a leather bag weigh

This is the one drawback worth knowing in advance. The weights, according to the product pages:

• Pulsarzx Xtreme crossbody bag: 350 grams.
• Vanilla slim briefcase: 730 grams.
• Tundra Business briefcase: 1,080 grams.
• Hilot backpack: 1,330 grams.
• Valley Max briefcase: 1,400 grams.

For comparison, a light fabric backpack for a 14-inch laptop such as The Lopez weighs 400 grams. If you walk a lot or also carry a heavy laptop, you will prefer a leather backpack, which spreads the weight across both shoulders. Some of the briefcases, such as Tundra and Valley Max, also come with a trolley sleeve that slides over the handle of a rolling suitcase, so at the airport you don't have to carry them at all.

Brown or black

With leather bags, color matters more than with fabric bags, because leather ages. Brown leather, and Crazy Horse in particular, takes on a deeper, glossier tone over time in the places you touch, and that is part of its charm. Black leather keeps a uniform, formal look and suits people who work in a buttoned-up environment or want a bag that looks new for a long time. Some models come in both colors, such as Valley Max, which is available in black and dark brown, and on the product page you can see each color separately.

Leather and rain

Leather does not like to stay wet for long, which is why some bags have a water-repellent coating, such as Tundra Business and Hilot. A coating like this protects against light rain and splashes, not against being submerged or a long walk in heavy rain. If the bag gets wet, wipe it with a cloth and let it dry on its own at room temperature.

How to care for a leather bag

The care instructions on our product pages are simple:

• Clean with a damp cloth only.
• Keep it away from direct heat, such as a heater or the sun inside a car.
• Do not use harsh cleaning products, and do not wash it.

Light scratches on Crazy Horse leather are part of the look, and they blend in over time. We covered the same principles of real versus synthetic leather in our guide to choosing a leather wallet.

Warranty and service

Bags and backpacks come with a 12-month warranty on all components, such as zipper pulls, handles and stitching, unless the product page says otherwise. Scratches and signs of use on the leather are cosmetic damage and are not covered by the warranty. Looking for a bag for meetings? Our guide to choosing a briefcase will help you decide.