Type "men's leather backpack" into a search engine and you mostly get brown, boxy designs covered in buckles. That is one style, and not always the most practical one. Whether a backpack suits you has little to do with the word men's and a lot to do with your laptop, your back and what you carry every day.
The short answer: choose on laptop size and capacity first (20 to 25 litres is plenty for work), then look at the length of the back panel and the width of the shoulder straps, and go for full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather if you want to carry it for years. The difference between a men's and a women's backpack is in size and fit. Not in the colour.
Is there really a difference between men's and women's backpacks?
Less than the online shops suggest. Most leather backpacks are unisex, even when they sit under "men" in the menu. What does matter is your build. If you are tall with broad shoulders, you benefit from a taller back panel and straps that sit further apart. Wear a long backpack with a short torso and the bottom rests on your backside while the weight pulls you backwards.
A simple test in the shop or at home: adjust the straps so the top of the backpack sits roughly between your shoulder blades. The bottom should then end around your waist. If it hangs lower, the back panel is too long for you, however nice the leather is.
Men's leather backpack: which laptop size and how many litres?
Start with what needs to go in. A 13 or 14 inch laptop fits in almost any work backpack. At 15.6 or 17 inches it is a different story, because a 17 inch laptop is easily 38 to 40 centimetres wide. It only fits standing upright in a backpack that is tall enough, and then every centimetre counts. Measure your own laptop instead of trusting the number of inches. Two 17 inch laptops can differ by a few centimetres purely because of the bezel around the screen.
For capacity, a simple rule of thumb works. With 20 litres you have room for a laptop, charger, lunch and a jumper. With 25 litres you can add a few books or gym kit. Above 30 litres a leather backpack gets heavy and bulky for daily use, and at that point you are really looking for a weekend bag.
Bear in mind that makers quote the outside dimensions. Seams, lining and the laptop sleeve make the inside one to two centimetres smaller in every direction.
Shoulder straps, back panel and weight
Leather weighs more than nylon. That is not a problem, but it does mean the straps have to do the work. Wide, padded shoulder straps spread the weight over a larger area. Thin leather straps look sleek, but after fifteen minutes on a bike with a laptop you will feel them in your shoulders. Also check how the straps are attached to the bag. Stitched and reinforced lasts longer than a single seam, especially on a backpack you carry fully loaded every day.
The back panel can be firm. A floppy leather backpack slumps when it is half full, and then the corner of your laptop presses into your back. A padded laptop compartment takes care of some of that.
Then there is the weight itself. An empty leather backpack is heavier than an empty nylon one, that is simply how it is. If you walk half an hour to the station every day, factor it in. If you mostly go from the car to the office, you will hardly notice.
Which leather lasts for years?
Full grain describes leather whose original grain has not been removed by corrective buffing. It is a material description; also assess the finish, construction and suitability for your use.
Vegetable-tanned leather is stiffer when new and softens over the first few months. It develops a patina: where your hand and back touch the leather, it darkens and gains a slight sheen. Chrome-tanned leather stays the same for longer and is often cheaper, but it gains less character over the years. Do keep in mind that vegetable-tanned leather is not fond of water. It copes fine with a shower, as long as you let the backpack dry slowly afterwards, away from the radiator, and condition it a few times a year.
Office, bike or travel: which shape works?
A backpack for the office can be clean and rectangular, with a zip across the full width so your laptop comes out easily. A flap with buckles looks classic, but costs you time every time you need something. If you cycle a lot, pick a model that closes completely, so rain cannot run in from the top.
For flights, height is what counts most. A 25 litre backpack is accepted as cabin baggage by most airlines, but as a small item under the seat the limits are stricter, and they differ from airline to airline. We have worked out how many litres your backpack can be as hand luggage for different situations.
Three leather backpacks side by side
For comparison, three models from our own collection, with the dimensions as we list them. They show how big the differences are within the same category.
| Model | Outside size (W x H x D) | Capacity | Laptop | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce | 29 x 43 x 12 cm | 25 litres | up to 17 inch | long workdays with a large laptop |
| Finn | 35 x 40 x 12 cm | 25 litres | up to 17 inch | anyone who wants more width and outer pockets |
| Lorne | 26 x 30 x 8 cm | not listed | no laptop size listed | the city, a tablet, book and jumper |
The Bryce leather backpack is narrow and tall, which makes it a good fit for a large laptop that goes into the sleeve upright. The Finn leather backpack is wider and a little lower. At 40 centimetres high it is tight for the biggest 17 inch laptops, so measure yours first. Lorne is a genuinely compact backpack. A 13 inch laptop is usually around 30 centimetres wide, so think of it as a bag for a tablet and what you need for a day in town.
When a leather backpack is not the best choice
To be honest, it is not for everyone. If you carry a heavy laptop plus gym kit over long distances every day, a technical backpack with a hip belt and a ventilated back panel will be more comfortable than any leather backpack. And if you visit clients in a suit, a backpack creases your jacket at the shoulders. A laptop bag looks smarter then. The trade-off for your back and neck is in our piece on backpack or shoulder bag for your laptop.
Plenty of people also think too little about size. Buy a big backpack because it is "handy" and you will fill it. If you have a 13 inch laptop and carry little else, you are hauling around unnecessary leather all day.
The mistake we see most often
Straps that are set too long. A backpack hanging low on your backside feels twice as heavy as the same backpack sitting high and close to your back. Tighten the straps until the bag no longer swings from side to side as you walk. With new vegetable-tanned leather, do this again after a few weeks, because the straps settle a little.
If you want to look beyond backpacks for men, our guide to buying a leather backpack for work and leisure will help. And if you are still unsure about the type, read which backpack suits you best.
