We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Travel Products Luggage + Bags Backpacks, Totes + Small Bags The 10 Best Leather Backpacks of 2024 For work days or weekend trips, these leather backpacks will get your belongings where they need to go. By Stefanie Waldek Stefanie Waldek Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design journalist with expertise in aviation, meteorology, and polar regions. She was a former editor at Architectural Digest, TripAdvisor, and ArtNews. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on January 5, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Tips for Buying Frequently Asked Questions Why Trust T+L Photo: Travel + Leisure / Kristin Kempa If you love the practicality of a backpack but prefer a bag with a more polished or professional appearance, a leather backpack might be the perfect solution — the material certainly elevates the bag's look, after all. Whether you're headed off to the office, to explore a new city for the weekend, or just to the gym for an hour, an exceptional leather backpack can truly do it all. When researching the many products currently available, we prioritized several key features: storage, organization, appearance, practicality, and price. Taking these into consideration, we've compiled this list of the best leather backpacks across a variety of categories. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Shinola The Runwell Backpack at Nordstrom $1,095 Jump to Review Best for Laptops: Leatherology Sloan Backpack at Leatherology.com Jump to Review Best Organization: Lo & Sons Westholme at Loandsons.com Jump to Review Most Spacious: Tumi Brief Pack at Tumi.com Jump to Review Best Compact: Cuyana Mini Leather Backpack at Cuyana.com Jump to Review Best Splurge: Yves Saint Laurent Joe Backpack in Lambskin at Ysl.com Jump to Review Best Budget: Mark & Graham Zoe Leather Backpack at Markandgraham.com $130 Jump to Review Best with Power Bank: Bee & Kin The Midi Nomad Backpack at Beeandkin.com Jump to Review Best Convertible: Hobo Merrin Convertible Backpack at Zappos $328 Jump to Review Best Vegan Leather: Monos Metro Backpack at Monos.com $200 Jump to Review Best Overall Shinola The Runwell Backpack PHOTO: Shinola $1,095 at Nordstrom $1,095 at Shinola.com $1,095 at Neiman Marcus Why We Love It It has a 17-liter capacity. What to Consider It's a tad on the heavy side. Shinola is a Detroit-based luxury lifestyle brand known for its watches and leather goods, which includes this backpack. First and foremost, we love its capacity — it has 17 liters of space in its main compartment, which is more than enough for a change of clothes and even a pair of shoes, plus it’s ideal for the gym or a quick overnight trip. There's also a padded, protective laptop sleeve that fits devices up to 15 inches in size. Additional interior pockets keep power cables, tablets, papers, and pens neat and organized. Want to keep essential smaller items close at hand? A front zip exterior pocket is perfect for a phone, cards, or a passport. And when it comes to style, we especially love the soft natural-grain leather in tan, but you can also order this bag in black if you prefer. Perhaps the only minor drawback to this backpack is that it's a bit on the heavy side at nearly four pounds, but that's a frequent tradeoff for picking leather over a synthetic material. The Details: 17 x 10.38 x 6 inches | 3.9 pounds Best for Laptops Leatherology Sloan Backpack PHOTO: Leatherology View on Leatherology.com Why We Love It The color options go far beyond traditional tan and black. What to Consider This backpack only accommodates laptops up to 15 inches. If you're seeking an elevated bag for work or school, Leatherology's Sloan backpack has a laptop sleeve made of neoprene to protect a 13- to 15-inch laptop, with two interior pockets that are perfect for power cables. A spacious main compartment and smaller front compartment provide a surprising amount of storage capacity for a relatively slim backpack, while external pockets provide a spot for a water bottle. This stylish, minimalist bag comes in eight color options in its standard size and four color options in its mini size. Both can be customized with a monogram; choose from up to three dainty metallic letters or two large embossed ones. The Details: 15 x 13.5 x 5 inches Best Organization Lo & Sons Westholme PHOTO: Lo & Sons View on Loandsons.com Why We Love It It's lightweight for a large leather backpack. What to Consider It's only available in one color. This backpack, made of soft black sheepskin leather, has abundant sleeves, pockets, and features that ensure all of your belongings have their own designated spaces. Exterior side pockets for drinks and a front pocket for travel documents keep essentials within easy reach. On the inside, you'll find a removable insert that can store a tablet or documents, with additional slots for pens and pencils. There are two sizes of this bag; the medium has an 11.6-liter capacity for its main compartment, while the large has a 15.5-liter capacity. Both are extremely lightweight for leather, weighing 2.5 and 2.6 pounds, respectively. On both bags, there's also an exterior sleeve that allows you to easily slip your Westholme over luggage handles so that you can roll it along with your suitcase. The only