The Best Luxury Work Bags

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collage of 3 luxury work bags

Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

If you had an unlimited budget, what would your work bag be? We thought we'd go on a hunt for the best luxury work bags…

I remember years ago discussing the Prada Saffiano tote — the general consensus at the time was that NO, you do not need a super fancy, expensive, designer luxury work bag. In the years since, a ton of readers with big jobs (partner, C-suite, etc) have noted that they adore this $578 bag (frequently on sale!) and any of these $400-$700 bags — and it's probably worth noting that these can be more functional, as well, since they are designed to hold laptops and, in many cases, fit over the handle of a rolling suitcase.

(In fact, we've even discussed how in some situations, carrying a bag that is obviously expensive can work against you, particularly in situations where you're representing people other than yourself. Or, you know, if you're an intern carrying a $9000 handbag. Know your office and your job!)

Still — there have been a lot of reader discussions recently where women are looking to splurge on bags, so I thought we'd do a roundup of the best ones if you ARE on the hunt for a luxury work bag.

(We’ve also discussed when “must” you carry a designer bag to work — and how to deal when your offensive client uses your designer bag to “joke” that he’s paying you too much. Ah yes, and how to deal when your boss tells you dress too well — or perhaps just feels bad that you're dressing better than your boss. Aw, and Jean from Extra Petite rounded up her favorite stylish work bags for us.)

We've rounded up the best work bags for women in 2025, the best work backpacks, the best briefcases for women, and the best bags for interviews. (We've also rounded up the best bags for law students!) We've also pondered whether totes or backpacks for work are the best, talked about how to organize your bags, shared silly thoughts about what your tote bag says about you, and asked the readers how many bags they bring to work.

Our Latest Favorite Luxury Work Bags and Luxury Work Backpacks

As of 2025, some of our latest favorite luxury work bags (large enough to hold papers and a laptop!) include Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Saint Laurent, Kaai, and DeMellier. Of course, note that a lot of our readers who are in big jobs note that they love their (more affordable) Lo & Sons bags, as well as their Tumi.

Looking for work backpacks to splurge on in 2025? Montblanc, MCM, Songmont, and Senreve (also!) are great, and readers are always huge fans of all things Tumi. Some of our favorites…

Some of Our General Favorite Work Bags for Women in 2025

These start as low as $50! Note also that, while we'll go through the best luxury work bags in a bit, there are a TON of our readers who have big jobs (law partner/C-suite type jobs) who adore this $578 bag (frequently on sale!) and any of these $400-$700 bags.

Some of the best work bags for women as of 2025 include great totes from Cuyana (with a zipper), Tumi, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell (north/south). Also try this highly-rated organizing insert or these clever pouches with some of the less structured bags! If you're looking for a budget tote (or one in a specific color) check this Amazon seller (22K+ good reviews) or this Amazon seller (60K+ good reviews).

(Looking for a luxury work bag? Here's our latest roundup…)

Some Of The Best Laptop Totes (Reader Favorites!)

Here are some of our favorite laptop bags for work in 2024: 

collage of 6 of the best laptop totes for women in 2023
Looking for the best laptop totes? These are reader favorites: one / two / three / four / five / six

The Best Backpacks for Work in General

Update: Hunting for the best work backpacks? Some of our favorites in 2024 are below — see the full post for all the details!

black backpack for work with gold hardware

The Overall Best Work Backpack

Tumi Celina Backpack

black convertible backpack for work

The Best Convertible Laptop Backpack

Lo & Sons Rowledge

black backpack with laptop compartment; there are gold zippers

The Best Affordable Backpack for Work

Samsonite Mobile Solutions Classic Backpack

The Best Luxury Work Bags in 2025

DeMellier Hudson Tote

black work bag with small grain leather

DeMellier's new Hudson looks perfect for a luxury work bag. I love the thoughtful details: two phone pockets, an interior zip pocket, a front slip pocket, and metal feet at the base. I also like that the bag is designed to be worn on the crook of an arm, over your shoulder, or handheld — and the front belted strap modifies the inside space of the bag.

The bag is big enough for A4 files and a 13″ laptop, and is $745 at DeMellier.

Veronica Beard Dash Tote

brown leather briefcase tote

Veronica Beard's Dash tote comes in a variety of sizes and materials; the largest size is 17″W x 11″H x 6.5″D. It has a 5″ strap drop and 16-19″ crossbody strap drop. I love that it has gold feet as well as a zippered interior pocket, as well as a magnetic closure at the top.

One reviewer notes that “just everything about the bag feels luxurious — highly recommend!”

The large size is $798 at Nordstrom and other fine department stores.

Bottega Veneta Andiamo Large Tote

professional woman holds luxury work tote in dark green from Bottega Veneta

I've long been a fan of Bottega Veneta's woven leather look — it's the ultimate in quiet luxury. I haven't seen a bag large enough for work papers until this one, though.

The pictured bag has an open top with magnetic closure, as well as an adjustable knot strap in the center — in the various images you can see women carrying it in the crook of their elbow, like a briefcase, and over the shoulder. It's 13.8″H by 16.5″W x 7.1″ deep — so should you want to carry work papers in it, you can.

