Briefcase regret avoidance

June 24, 2009 2:39 PM

What are the pitfalls, annoyances, and deal breakers of different briefcase types? Help me not regret a purchase!

I'm considering throwing down some real money on a nice briefcase / messenger bag / computer bag. I'd like to hear your bad experiences with them so I know what to look out for. I haven't owned a lot of bags, let alone high-end ones, so don't know much about evaluating them.

My examples, with my cheap flip-top briefcase, are (1) the gaps that form on the side when using a shoulder strap, (2) the tendency for it to go horizontal when the handle is picked up and the latch not closed, and (3) the lack of a pocket easily accessed while wearing it on the shoulder.

So help run me through everything that I should know about briefcases. Magnets, zippers, leather, nylon, flip-tops, portfolios, map bags, small, large, specific to yours, general to the style, etc. What are the issues that come up only after you've bought and used it for a few weeks? What are the inside scoops that you won't find in buying guides or catalogs? Whether it's just a small annoyance, or made you regret buying it, let me hear it all!

posted by FuManchu to shopping (13 comments total)

Here's my one biggie when buying a bag: I need something that completely closes - no flaps that just go over the top, no pockets held closed by magnets. Zippers, firm snaps, velcro - all great. My bag needs to be able to be jostled, and put under seats and in overhead compartments, and fall off my car seat when I stop too fast, and all the rest... without anything falling out. I don't want to wonder if something has fallen out - I want to know it's all there.

If you accept that one criteria, know that you're eliminating 99% of the bags out there. It becomes a huge pain in the ass when looking for a new bag, like I am now.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 3:36 PM on June 24

Are you going to ever put a laptop in one? If so, dump most style considerations and go with a medium priced cloth or leather bag with lots of amenities and pockets.

If not, go here.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:53 PM on June 24

If got one that looks like this and it is awesome. Of course it just has candy bars and comic books in it, but nobody knows that shhh.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:55 PM on June 24

I am on my second XL Hampton from BBP Bags(http://www.bbpbags.com/hamptons.html). They make a pretty wonderful product. You can use it messenger style, or as I do, more like a horizontally aligned backpack. It looks a little weird when in it's backpack mode, but it carries a lot, it's made of strong materials, and it's easy on the back. Plus, their customer support is fantastic, if you ever have a problem.
posted by Sugar Induced Coma at 4:15 PM on June 24

Messenger bag: unless you regularly ride a bicycle, it's not the best choice. Re your specific criteria, messenger bags are typically good for 3), not good for 1) or 2).
posted by box at 4:17 PM on June 24

I have a Tom Bihn backpack and a Saddleback Leather Company briefcase. I love both of them. The only complaint I have after using both for a couple of years, is that the leather adds a little weight. I would gladly spend the money on either of them again in a heartbeat.
posted by Silvertree at 5:22 PM on June 24

Do you fly a lot? If you're stuffing it under the seat in front of you and it's smooth leather, it will get scratched. Coarse-grained leather wears better, as do canvas and other fabrics.

Like you, I prefer a bag that provides some access while I'm carrying it -- which means either no flap, or flap + external pocket.

I also like a bag that sits up by itself and retains its basic shape when I place it somewhere. I hate the structureless bags that flop around and spew out your stuff.

And as per Sugar Induced Coma, 'easy on the back' is important too. That argues for a backpack or bag with straps that are more broad-and-rigid rather than narrow-and-floppy. Really long straps, and straps that don't shorten securely, get tangled and annoying.

For men, I think Tumi makes pretty good (expensive, generic upscale business-y) bags, like this one, as does Jack Spade. Jack Spade's have a little more personality than Tumi.
posted by Susan PG at 7:04 PM on June 24

For backpack-style bags, I think that a top handle which can actually carry the weight of the bag, balanced well and reliably, is a key feature.
posted by box at 7:10 PM on June 24

The Coach briefcases are a disappointment. The older ones wear like iron, but are as heavy as iron too. They're beautiful, but before you put anything in the bag it's heavier than you want to carry. The newer Coach briefcases are lighter and fabric lined. They don't hold up nearly as well.

A pebbled leather will look less formal than a smooth leather. Pebbled leather will also resist scratches and wear. Pigskin is pretty much indestructible.
posted by 26.2 at 12:44 AM on June 25

If you routinely jam a lot of papers/books/ephemera into your bag, then messenger-style bags and others that rely on an overflap can be frustrating if they don't close. The top loading style seems more infinitely expandable.

Measure your key stuff, especially if you rely on a paper calendar system and including your laptop cable/power block, to make sure the pocket dimensions make sense for you. If you fly a lot, consider looking for a model designed to comply TSA's new standards governing styles where laptops need not be removed to go through the x-ray machine. Oh and lining in any color other than black makes it easier to see/find your stuff.
posted by carmicha at 6:15 AM on June 25

Also, what is your budget? Curse you Silvertree, I thought I was content with the making of my new leather bag but now I have a desire for another one!

Really think about how you use your bag. Do you carry left or right? At hip level or higher? What do you carry? What do you want it made of leather, fabric? How much weight of items and bag?

In the end, you may want to go truly custom if you want to spend a few hundred.
posted by jadepearl at 8:15 AM on June 25

I can't say enough about my Saddleback briefcase, jadepearl. Listen to the voices...
posted by Silvertree at 10:39 AM on June 25

Hmm...I have plenty of voices, thank you, silvertree.

But back to the original question, deal breakers for me in a bag are:

a) simply does not function for my lifestyle. I carry a laptop and the bag needs to support that;

b) cheap hardware e.g., cheap zippers, latches, d-rings;

c) poorly sewn with particular regard to straps and thread becoming unravelled;

d) if fabric based, thin bottoms. I carry a lot of books and those book ends can seriously dig through material unless it is sturdy though I love certain fabric bags, like colorful silks, I cannot use them for actual work;

e) unsupple leather where the leather so stiff that the bag is unwieldy

Those are the things I noticed and regretted with certain bags.
posted by jadepearl at 12:37 PM on June 25