Best business briefcases for men in 2023

best business briefcases for men

A professional briefcase can win you that vital promotion at work.

But which should you choose?

In this post, we go over the top business briefcases for 2023, as well as how to choose the best one for you.

Best Business Briefcases in 2023

Here we go into the best business briefcases for 2023 by type and style.

Best Luxury Business Briefcase

Winner: No.1 Men's Leather Briefcase

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK solid brass zippers.
Locking function.
Structured edges.
Top handle
Detachable shoulder strap.
Dedicated 15.6 inch laptop compartment.
Multiple inner compartments.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, tan, or brown leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Budget Business Briefcase under $400

Winner: Elegant Slim Briefcase

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
Minimalist design and profile.
14 inch laptop compartment.
Top handles & detachable shoulder strap.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, brown, tan, and red leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Large 17-inch Laptop Briefcase

Winner: City Large Leather Laptop Bag

Pros:

17 inch laptop compartment.
Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
Spacious design, without being bulky.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, brown, or tan leather.

Click here to check the price

Best iPad Business Briefcase

Winner: City Leather Laptop Bag

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
15.6 inch laptop compartment.
Slim profile, not bulky.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, brown, and tan leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Convertible Business Briefcase Backpack

Winner: 10X Leather Laptop Backpack

Pros:

Full grain leather
Dedicated compartments, perfect for travel.
Can convert from backpack to shoulder bag for ease of access.
Top and side handles for when moving through airports.
Fits up to 15.6 inch laptop or tablet.
Handmade in Italy
Can be personalized
Available in brown, tan, black, or red leather.
Unisex.

Click here to check the price

Best Business Travel Briefcase on Wheels

Winner: The Voyager Leather Rolling Travel Bag

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
16 inch laptop sleeve.
Hand luggage compliant.
Leather luggage tag included.
Multiple compartments.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, brown, tan and red leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Messenger Business Briefcase

Winner: Elegant Slim Briefcase

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
Minimalist design and profile.
14 inch laptop compartment.
Top handles & detachable shoulder strap.
Can be personalized.

It's available in black, brown, tan, and red leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Satchel Briefcase

Winner: No3 Leather Satchel Briefcase

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK brass zippers.
Locking function.
13 inch laptop compartment.
Detacheable shoulders strap.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, brown, or tan leather.

Click here to check the price

Best Locking Briefcase

Winner: No.1 Men's Leather Briefcase

Pros:

Full grain leather.
Handmade in Florence, Italy.
Soft cotton lining.
Durable YKK solid brass zippers.
Locking function.
Structured edges.
Top handle
Detachable shoulder strap.
Dedicated 15.6 inch laptop compartment.
Multiple inner compartments.
Can be personalized.
Available in black, tan, or brown leather.

Click here to check the price

Types of Briefcase

In the modern era there are now more than 3 types of briefcases to choose from.

Different styles of briefcases are appropriate for different situations, so it's important to know how you are going to use your briefcase in order to pick the best one. A man's bag should be both practical and fashionable, but it's always practical first.

Portfolio Briefcases

These are typically smaller and sleeker in design, with 1 or 2 small compartments that are designed to be carried in the hand or under the arm (they don't come with a handle).

Folio Briefcases

A folio case is simply a portfolio with a retractable handle, and so is designed to carry a few documents or a small laptop.

Soft Sided Modern Business Briefcases

These involve briefcases with multiple central pockets, designed to carry both documents and laptops, and have a robust top handle and sometimes a shoulder strap. They fit a more casual work environment because of the soft unstructured sides.

Structured Modern Business Briefcases

These combine traditional structured briefcases with modern design, and always involve both hard sides and a robust lid to protect valuables inside. These are particularly useful if you carry heavier laptops, as the stronger sides can protect from damage if dropped or knocked. They will often be slightly smaller inside due to the limitations of fixed sides.

Token mention: Attache Briefcases

This is the older styled briefcase with the completely solid hard surround on all sides, which has typically gone out of fashion because of its historic association. You won't find many modern brands sporting this type of case anymore.

Briefcase Material

The best material for a business briefcase is full grain leather. That's because leather is seen as more professional, and doesn't lose that style as it ages, whereas canvas bags tend to look unprofessional over time.

Leather is also very durable, which can be useful when carrying your briefcase on your daily commute.

Where do briefcases come from?

Leather briefcases have always been a man's best friend, even from Roman times where the soldiers were carrying their belongings in similar leather bag. However it was during the 19th century when the western world was full of new and interesting materials to use for practical fashion that the briefcase truly took shape. During this period metal was introduced to reinforce a work bags structure, and so the modern briefcase was formed. Barrow and Gale are a traditionally famous briefcase brand because they manufacture the type used in the British budget photos you might see on TV, which have been copied by countries across the world. During the 1990's and sooner the thicker briefcase was substituted for a more sleek and modern finish, with softer sides introduced and stylish front buckles preferred to the two top clips.

Related:

How Have Briefcases Evolved?

A briefcase was traditionally used by the legal profession, but has since been adopted by all forms of business environments. It used to consist of a hard sided bag with a traditional rectangular shape, but as the turn of the century brought a more relaxed business casual feel to office dress, a softer sided briefcase has been introduced alongside it. The introduction of new materials and water protective fabrics have allowed a revival of the briefcase in modern styles, perfect for a professional or casual work environment.