downside we could find with this backpack is that black is the only color option. The Details: 15.5 x 11.5 x 4 inches | 2.5 pounds The 15 Best Leather Overnight Bags of 2024 Most Spacious Tumi Brief Pack PHOTO: Tumi View on Tumi.com Why We Love It It's also lightweight for a large leather backpack. What to Consider The average person may not need this much space, or this many compartments. The Tumi Brief Pack is the bulkiest backpack on our list, but it makes excellent use of its extra space — all 27 liters of space, that is. There are six exterior compartments with another ten pockets and sleeves tucked away inside. Your cards, laptop, tablet, pens, keys, cables, and drinks will all find their respective homes in the Tumi Brief Pack. We especially liked that one of the zipped side compartments includes water-resistant lining, a surprisingly unique feature among backpacks given these pockets are often used for liquids. This jumbo bag is probably best suited for business travelers — or really any travelers who need to maximize their carry-on space. While this model is only available in black, it can be monogrammed to make it uniquely yours. The Details: 17 x 12 x 8 inches | 3.9 pounds Best Compact Cuyana Mini Leather Backpack PHOTO: Cuyana View on Cuyana.com Why We Love It It's one of the most stylish backpacks on our list. What to Consider The magnetic closure isn't the most secure option. A backpack doesn't need to be a bulky carry-all. Sometimes you just need a purse-sized bag you can carry hands-free with no shoulder pain. Behold the Cuyana Mini Leather Backpack, a simple, elegant bag with enough pockets and sleeves to keep you supplied for a day of travel, yet light enough to keep you moving. The thin, adjustable shoulder straps keep this backpack comfortably anchored to your body by distributing the weight across both shoulders, unlike a cross-body bag. We love that the Cuyana Mini comes in three different colors to best match your personal style. All that said, be cautious of storing small electronics like mini tablets in this bag, as the lack of padding may leave them vulnerable to bumps and bruises. The Details: 10.5 x 7.6 x 7.2 inches | 1.5 pounds Best Splurge Yves Saint Laurent Joe Backpack in Lambskin PHOTO: Yves Saint Laurent View on Ysl.com View on Net-a-Porter Why We Love It It's as chic as a handbag. What to Consider It lacks sleeves and pockets designed to store specific items. Backpacks generally tend to be more practical than attractive, but this backpack from Yves Saint Laurent is all about style. It certainly makes a statement with its elegant lambskin leather and chevron-patterned stitching — choose from an earthy green, black, or ivory colorway. The bag is fairly large, boasting one spacious interior compartment and one smaller exterior pocket. While the backpack’s appearance certainly earns it high marks, it should be noted that it isn't packing anything especially sophisticated in terms of organization. It's simple and spacious, focusing on style over storage details. But you sure can't deny its aesthetic appeal. The Details: 11.5 x 8.7 x 5.9 inches The 12 Best Leather Duffel Bags of 2024 Best Budget Mark & Graham Zoe Leather Backpack PHOTO: Mark & Graham $130 at Markandgraham.com Why We Love It It's super slim, which makes it quite graceful for a backpack. What to Consider An extra-thin profile means that bulkier items won't fit. It's probably no surprise that leather goods tend to be a bit on the pricey side, but thankfully Mark & Graham has created a leather backpack that cuts costs without sacrificing value. The Zoe has a streamlined silhouette, but its slim main compartment still provides plenty of room for a laptop, tablet, power cables, and phone. Still, don't expect to fit a pair of sneakers in here — bulkier items definitely won't make the cut. That said, those in search of an affordable but attractive backpack for work or school will likely find a perfect match with the Zoe. The Details: 16 x 14 x 4.25 inches Best with Power Bank Bee & Kin The Midi Nomad Backpack PHOTO: Bee & Kin View on Beeandkin.com Why We Love It Its hexagonal front pocket makes this bag stand out. What to Consider It only fits 13-inch laptops. Bee & Kin's Midi Nomad bag is an adorable leather backpack that has one of the most useful features of all the bags on this list: a wireless phone charger. Simply slip your phone inside the charging pocket, press a button, and voila! The battery will restore your phone's strength while you tend to other activities. (A very important note: While the charger is designed to fit into the bag, it's sold separately.) Aside from its unique charger pocket, which has a distinct hexagonal shape, this backpack can also accommodate small laptops, tablets, power cables, and drinks, which fit comfortably in an exterior side pocket. The one notable drawback with this bag is that despite its wonderful blend of style and tech, it can't accommodate any laptops larger than 13 inches. The Details: 13 x 11.6 x 5.5 inches | 2.6 pounds Best Convertible Hobo Merrin Convertible Backpack PHOTO: Hobo $328 at Zappos View on Hobobags.com $358 at Macy's Why We Love It The leather is buttery soft. What to Consider There's no structure to this slouchy bag, which isn't ideal for laptops. Can't decide if you want a shoulder bag, a crossbody