Ways to Winter-Proof Your Leather Bags

Your bag completes your look and keeps your things together, whatever the occasion. You want it to look good through every season, including the cold, wet one. Here is how to get a leather bag safely through winter.

Apply a water-repellent treatment

Water can stain leather and change its texture. A protective spray or cream made for leather helps it shed rain and snow. Ask the seller or a leather specialist which product suits your type of leather, and test it on a hidden spot first: some treatments can darken the color slightly.

Keep your leather dry

Whether it is a backpack, a handbag or a wallet, shield your leather from rain and snow as much as you can. Repeated soakings lead to stains and cracks. Carry an umbrella big enough to cover you and your bag, and if the bag does get wet, blot it and let it dry slowly at room temperature, never next to a heater.

Limit exposure and keep it moisturized

Winter is hard on leather from both sides: wet weather outside, dry heated air inside. Avoid leaving your bag in harsh conditions for long, and give it a leather conditioner every so often so it does not dry out and crack.

A little care goes a long way. With these habits, your leather bag will stay with you for many winters. For year-round care, read how to maintain leather bags, and see our leather bags.