Top Briefcases

Choose a Briefcase That Sends the Right Message

Messenger bag briefcases have a sleek, contemporary style. This one from Siamod San Francesco is particularly sleek as it's made of Napa Cashmere Leather. Yet it also offers a lot of organizational oomph with large outside pockets front and back and two roomy interior compartments, one a padded laptop compartment (for laptops up to 15.4" in size). Two front organizer pockets and an interior organizer for pens, business cards and small devices give you a place for everything. The briefcase's shoulder strap has non-slip neoprene to help alleviate body strain. Available in Cherry Red, Black, Chocolate and Cognac.

Trustworthy. Successful. Knowledgeable. That's the message a classic leather briefcase such as this one from Jack Georges broadcasts. Measuring 16.5" x 11" x 7", this briefcase is made of American steer hide with satin nickel hardware for durability and beauty. Inside, there are three big pockets thanks to the triple gusset design and an Easy Access Organizer to keep things in place. There's also an open back pocket for even more storage room. Available in brown or black.

Another way to show how savvy and successful you are is to carry this leather briefcase from Aaron Irvin. Constructed of buttery, hand finished, vegetable dyed leather, this briefcase has elegant good looks combined with the kind of storage space that lets you carry everything you need around with you. Unzip the briefcase and you'll find four divided interior compartments, one of which, a padded computer compartment, is large enough to accommodate most laptops with 17" screens. Best of all, all compartments are large enough to hold legal-sized files. The briefcase comes with an adjustable leather padded shoulder strap, and a cable bag.

A briefcase and a work of art all in one, this briefcase from L.A.P.A., located in Florence, Italy, is made of premium natural organically tanned leather and handcrafted. The briefcase measures 12 1/2" tall, 16 1/4" wide and 3 1/4" deep with two large zipper pockets, a cell phone pocket, two pen holders and a card holder inside and one large exterior slip pocket on the back side of the bag. The flap top has a key lock closure. You're trading organizational space for looks here, but looks this good can be worth it.

Red is hot this season but this good-looking red leather briefcase is practical, too. I really like the drop front section; it has an array of pockets for all the little stuff from business cards through cell phone. Inside, a fully zippered center section has a zippered pocket, a padded lap top section and an additional slip pocket. And the butter soft top grain Napa cowhide leather is a treat to both eye and touch. A non-slip shoulder strap is included. (Briefcase measures 17.5" x 17" x 5".)

The big draw with this briefcase, of course, is that it's made of recycled material but it's also good-looking, durable and has all the compartments you need to keep your papers and gear organized – and dry as the case is waterproof. Large enough to hold 11x17 inch documents, Nauti Gear's Recycled Sailcloth Briefcase has a removable laptop sleeve (interior laptop dimensions 15.5" wide x 10" high x 1.5" deep), an interior zipper and flap with a secure closure, and large pockets inside and out. Wear this briefcase cross body if you like; you can adjust the shoulder strap to drop up to 19 inches.

For the price, this leather briefcase looks great. It only costs about $100 but people won't know that just from looking at the bag. And this briefcase has excellent organizational design, with its double gusset construction and a zippered front pocket which includes an organizer for business essentials. There's also a full length interior zippered pocket on back wall of the bag. One downside; there's no padded special compartment to carry a laptop, although you could anyway. (Briefcase measures 11.50" x 15.50" x 5.00".)

This briefcase messenger bag has three big selling points: laptop security, looks and price. The briefcase features Safetycell computer protection which includes a wireless security shield to protect Bluetooth devices from hackers and viruses. As for looks, the leather trim on the bag, (made from heavy-duty 1680D Ballistic nylon), gives it professional style. And price? It's one of only two briefcases on this page that costs less than $100. (Briefcase measures 17" x 14" x 5" and fits laptops up to 15.4 inches.)