A high-quality leather tote bag has always been one of the best gifts for a woman. You can present it to yourself or your dear mothers, sisters, daughters, or wives if you are a man. This lovely and practical accessory will make your life easier and serve you for years.
They differ in design, size, capacity, the inner layout of compartments and pockets, type and quality of leather and closure hardware, functionality, and affordability. All selected models feature large capacity, practical design to suit your everyday activities and look smart, matching different styles of clothes, you may want to wear, such as casual jeans with a T-shirt, when you are shopping or traveling with children, or an elegant dress, when you are going for a business lunch.
The comparison table below will give you a breakdown of the main features of the 5 best leather tote bags, which were picked up by ordinary women and experts in the field of leather accessories to facilitate your choice. The Buyer’s guide will be useful to get a general understanding of the diversity and some key points of tote bags.
KOMALC Leather Multipurpose Handbag – the best for super simple multi-utility design
This beautifully handcrafted pure leather multipurpose tote bag is designed with the idea of absolute simplicity and maximum utility in mind.
Top-quality leather is durable lightweight and helps you always look smart. The construction of the unit with one main compartment and a pocket gives a huge space to use according to your needs.
Pros
- High-quality full-grain leather
- Beautifully handcrafted and durable
- Versatile utility for any needs
- Fashionable and stylish
- Smart casual, matches any look
- Soft and pleasant to the touch
- Neat tailored
- 1 main compartment and 1 pocket
- Large enough for an iPad, a 15” laptop, or an umbrella
- Snap top closure
- Very lightweight
Cons
- Snap lock is easy to use, but not 100% safe
This tote bag design is ridiculously simple: a main compartment and a pocket, but this simplicity allows you to insert loads of things inside and carry them anywhere you need. It’s totally universal. The untreated leather inside doesn’t transfer color to your possessions, so no need to worry.
BOSTANTEN Women’s Leather Designer Handbag – the best for elegant and noble style
No more compromises! This Bostanten designer tote bag combines sophisticated elegance with a practical approach to carry and organize all your possessions.
It is roomy enough with lots of pockets and a removable pouch to maintain perfect order inside. It’s a perfect everyday accessory, that will add a noble touch to your smart look.
Pros
- High-quality cowhide leather and hardware
- Comfy magnetic buckle closure
- The detachable pouch is made of fabric
- Includes 1 main compartment, a detachable zipper pouch
- 2 side pockets with magnetic buckles for easy reach
- Large enough for an umbrella, or a 13” laptop
- Changeable leather and woven shoulder straps
- Looks noble and elegant
- Perfect for daily use for various needs
- Roomy
Cons
- The shoulder strap looks cheap
- The bag is not soft, the leather is thick to keep the shape
The tote bag can be easily worn crossbody with a shoulder strap. It’s quite high and deep, so It feels better on the shoulder than crossbody.
SCARLETON Stylish Reversible Tote Handbag for Women – the best double-side reversible bag
Scarleton offers a pleasant surprise for women with their reversible tote bag. The same bag can be used in 2 colors black or light brown, depending on your mood or style.
It is made from eco-friendly material, large enough even for a laptop, well-made, and perfectly sized for comfy everyday use. As the price is very attractive, it can easily complement your collection of bags without damage to your budget.
Pros
- Can be flipped to another color, from camel to black
- Eco-friendly synthetic leather
- Magnetic closure of the main compartment
- Coin bag closes with a zipper
- Simple and stylish design
- Sizeable
- Suitable for a 13” laptop
- Affordable price
- Well-made and sturdy
- Perfectly sized
Cons
- Smells when new
- A zipper can be stuck without use
After the purchase you can feel a smell from the bag, it’s ok for synthetic materials. What you have to do is just to let it air for several days. The unpleasant smell will disappear day after day. No other treatment is required or recommended. Another trouble can occur with a zipper. It can get stuck without use for a long time. Just apply a bit of candle wax to make it move smoothly.
COVELIN Women’s Genuine Leather Tote Bag – the best for all seasons carrying
It’s great when you can have one bag for all seasons to carry every day to school, work, or anywhere else. This Covelin leather tote bag suits it perfectly.
It looks glossy, classy, and elegant with thin straps. Its large capacity with 2 big compartments will contain all you need, for example, any files, books, a laptop, etc. There is a wonderful opportunity to choose among 2 section options: vertical or cross to satisfy your needs and preferences best.
Pros
- Genuine split cowhide leather
- Polished and wax finish
- Polyester inside
- 13” laptop fits well
- 2 large compartments with pockets inside for essentials
- A backside zipper pocket for immediate reach
- Looks classy and stylish
- Cross and vertical section options
- Thin straps
- Many colors available
- Value for money
Cons
- Inside pockets for a phone and keys are too small
The recommendations for care say to clean the bag with a dry and soft cloth only. Never wash it. Avoid scratching the leather with sharp objects. If it happened, try applying a little white liquid from an egg. It can help bond the crack.
KATTEE Women’s Genuine Leather Handbag – the best for the all-matching and smart look
This lovely genuine leather tote bag made by Kattee is a universal model, which will match all your styles and looks. It can be worn crossbody or on the shoulder to give you more freedom on the move.
