In Review (and win it): The WP Standard “Woodward” Briefcase

WP Standard The Woodward Briefcase – $348

The ideal 21st century work-bag has three characteristics:

1. The construction and body’s material looks great both dressed up and dressed down. Usually that means a softer construction (not hard attach© style) and made from a nice leather or contemporary canvas (not overly casual).
2. The strap setup is balanced: A detachable shoulder strap for longer on-foot trips, and two balanced top grab handles for shorter jaunts.
3. A price and quality level that’s not cheap junk, yet also doesn’t carry with it some luxury designer goods markup where you’re paying hundreds more than necessary, simply for a name on the side.

To quote one Anthony Irwin Kornheiser: “That’s it, that’s the list.”

And WP Standard’s new “The Woodward” Briefcase does all three exceedingly well. Enough so that if out there somewhere there’s a list of bags that achieve all three points on that “ideal 21st century work bag list”, then The Woodward is at the top of that list. That being the list of bags which have achieved the list in which…

right.

Really nice leather. Construction appropriate for workplaces both formal and casual.

Founded as a guitar strap company in 2009, WP Standard quickly moved on to accessories both small and large. And the leather they use is flippin’ incredible for the price. Super soft, flexible, full-grain stuff. The hides and tanning process they use end up producing a finished product that feels both luxurious and tough. That’s no easy trick. Anyone that’s ever got their hands on one of their Military Duffels will know this first hand. That’s a lot of leather. And it’s pliability, thickness, and feel is rare. (I bought one for myself years ago as a workout-goal reward… it looks better than new with the patina it’s picked up with use).

Available in tan, chocolate, and “desert black”

The Woodward is no different. Available in three different colors of that incredible leather, it’s everything you want, nothing you don’t, and it’ll look just as fantastic with a suit and tie in a corner office, as it will with a t-shirt and jeans at a coffee shop.

Dimensions are 16.5″ x Height: 12.5″ x 4.5″. That 4.5″ isn’t razor thin. It’s not fat, but there is room. Which is welcome for those of us who lug a charger around with our laptop, and have grown tired of the charger “bulge” our thinner briefcases exhibit when on the road.

Solid brass hardware. Zippers = smooth operators.

Interior is well organized with a thicker padded laptop compartment, a zippered pocket on the full grain leather divider, a separate good-sized main compartment (again, that depth is nice). And a third section for any not-overly-bulky leftover goods. They didn’t cheap out on the inside materials either. Just because you can’t see them often, doesn’t mean you won’t feel them every day. And the padding, micro-suede for the laptop compartment, full grain leather for the dividers (same stuff as the exterior), and true suede lining is all top notch.

With a depth of 4.5″, it’s got space without getting chunky.
With a weight of 3.2 lbs, it feels solid, without being weighty.

At 3.2lbs it feels solid, but not cumbersome. Some of the competition (*cough* SADDLEBACK LOOKING AT YOU *cough*) seems to get a little too exuberant with their over-building. Like, that’s great and all. Some of us dig that. Yayyyy Heavy. But… I’m not quite sure as to what is going down, if you have to be some kind of Mr. Big Stuff to carry a brand’s briefcase. That’s not the deal with The Woodward. Should be built for all.

Padded laptop compartment. Zipper pocket. Main compartment. Additional suede lined pocket.

Hardware is solid brass, zippers operate nice and smooth, and all stitching is uniform and tidy. Only real critique is that it’d be nice to have a little extra padding on the shoulder strap, but maybe they’re going back to their guitar-strap roots with this one. Padded straps aren’t for everyone.

And yes, it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Nice leather. Detachable shoulder strap. Top grab handles.
That’s the list.

It’s quite the bag. Great leather, balanced design, works in all workplace scenarios.

It’s all of “the list,” at a cost that reflects it’s quality, yet at a price that won’t knock you for six.

UPDATE: Congrats to Mitch G. who won the drawing for the WP Standard Woodward briefcase!

Enter here to win the WP Standard Woodward Briefcase shown in the post above. One entry per person. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm ET 6/22/22. Winner will be notified by email, and once we get necessary info, we’ll send the winner the bag we used for photos (we can’t keep samples, it’s against our policy.). Huge thanks to WP Standard for being up for a giveaway!