Harber London Laptop Briefcase review: Sumptuous leather carry-all

There are many things to think about when choosing the best laptop bag for your needs. Consider size, price, materials, carrying comfort, weight, accessory pockets, laptop protection, and style. I enjoyed Harber London's Slim Leather Folio Laptop Case, so I was happy to review the company's laptop briefcase. As expected, this briefcase is both elegant and highly functional, with lots of attention to detail.

While pricey, the Harber London Laptop Briefcase is gorgeous to look at and feels amazing with its buttery soft full-grain vegetable-tanned cowhide leather exterior. It's handmade in Spain by expert artisans. Two large microfiber-lined compartments easily accommodate your MacBook and your iPad. Plenty of other compartments will house all of your other necessities.

You can carry this bag in three different ways. Use the carry handles to carry it briefcase-style. Attach the included shoulder strap to carry it like a messenger bag. Or slide it onto your extended suitcase handle using the strap on the back of the bag.

Harber London Laptop Briefcase: Price and availability

You can purchase the Harber London Laptop Briefcase exclusively on Harber London's website. There are two sizes. The Medium size (14.17-by-10.23-by-2.75 inches) fits your 13-inch laptop. The Large (15.74-by-11.02-by-3.93 inches) accommodates a laptop up to 16 inches. My bag is the larger size, but my MacBook Pro is the 13-inch model. The prices can vary due to currency conversion rates, but as of this writing, the prices are about $520 for the smaller size and $547 for the larger one. There are three color options: Tan, Black, and Deep Brown. Just for our readers, Harber London offers a 15% off promo code with no expiration date: IMORE21.

Harber London Laptop Briefcase: What's special

You'll be sure to impress when you walk into a meeting with the Harber London Laptop Briefcase. It's also highly practical for everyday use as well as travel with all of its thoughtful details. I like that there are so many compartments to help you organize your important stuff.

There are two main compartments lined with microfiber, either of which will fit a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but only one has a snap closure. You could put any size iPad, even in a bulky case, in the other main compartment. There are many other slots and pockets for various accessories, such as business cards, pens, your passport, and chargers. There are even special pockets for A4, A5, and A6 notebooks. Two zippered accessory bags attach to the interior of the briefcase magnetically.

Carry the briefcase via the two handles, or attach the comfortable adjustable shoulder strap and carry it like a messenger bag. It took me a while to figure out where to attach the shoulder strap; there are slots for that purpose just above the carry handles' attachment points. The bag is travel-friendly with a strap on the back that slides easily onto your extended suitcase handle.

The aesthetics of this bag are just top-notch. The full-grain vegetable-tanned leather is buttery to the touch. It will develop a rich patina over time and get better with age.

Harber London Laptop Briefcase: What's not so special

The price will be the biggest sticking point with this bag. You are paying for quality, but you're paying a lot.

The only real concern I have about this bag is that the laptop pocket isn't really padded. I don't think that's an issue for normal briefcase use at all. But if you're particularly rough with your bags, you might consider something with more padding.

Harber London Laptop Briefcase: Competition

Waterfield makes several bags that are popular with the iMore crew. While they certainly aren't cheap, they do run a bit cheaper than Harber London's bags. For example, the Waterfield Designs Tech Folio 16-inch holds any size MacBook plus all of your accessories in a fashionable messenger-style bag.

Personally, I love a backpack-style laptop bag. Carried on both shoulders, it's easier on the body than a regular bag from an ergonomic standpoint. The WaterField Mezzo Laptop Backpack is a great medium-sized bag that lets you carry any size MacBook plus some accessories comfortably on your back.

Harber London Laptop Briefcase: Should you buy it?

• You love luxurious full-grain leather
• You need lots of compartments
• You want a travel-friendly bag

• It's out of your budget
• You want lots of padding for your MacBook
• You're vegan

This is an ideal bag for someone who wants a lavish leather bag for work or for travel. If you need larger compartments for your MacBook and iPad plus many smaller compartments to organize your other necessities, this is a great choice. It's obviously not the right fit for a vegan or anyone on a tight budget. It's also not great for someone who's pretty rough on their bags since there's not much padding for the laptop.

Handcrafted by craftspeople in Spain, this ritzy full-grain vegetable-tanned leather bag is more than your ordinary laptop briefcase. Not only is it easy on the eyes and pleasing to touch, but it's thoughtfully designed to help you organize your essentials with lots of pockets. It's travel-friendly and can be carried by its handles, the detachable shoulder strap, or slipped onto your extended suitcase handle. However, it's not ideal for rough-and-tumble adventures, as the laptop compartment isn't really padded.

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