Tote, hobo, sling, messenger. Start looking for a bag and you get a whole vocabulary thrown in. Sometimes two names mean the same thing, sometimes they are miles apart, and online shops rarely explain which.
The short answer: types of bags differ mainly in how you carry them and how much they have to carry. In your hand, over one shoulder, across your body or on your back. If you take a laptop every day, half the shapes are out straight away. If all you carry is a phone, keys and a card holder, it is the other half. So start with your things and your day, not with the name on the label.
Types of bags at a glance
These are the twelve shapes you will come across most often. Shops use the names loosely: what one calls a shopper, another sells as a tote. So always check the dimensions and how the bag is carried as well.
| Shape | How you carry it | Size | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tote | In the hand or on the shoulder | Large, open top | Market, beach, loose items |
| Shopper | On the shoulder | Large, often with a zip pocket | Work with laptop or A4 |
| Hobo | On the shoulder | Medium to large, slouches | Relaxed days |
| Top handle bag | In the hand or crook of the arm | Medium, structured | Office, appointments |
| Shoulder bag | On the shoulder | Small to medium | Everyday, light load |
| Clutch | In the hand | Small and flat | Evenings, parties, weddings |
| Crossbody | Across the body | Small to medium | City, travel, hands free |
| Sling | Across chest or back | Small, elongated | Walking, city breaks |
| Messenger | Across the body, one wide strap | Medium, with flap | Cycling, commuting |
| Backpack | On both shoulders | 15 to 30 litres | Laptop, long days |
| Weekend bag | In the hand or with shoulder strap | 40 to 60 litres | Two or three days away |
| Laptop bag | In the hand or on the shoulder | Sized for 13 to 17 inch | Work, meetings |
Bags you carry in the hand or over the shoulder
Tote
At its most basic, a tote is an open, rectangular bag with two parallel handles. The word is American English and simply means to carry or lug. There is usually no zip and very little inside, and that is the whole point: you throw everything in. Handy for the market or the beach. Less handy on a packed bus, because anyone can look inside.
Shopper
A shopper is the slightly more grown-up version of the tote. Often sturdier, with handles long enough for the shoulder, and regularly with a zip pocket or a closure. A leather shopper is a popular work bag because a laptop and an A4 folder fit inside without it looking like a briefcase. The Mira leather shopper is one example: 30 by 35 cm, with room for a 15 inch laptop.
Hobo
You recognise a hobo bag by its crescent shape and by the way it slumps as soon as you put it down. It is made from soft material and usually has a single shoulder strap. The name refers to the bundle on a stick that hobos carried over their shoulder in old American drawings. A hobo is relaxed to wear, but your things sink to the bottom. If you like everything in a fixed spot, that gets irritating fast.
Top handle bag
The classic handbag has one or two short handles on top and a shape that holds. It often comes with a detachable shoulder strap. It is the smartest shape on this list and works well for meetings or the office. The downside: without that strap, one hand is always busy.
Shoulder bag
A catch-all name for bags with a strap long enough for the shoulder but too short to wear across the body. Usually small to medium. Many shoulder bags now have an adjustable strap, so they double as a crossbody. At that point the difference blurs.
Clutch
A flat bag with no strap, or with a thin chain you can tuck away. It takes a phone, a card and a lipstick, and that is where it ends. For a wedding or a night out, that is enough. For an ordinary day it is impractical, because you put it down everywhere and forget it everywhere too.
Bags worn across the body
Crossbody
A crossbody is a small to medium bag with a long strap worn diagonally across your upper body. The weight sits on your shoulder and the bag stays against your body, so it does not swing around. Your hands are free and you can see your bag. What to look for in size, strap width and leather type is covered in the buying guide to leather crossbody bags.
Sling
A sling bag is narrower and longer than a crossbody and sits higher, across the chest or on the back. The shape comes from sports and outdoor gear. The difference from a crossbody is smaller than it looks, and when to choose a sling bag and when a crossbody mostly depends on what you put in it.
Messenger
The messenger bag is bigger: a flat bag with a flap over the front and one wide strap across the body. In the 1950s this design was made for telephone linemen, and in the 1980s bicycle couriers adopted it on a large scale. On a bike it makes sense, because the bag slides round to your back and stays there. Walk for an hour with a heavy laptop, though, and you will feel which side it hung on.
Bags for a lot or for heavy loads
Backpack
If you carry more than a couple of kilos, a backpack is the best option. Two straps spread the weight over both shoulders, and you notice that at the end of the day. For a laptop and lunch, 20 to 25 litres is usually plenty. Which kind of backpack suits the way you use it, from a compact city backpack to a roomy work backpack, is covered in a separate article.
Weekend bag
A weekend bag is a roomy bag with two handles and often a detachable shoulder strap. Think 40 to 60 litres, enough clothing for two or three days. A leather weekend bag already weighs more empty than a nylon one. If you travel by train a lot and change often, take that into account.
Laptop bag
A laptop bag is built around one thing: a padded compartment that matches the size of your laptop, usually 13, 15 or 17 inch. Laptop bags come shaped as briefcases, messengers and shoppers. The fit of the compartment matters more than the shape. A 13 inch laptop slides around in a 17 inch sleeve, and a large 16 inch laptop will not always fit a bag made for 15 inch.
Which type of bag suits you?
A few questions will get you to the right shape faster than a mood board.
- Do you carry a laptop every day? Then you end up with a backpack, a laptop bag or a roomy shopper. Crossbody, sling and clutch are out.
- Do you cycle a lot? A backpack or messenger stays put. A tote hanging from the handlebars is asking for trouble.
- Do you want your hands free? Choose something that goes across your body or on your back.
- Does it need to look smart? A structured top handle bag looks more formal than a hobo or a backpack.
- How much really goes in? Lay your things on the table. Phone, keys and a card holder fit in a 20 by 20 cm bag. An A4 folder does not.
Torn between a handbag and a shopper? Leather handbag or shopper: which suits you goes into it further. The difference in one sentence: a handbag keeps your things in shape, a shopper lets you carry more.
Why the shape depends on the leather
Something often missing from overviews of types of bags: the same shape behaves differently in a different material. A hobo only works in soft leather or fabric, because the slouch is the design. Make it from firm leather and you get a crescent that stands stiffly upright. The other way round, a shopper in thin, floppy leather sags into a sack within a year.
Vegetable-tanned full-grain leather, which Beocca works with, is fairly firm by nature. It keeps a handbag or shopper in shape and softens over the years without going limp. If you want a truly slouchy hobo, you are honestly better off with a softer leather. So choose the shape that suits your day first, then look at which material can carry that shape. On all Beocca bags the dimensions are listed for each model, so you can compare them with the bag you use now.
