Good Looking Work Bags <$200
“Buy nice or buy twice.” Sure. But what if you’re at a point in your professional career where buying a “nice” briefcase means you’re damned to eating Ramen for the next 2 weeks straight? A Saddleback might be the goal, but until then, you gotta find something that looks decent enough, won’t put a serious dent in your rent-money, and won’t make you look like it’s your first day as an intern (even if it is, in fact, your first day as an intern). That’s what these do.
Selection below attempts to keep the bulk down, and steers clear of the pure-messenger style (no top handles, only a shoulder strap). Messengers are highly functional, especially for bike commuters, but they can sometimes, maybe, look a little… youthful(?) when you walk into a room and take the thing off by getting the shoulder strap over your head.
Jack Spade Canvas Leather Darrow Brief – $179.25 w/ TWENTYFIVE (FINAL SALE)
Already on sale, and like all other sale items, now gets another 25% knocked off with TWENTYFIVE. Pretty much nails the balance of professional & casual that many workplaces exist in these days. Black canvas exterior with a good amount of leather accents. 16″ wide with a not too skinny, yet still sleek 2.7″ worth of depth.
Zara “Retro” Brief – $179.00
Waitaminute… is that suede? Maybe it just has a bit of suede-like texture, or it’s nubuck, or… well, lots of potential here. A throwback for sure. No shoulder strap to speak of. Ships & returns free through Zara. 15″ wide, so might be a squeeze on some laptops, and unusable for the bigger machines.
Ernest Alexander “Andy” Laptop Case – $160
REAL slim. For the guy who’s got his must-carry stripped down to a bare minimum. Does have two compartments inside with some pen slots, and then there’s the exterior pocket… but it’s just .5″ deep. Simple as all get out. Meanwhile, if you’re the type who thinks “well that’s so simple, I COULD make it“… okay, go ahead. Not to say that you can’t, but that’s fine if you think you can/actually do. Made in the USA. Available in Navy, Grey, or Olive.
Fossil Estate Leather Portfolio Briefcase – $173.99 ($248)
Lots of retro looks here. Currently the dark brown as well as a cognac is available through Macy’s, so you might want to sit tight and wait for an applicable code. Black is full price, and pushing it at $248, over at Nordstrom.
Zero Halliburton: Used – $80 – $150
Prepare yourself for a few “whataya got in there, nuclear launch codes?” comments due to their ubiquitous use in action flicks, but it’s hard to beat that style. And it’s also hard to beat them. Literally. They can take a pounding. Price is going to depend quite a bit on the condition of the interior. You might have to replace the lining with some egg-crate or standard foam. But once you get it setup to your needs, they can be a great, long lasting business-case.
“8” Briefcase – $78.20 w/ LASTCALL15 ($159)
Via YOOX. Real small and simple. Just 14″ wide. “Printed” patterned leather (pretty sure that means embossed) exterior. Part of their extra 15% off LASTCALL code selection. No shoulder strap here.
Jack Spade Waxed Twill Profile Briefcase – $111.75 w/ TWENTYFIVE (FINAL SALE)
Another Jack Spade offering that’s an extra 25% off. Nicely affordable at just north of $100. Navy waxed twill that’ll go nicely with business casual outfits. Final sale here.
Jack + Mulligan Fitzgerald Made in the USA Briefcase – $109.98 ($130)
Totally casual, but the all-black option keeps it relatively professional for less dressed-up environments. Canvas, leather reinforced grips, and made in the good ol’ USA. On sale via Huckberry.
Boconi Leather Briefcase – $198.00
All grained-leather exterior. Dual top grab handles and a removable shoulder strap. Also available in a medium brown. Simple.
Buxton Leather DOPP Briefcase – $119.99 w/ SUMMER ($149)
Weirdly nice leather for $120 with that code. Was going for a little less last winter when it appeared on some flash sale sites. Only appears to be available through the manufacturer now? It’s obviously treated leather, but it’s not stiff or too shined up. Extremely pliable, and it’s taken on some character since we rang in 2014 (about when it was purchased). Two individual, separated, interior compartments. Dual top zippers. Unpadded handles keep it streamlined. Darker grey hardware. Code SUMMER is good for 30% off orders of $50+. No word on when that expires. Also available in black.
Your turn guys: What do you carry, or what did you carry as a sub $200/kinda entry level briefcase? Leave any other suggestions on affordable work bags in the comments below.
If you don’t mind synthetic materials, Briggs & Riley makes a good product near this price point too. My in-laws got me one for Christmas three years ago and in daily use (slinging around public transportation and a mile or two of walking each day) it’s been absolutely bombproof.
I’ve not noticed any defects or lower quality with a leather Brooks Brothers outlet briefcase. Came in at $150 with the sales and promotions, is large enough for a laptop if needed plus all of my paperwork and a notepad. Highly recommend at least looking at a BB outlet.
Some other great looking bags in that Jack Spade sale…
Hear me out on this.
If you really aspire to get a Saddleback then might I suggest something a bit cheaper. Beckel Canvas makes a nice bag for under $100 and vintage bags on Ebay or Etsy are a great option. I bought a vintage Coach bag for $35 and it is holding up great.