It's $7990 at Neiman Marcus.

DeMellier Maxi Montreal Tote

burgundy luxury work bag with long straps and gold hardware

DeMellier only has a few bags that are big enough to include in this roundup, because many will not fit a magazine, let alone a laptop. (They're gorgeous as handbags, though!)

But they do have one bag — the Maxi Montreal tote — that is big enough to fit a 15″ laptop. It's currently available in limited colors only.

If you aren't familiar with the brand, they note that “all our pieces are crafted ethically in Spain using the finest sustainably sourced materials, and for every piece sold, DeMellier funds vaccines and treatments aimed to save the life of a child in need.”

Lovely! The pictured bag is $735 at DeMellier London.

Saint Laurent LouLou

woman wearing navy sweater holds a shiny black bag with black monogram detail; the straps are partially chain.

Saint Laurent's LouLou bag's largest size is bigger than some of the tote bags I've seen. It's missing a lot of the interior organization other bags have — no laptop sleeve, no pockets for eyeglasses or water bottles, and

Still, at 10.6″H x 5.5″W x 14.9″D, it's plenty big enough to carry your work papers and all your essentials. I like that the bag has feet.

The pictured bag is $3,550 at Neiman Marcus; if you prefer a gold monogram instead of tonal, check out Nordstrom.

Mulberry Bayswater

black luxury work bag with turnlock detail from Mulberry

If you're hunting for a briefcase-like bag for work, this gorgeous leather satchel from Mulberry should definitely be on your list. I like the fact that it has feet (so rare these days!!) and smartphone pockets, but do note that it's unlined. This version only has a flap closure, but they also make zippered versions that look a bit more like regular tote bags.

In terms of dimensions, the bag is 10.5″ H x 14.25″W x 6.5″ D, with a handle drop of 6″.

The pictured Bayswater is one of the largest sizes; it's $1,650 at Nordstrom; you can also find it at Mulberry and other fine department stores.

Kaai Pyramid Tote

black tote with folded leather to make a trapezoidal/pyramid shape

We featured this bag from Kaai a few weeks ago in a dusty blue, and it's still on my mind. It's definitely a bit of a splurge, but I love the origami-like folded leather.

Their pyramid tote fits a 15.6″ laptop, has a zippered top (YAAAS), and is $799. The brand is sold in a lot of places in Europe, or you can get free worldwide delivery on orders over $125.

Mulberry Bayswater Leather Tote

black luxury tote for work from Mulberry

Mulberry has been around for years, but is having a bit of a trendy moment — the brand is known for their understated sophistication. I like the “iconic postman's lock” and the interior removable flap pocket. This one is only 14″ wide, so it won't be big enough for most laptops, alas.

This bag is $900 at Nordstrom.

(Also around this price range: these gorgeous totes from Strathberry!)

Tom Ford Tara Tote

Black woman wearing brown turtleneck carries large black tote bag

This Tom Ford bag looks amazing if you're looking for an extra large bag — it is is 12.5″ tall by 20″ wide by 8″ deep, so quite large. I love the size in proportion to the (20″) shoulder straps.

It's $2190 at MyTheresa; Bergdorf Goodman has a similar option.

DeMellier Tokyo Tote

brown leather tote bag

DeMellier's newish line of Tokyo totes come in a bunch of colors, and is definitely big enough for work papers at 17.5″W x 6.25″D x 10.25″H. It has multiple interior pockets, protective metal feet (huzzah!) and a magnetic tab closure.

You can find it at a number of places, including NET-A-PORTER, ShopBop, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and of course DeMellier.com.

Christian Louboutin Cabata Leather Tote

black tote bag with embossed details and more

Louboutin has a nice selection of interesting (but not TOO interesting) leather work bags. I'm loving this one with embossing and metal spike details — all with pops of that classic Louboutin red.

This bag is $1850 at Nordstrom and other department stores.

Burberry bags are also around this price range — they have some truly beautiful embossed totes that keep selling out at department stores.

Chanel

black quilted Chanel work bag tote

Chanel tote bags aren't sold online — but we'd be remiss to not include the brand. Their basic leather shopper tote has been around for ages, and while it's on the smaller side, it's a total classic.

These bags are around $5800 — contact your local Chanel store for more details. (If you know what you're doing, you can also find a ton of them on resale sites.)

Readers, what are your thoughts — what are the best luxury work bags for women?

Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!

4 Comments

  1. I feel like we talk about the Cuyana tote more than any of these totes and am surprised it’s not #1 here!

    1. a $200 bag doesn’t really count as “designer” though

      and she’s got it in the general favorites

  2. I recently got a major promotion and decided to upgrade my work tote. But my Longchamp Pliage is durable and so lightweight. I was thinking of getting a Cuyana, but I have hesitated because I’m worried it will be heavy. Does anyone have any advice?

  3. I personally want to thank you to put our designer workbag in your list. We have worked many years on developing the perfect designer workbag for women on the go and our Kaaiwomen community is growing every day. So thank you for spreading the word about Kaai in your community.
    Ine Verhaert-co founder Kaai bags

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