bag, or a backpack? Well, you can have all three with the Hobo Merrin Convertible Backpack. We love its versatility — the bag can easily change its identity by rearranging a few adjustable straps. As for storage, an exterior phone pocket keeps your device secure but handy, while a surprisingly roomy interior allows for ample storage and provides a few sleeves for organizing your belongings. But do note that this bag may not be ideal for laptops, since it's not a structured bag with padding and doesn't provide much protection from bumps. Nonetheless, the versatility of the Merrin is hard to ignore, and its rainbow of color options — including metallics — are quite appealing. The Details: 12 x 12 x 2.5 inches The 11 Best Carry-on Travel Backpacks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Best Vegan Leather Monos Metro Backpack PHOTO: Monos $200 at Monos.com Why We Love It It's water-resistant. What to Consider Imitation leather doesn’t feel quite as luxurious as the real deal. Genuine leather isn't for everyone, and the Monos Metro Backpack has found a way to emulate the look of real leather while keeping it vegan. But there's also a lot to like about this bag beyond its material: it has a secure and subtle back pocket designed to safely store small valuables, its spacious laptop compartment can fit devices up to 15 inches in size, its internal sleeves provide plenty of organization, and a separate compartment made with waterproof fabric is perfect for wet or dirty clothes. Plus, the backpack is compatible with the brand's Quick Snap Modular Kit system for extra space. If that wasn't enough, there are six different color options for the vegan leather material. Aside from being our favorite synthetic leather option, the Monos Metro is also a close contender for best overall. The Details: 16.5 x 11.5 x 6 inches | 3 pounds Tips for Buying Leather Backpacks Prioritize comfort You're probably going to be wearing your backpack quite a bit, so it certainly makes sense to go for something comfortable. While online shopping is a necessity for many, it's always advisable to try on a backpack in person if you can, as you won't be able to get a true feel for a bag without physically putting it on. Consider its weight and ask yourself: over a long period of time, would this backpack slow me down? Also pay attention to how the straps feel. Thinner straps might dig into your shoulders if your backpack is fully loaded. These small details may seem somewhat insignificant in the short term but can become the difference between a good backpack and a bad backpack over the lifespan of your bag. Buy the size you need Backpacks come in a surprising variety of shapes and sizes, so consider what you'll need to store inside one. Do you need laptop storage? If so, it's probably best to prioritize bags with sleeves or compartments specifically made to protect computers. Are you using the backpack for work? If so, check if the bag has pockets and sleeves for any equipment you need to pack, whether that's pens, folios, or other gear. If you're using the backpack primarily for travel, take a look at the suitability of smaller pockets for travel documents, as well as the overall organization options. Don't forget to examine the dimensions to see if the bag can fit comfortably under a plane seat. In the end, the backpack you buy should feel like it's perfectly designed for you. Consider organizational features Backpacks often come with a variety of sleeves, pockets, and compartments designed to keep your belongings neat and organized. Some can perfectly accommodate laptops, tablets, pens, and phones. Others are more about capacity; they give you a big empty space best suited for bulkier items like clothes and jackets. We suggest determining what items you'll stash inside your backpack and looking for a bag that can specifically accommodate those items. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use a leather backpack as a carry-on? Yes. In fact, backpacks make for ideal carry-ons. Most can fit underneath a plane seat, while larger ones can often be compressed to fit into a crowded overhead bin. Many backpacks also have organizational features that keep your passport, boarding pass, and phone easily accessible while you're on the go. How do I care for a leather backpack? Leather backpacks might be stylish, but they also have a tendency to absorb more grease and oil than, say a canvas tote bag. Be sure to give your leather backpack a quick cleaning session every day or so by wiping it down with soft cloth. This cloth can either be totally dry or slightly damp, but make sure it's not too wet, as leather can take a while to dry. For a more thorough clean, which you should probably do roughly twice a year, consider using a leather cleaner, which will help lift dirt and grime from your bag, as well as a leather conditioner to keep it in tip-top shape. You can even rid your leather backpack of dirt and debris with a lint roller or handheld vacuum. Why Trust Travel + Leisure T+L contributor Stefanie Waldek is a freelance travel writer with a decade of experience. For this article, she evaluated leather backpacks based on their overall look, storage capabilities, color options, and price. The 16 Best Laptop Backpacks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.