Stylish man's bag?

November 17, 2008 7:52 AM

I want a men's bag that is stylish and unique that can hold a laptop fine (13" macbook), perhaps with an added sleeve, but doesn't look like a laptop bag and is therefore functional when the laptop's at home. So far I'm considering bags by Qwstion, Hard Graft, Cydwoq, and Freitag. What are some of your favorite bags?

I know there have been many laptop and briefcase questions before, but none seem to lead to what I'm looking for.

posted by Manhasset to shopping (15 comments total)

Here is the bag that I have (and love). I got it through Zappos.
posted by El_Marto at 8:07 AM on November 17, 2008

I really loved my Hedgren bag which I got in Hong Kong. Only problem is that you can't get them in the US.
posted by vacapinta at 8:18 AM on November 17, 2008

I just got this in black/gray from Timbuk 2. It's not specifically a men's pack and not super-stylish, but it holds an insane amount including my crappy, clunky work laptop.
posted by j at 8:22 AM on November 17, 2008

I have an Acne beach bag that holds incredible amounts of junk including various amounts of laptops. Only really good for the summer but a nice cotton beach bag is something you need.

I have a small Filson duffel bag that I really, really like right now. Gym clothes + computer goes in very well. Duffel bags are great and i regret not getting one sooner.

I searched long and hard for a good looking messenger bag but ended up with a medium Timbuk2. It's not stylish at all but ergonomics were utter shit with all the rest. The Freitags are ok in that department i guess but not really my style...

Don't get a rucksack. I would say it's nearly impossible looking god wearing a rucksack. So uh, I'm a bit obsessed with bags maybe. Don't forget to get lots of cotton grocery bags as well. People think you care about the environment when all you really care about is not getting seen carrying around ugly plastic or paper bags. I'ts great!
posted by uandt at 8:59 AM on November 17, 2008

if you want a really cool bag and happen to be in NYC - go to village tannery on bleeker, after looking for a year for the perfect bag - the custom one they made for me still is the coolest thing out there.

http://www.villagetannery.com/
posted by specialk420 at 9:02 AM on November 17, 2008

Re: the bags you posted, definitely go with the Hard Graft.
posted by demagogue at 9:10 AM on November 17, 2008

I'm sure you've considered Timbuk2 given that you've seen the previous threads, but I'm still a fan simply because I need my laptop/camera bag to be waterproof.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:34 AM on November 17, 2008

I love my Buzz by Tom Bihn. It's a slingpack. What's great is that, unlike a backpack, you can gain access to your stuff without taking the pack off (just rotate it to your front). Also, when I'm commuting I only need one hand to put it on my back. So I can do that easily while walking.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 10:15 AM on November 17, 2008

Thanks for the answers so far.

specialk420, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Unfortunately, I'm not in NY.

demagogue, yeah, the Hard Graft bag is nice... unbelievably stupid they decided to throw a shallow slogan on the thing though. I won't buy it for that reason. I haven't needed slogans on my bag since I was a junior in high school. I can't imagine what they're thinking building something that fine and stitching mantras on it.
posted by Manhasset at 10:55 AM on November 17, 2008

Everyone seems to have it, but I'm still quite happy with my Jack Spade bag. Also you might consider LeSportSac. They have a line of bags for men and a line for guys. I wouldn't presume to know which one you are.
posted by Xalf at 11:06 AM on November 17, 2008

This guy on Etsy makes the best laptop bags; I bought one a while back and have been very happy with it. It's more professional-looking/more durable/more original than 90 percent of the laptop bags out there, and costs less than almost all of them. And it's versatile and stylish enough that it doesn't look like your usual ugly laptop bag. Unfortunately, it looks like he's on hiatus, but you could still message him to see what's up if you like the look of the bags.
posted by limeonaire at 4:51 PM on November 17, 2008

El_Marto: "Here is the bag that I have (and love). I got it through Zappos."

Man, I also have a Dakine Station bag, but I must have an older version, because yours is much nicer than mine. Curses.
posted by phaded at 4:52 PM on November 17, 2008

Also, know that Etsy has a lot of people making original leather bags, if you're willing to pay what they're asking. I wasn't, hence my choice of bag.
posted by limeonaire at 4:54 PM on November 17, 2008

I may sound like a jackass, but I absolutely love Pelican boxes. There's nothing stylish about it, but damn do they do what they say they do.
posted by Arquimedez Pozo at 5:45 PM on November 17, 2008

Just for the many who favorited this Q, I found this bag today and thought it very nice.
posted by Manhasset at 6:39 PM on November 20, 2008