This way you can save more if you want the Saddleback or something similar.
Maybe the context of the article should be for those that want a nice long lasting bag but don’t feel the need to drop major money?
Since when did Saddleback become the gold standard? They are fine for the price, but they have serious quality control issues and inferior leathers to nicer brands. Saddleback seems like something you would buy while saving up for a really nice bag.
It’s just an example. Your “gold standard” might not be the same as someone else’s. For the purpose of this website and what it focuses on, Saddleback seems to be on the high end of “affordable” for many, and well liked. That’s all.
I just saw the Jack Spade sale and picked up their Nelson leather brief. I bought the waxwear Davis Brief last year and the stitching started coming apart after a week. I’m leary on their construction overall but the double dip final sale was too tempting this time.
I’ll add the “Property Of.. Tommy Work Bag” when you can grab it under $200. Usually available on Bluefly with a code. I highly recommend it. Great article, though.
Snagged an Ernest Alexander “Watson” briefcase from Nordstrom’s at 50% off – ended up somewhere around $175. I love the bag. The gray wax cotton with dark brown leather looks great with a suit or casual (in my opinion). The quality is top notch too – I see it lasting years.
Joe – Found a good deal on a Frye that is not mentioned here. It is the Frye Logan Flap briefcase and it is $500+ in most sites. Amazon has it for under $200..
http://www.amazon.com/Frye-Logan-Flap-Brief-Case/dp/B0060Y5B36/ref=cts_ap_1_fbt
Quality issue? Couldn’t be further from the truth. I own five different saddleback products and they are of the highest quality and craftsmanship. I love my thin briefcase in tobacco brown.
I’ve generally found that Fossil products have a lot of bang for the buck. I got a waxed canvas zip-top portfolio with roughly the same proportions as that Jack Spade for about $80. Nordstrom’s had it on sale last spring.
I’ve got nothing but good things to say about my Abingdon briefcase. Especially for the $70 it cost.
Any recommendations for something that can accommodate gym clothes and a laptop? I use a nylon black backpack that has space for running shoes/clothes/my lunch and a laptop pocket built in. I’d like to find something more professional looking, preferably leather messenger style. But have not been able to find anything big enough for both.
Filson has some nice options that can fit everything but your shoes.
Strange. They are showing the sale prices for me, but try: “TWENTYFIVE” … that code should work, and get you the price shown in the post above. Not quite sure how I goofed the “extra25” bit. Sorry about that.
Looking to get a leather briefcase, but my grandfather just gave me one of his old ones. Needs to be cleaned up a bit as well as add some more 21st century features (cushioning for a laptop, interior pockets for pens). Has anyone taken in an old briefcase to a leatherworker and tried anything like this before?
What would people think of the idea of a tweed briefcase? Not any specifics about brand or design, but would it specifically appeal or dissuade someone, or would it depend on other factors?
Can you do another post like this for the “youthful bike commuters” out there, looking for a solid messenger bag? I am an elementary school teacher by day and a musician by night. Any suggestions?
Been carrying the Bleecker Legacy courier bag in fawn leather from Coach recently, definitely above the $200 mark, but it’s a beautiful piece.
http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-bleecker_legacy_courier_bag_in_leather-10551-10051-70486-en?cs=fwn
Tweed bags look great, but really only work for about half the year – they would look pretty out of place when its 85 and sunny.
With items like that, you’re really paying for the BB name.
Not saying I didn’t pay for the name, but it looks good and doesn’t appear to be cheaply made. Obviously time will tell, but it seems worth it for the price.
Really like this bag too, but a little too rich for me. I’m actually looking on Etsy to see if I can find something similiar but a little cheaper.
My first briefcase was the popular Saddleback Thin Medium in Dark Brown. Then I got a Filson Original 256 and really liked functionality compared to the Saddleback. I remember getting the Filson during a BB sale and it was little over $200. A few months ago I was in the Seattle area for business and stopped by the Filson Factory Outlet. I picked up the Navy Harris Tweed Original briefcase for $195. As far as I can tell after a real close look, it was in perfect “1st quality” condition. And just recently I scored a sweet new Coronado Leather briefcase in Horween Natural Chromexcel on the ‘bay for $165. Between the Filsons and Coronado brief the Saddleback Thin might be looking for a new home..
Does anyone have an opinion on the British Belt company bags offered by jackthreads?
I looked for months for a high quality sub $200 leather bag, and ended up buying from Floto Imports. Really nice leather, medium cognac color and just looks perfect with a suit. I think I got mine on sale for $140 shipped. Went with the Milano brief bag and have no regrets.
I have owned the British Belt Company cruz leather messenger for about a year now. It is my everyday bag that I take to work each day with my laptop and work papers. It absolutely belongs on this list. If I had to redo my purchase, I would still purchase the British Belt over all the items on this list. I have received many compliments on the bag, and it looks comparable to items that cost two to three times a much. It wears at about the right pace, and I think it will only look better with 3-4 more years of use.
My only complaint is that the magnetic locking mechanism for the pocket on the back of the bag I received is terrible, but it’s mostly irrelevant as that pocket doesn’t open widely even without a locking mechanism.
I highly recommend it.