Top zipper closure keeps all your personal possessions safe and pockets help organize the essentials inside for easy reach. It holds the shape when it is empty.
Pros
- Genuine cowhide leather
- Nice texture
- Wax finish
- Polyester inside
- Top zipper closure
- High-quality hardware
- Feels soft and flexible
- Maintains the shape when empty
- 2 main compartments with pockets
- 13” laptop fits perfectly
- Shoulder straps are adjustable
- Smart design for any occasion: work, traveling, personal appointments, etc.
Cons
- Quite heavy
- The crossbody strap is too narrow and not comfy
The model is practical, universal, and looks smart. The wax finish of the grain leather makes it polished, soft, and pleasant to touch. This method makes the material water, dirt, and dust-resistant. Its glossy appearance will match most of your clothes.
The Buyer’s Guide
Size, capacity, compartments, and pockets
A woman can’t live without a beautiful and comfy handbag. Tote bags cover most of the needs of a modern woman to contain all the everyday essentials, a laptop for work, an umbrella, or things for childcare and lots of other trifles to keep them at hand, wherever she goes during the day. Large capacity allows you to use them daily when you go to work, move around the city with children, for shopping and traveling. For your convenience, they may have one main or several big compartments with or without many pockets. As an option, they include a pouch to organize everything in the perfect order.
Materials
Tote bags are traditionally made of genuine leather: full grain or split, or synthetic materials, for example, polyurethane. Pure leather accessories are always durable, flexible, and strong, they look fantastic and high-quality and get an even more exclusive view over time. However, if you are a fan of the animal rescue movement choose a bag from eco-friendly synthetic leather, which is also strong enough and nice-looking.
Top closure
Types of top closures differ. For tote bags, zipper, and magnetic snap options are common. Both are practical and reliable. In the first case, your possessions are obviously safe. A zipper can break or get stuck with use. A snap is so easy to use, it lets extra space for everything you need. However, the bag may look bulky a bit if overloaded, and the contents are not completely closed.
Other recommendations for buyers about the care and use of Tote bags
- All leather accessories usually have a specific smell when they are new. No matter it is genuine or faux leather. You don’t have to do anything except letting it air out. The odor will disappear gradually after several days.
- All manufacturers recommend wiping the bag only with a soft dry piece of fabric. If you plan to store it for some time you can apply a little of a special agent for leather care and put the unit in the place with good air ventilation.
- Leather is afraid of sharp edges, and other mechanical damages. Scratches and cracks are left on the surface, and you can do nothing with that.
Video Guide: Making a Black Tote Bag
Leather tote bags always come first when I need to transport my laptop. A good leather tote bag will serve you for several years – it is extremely easy to wash. They are hard to scratch and very spacious. This review on Leather-Toolkits will help you to choose and buy the best leather tote bag in the U.S. market. I personally tested several models for a few months, below you will find the results of my tests.
Surely, tote bags are good for transporting pretty much everything – but I recommend them for laptop owners who look for a stylish and spacious handbag to move their devices.
Things to consider when buying leather tote bags
When buying a bag made of genuine leather, pay attention to the seams you can determine whether a tote bag is really made of natural leather. Tote bags are very large (even compared to hobo and frame bags), with one and two handles. Tote bag does not usually have a clasp, sometimes there is one button in the center. As a result, it is considered very practical and comfortable to wear daily. Make sure to pick the bag made of genuine leather, despite the higher price, because it will serve you for many months if not years.
Skip wearing tote bags in airports – sometimes things can fall off them.
According to my tests, you can safely use such leather tote bags for everyday use:
- Komalc is a hand-crafted tote bag with a separate pocket for the transportation of laptops;
- BOSTANTEN is smaller but has two shoulder straps and 2 side slip pockets for accessories;
- Scarleton handbag is made of vegan leather with awesome magnetic closures;
Other great brands of leather tote bags: Covelin, Kattee, YALUXE.
If you are interested in crafting one of such leather tote bags, I posted the video that can be helpful. Share your experiences with tote bags under this review. Your feedback is very important!
Conclusion
One of the mandatory attributes of a modern woman is a nice-looking and comfy handbag. Busy with daily routines and kids, or business meetings and trips, such a woman will feel confident with a favorite tote bag, keeping all everyday essentials and other needed things in order and always at hand. Each of the selected models is awesome, handy, and a great value for money.
These are all really nice leather totes that you have featured here. I use one regularly as a bag for work. I keep all my office essentials in it that come home with me at the end of the day. It’s nice to find one that fits a computer, notebook, book, and some pens or pencils. If made of durable leather, it should last for awhile with proper maintenance.
Hello, Harper! Thanks for your comment.
When I first found these I was looking for something durable and stylish. I found that leather tote bags were the best solution. They will last a lifetime and always seem to hold enough room for all my items. If you haven’t already purchased one, I highly suggest that you do.
These are some nice totes, I have recently purchased a leather totes and it is really handy due to it’s size and can fit all the items that I require for my daily commutes.
Hello, Kim! Thanks for your comment.