Many laptop bags and briefcases sold today are still made with animal by-products such as leather, suede and wool.
It can be a tricky and confusing experience looking for vegan laptop bags online.
That’s why I’ve pulled together a list of our favourite cruelty free, vegan and environmentally friendly laptop bags.
Vegan Leather
Modern and sophisticated, this bag has several functional compartments. The bow is removable so it’s suitable for both men and women.
Natural Materials
You’d never guess this laptop bag was made out of cork. Cork is naturally water resistant and the bag has a suitcase strap for convenience.
Recycled
This messenger bag is from recycled tires which is one of the most durable materials around.
Vegan Leather Laptop Bags
Vegan leather is a cruelty-free alternative to traditional leather.
It’s becoming increasingly popular, with designers like Stella McCartney only using vegan leather in their collections.
As a result, it’s being used today across many products traditionally made out of leather, such as clogs and briefcases.
As time goes on, so many new vegan alternatives spring up. Nowadays, you can get almost anything vegan.
From dedicated vegan meal boxes (yum) to vegan pet food, there’s a vegan option for almost everything.
Clownfish Faux Leather Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 15.8 x 11.8 x 2.8 inches
This laptop bag is made from high-quality PU vegan leather and is lined with polyester. It comes with a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap.
The bag is expandable and has multiple compartments to organize your belongings.
The cushioned laptop sleeve can fit laptops up to 14 inches, but Clownfish also sell a similar style bag that can fit a larger laptop.
Check out their shop to see the entire range. There are options for both men and women.
Kenneth Cole Faux Leather Vegan Briefcase
Dimensions: 15.5 x 11. 3 x 3 inches
Kenneth Cole say they aim to provide customers with fashion-forward, high-quality products.
Their briefcase was designed with a focus on functionality. It includes two padded compartments, one for a laptop and one for a tablet, plus several zipper pockets for smaller items.
The PU vegan leather exterior is soft and lightweight, so it’s comfortable to carry around all day.
LXY Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 15.7 x 11 x 3.9 inches
LXY offers a backpack-style laptop bag. There’s a total of 6 different compartments so you can easily organize your belongings, and it’ll fit a laptop up to 14 inches.
There’s a hidden magnetic clasp on the side of the bag that you can use to expand it if you need more space. The bag’s made using vegan leather and is also available in black.
Sweetbriar Vegan Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 16.5 x 12 x 4 inches
Designed to be the only bag you need, this laptop bag has multiple different-sized compartments to fit everything from your laptop to your tablet and your chargers.
It’s made from vegan leather, with a nylon interior and metal clasps. The bag’s low price point means it’s suitable if you’re on a budget.
ECOSUSI Vegan Leather Briefcase
Dimensions: 15.7 x 10.8 x 5 inches
Ecosusi’s modern but classy briefcases are made with durable vegan leather (PU) and lined with cotton.
They have one main compartment and another padded compartment for your laptop. There are also several zipper pockets to hold smaller accessories.
This bag comes in multiple colors, and the bow is detachable if you prefer a plainer bag.
Ecosusi has a large selection of satchel-style vegan briefcases to pick from, so make sure you check out the whole range.
Overbrooke Vegan Tote Bag
Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.5 x 4.5 inches
Overbrookes tote bag is made using soft pebbled vegan leather and a nylon lining. The tote style means this bag will carry you smoothly from business to leisure.
It has a padded compartment in the middle designed for laptops up to 15.6 inches wide. The bag comes in a variety of other colors, mostly shades of black and brown.
Will’s Plant-Based Leather Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 16 x 12 x 3 inches
Will’s messenger bag doesn’t contain any PU or PVC. Instead, it’s made from plant-based Italian leather. The leather’s made from cereal crops grown in Northern Europe, using a carbon-neutral bio-oil.
The inside is lined with a luxurious feeling vegan suede material.
Will’s ship the eco-friendly laptop bag to you in non-treated paper and a cardboard box. They use a carbon-neutral, plastic-free shipping method.
Matt & Nat Vegan Briefcase
Dimensions: 15.5 x 11.5 x 2.5 inches
Matt & Nat’s design team in Canada aims to make timeless and durable pieces, promoting slow sustainable fashion.
This bag is made from PU vegan leather and lined with 100% recycled nylon. For each bag made Matt & Nat say 21 plastic bottles are recycled.
The briefcase will fit a 13-inch laptop in its padded sleeve and boasts both pen and phone pockets. It also comes with a removable and adjustable crossbody strap.
Faux Leather Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 13 x 12 x 3.5 inches
This vegan messenger bag is made using a lightweight and soft material. There’s one exterior and one interior zipper pocket and the bag’s secured with a zipper and a magnetic clasp.
The distressed faux leather used gives the messenger bag a rustic look. It comes in 10 different colors, so you’re bound to find one you like.
ECOSUSI Vegan Laptop Bag
Dimension: 15 x 10.8 x 5 inches
Another bag from Ecosusi, but you can wear this one as either a backpack or a shoulder bag. It’s made from durable vegan leather, and the brass details give it a vintage feel.
The messenger bag has a specific pocket for your laptop (up to 15.6 inches) and several other compartments. It comes in 4 different colors.
Doshi Vegan Leather Briefcase
Dimensions: 19.5 x 4.25 x 12.5 inches
This high-end vegan briefcase uses waxed microfiber vegan leather, which gives a smooth finish to the bag. The inside is lined with nylon and has three separate zippered compartments.
The laptop compartment will fit a 15-inch laptop and is well padded for extra protection. The bag also comes with a padded shoulder strap.
There are four different colors available, with some matte options for those who don’t like the waxed look.
Doshi gives back 5% of its profits to help support charities that benefit animals, people, and the environment.
Overbrooked Unisex Vegan Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 17.5 x 13 x 4 inches
This second vegan laptop bag from Overbrookes is suitable for larger laptops. There’s a padded compartment that will fit a laptop up to 17 inches.
It’s made from vegan leather and polyester and is scratch and water-resistant. It has slightly longer straps than most laptop bags so can be comfortably carried on your shoulders.
Zebella Vintage Briefcase
Dimensions: 14.6 x 10.4 x 4.7 inches
If you’re after more a vintage look, this vegan briefcase should fit the bill. Its timeless appearance means you’ll never look out of place.
The bag is made from PU leather and lined with cotton. It has five different compartments to help keep you organized.
Lots of users comment on how impressed they are with the quality of the bag for its price.
Estarer Vegan Leather Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 13 x 15.8 x 4 inches
This laptop bag comes with an impressive 15 pockets. There’s a compartment for everything from your credit card to your charging cable. There’s also an anti-theft pocket in the back to keep your valuables safe.
It’s made from PU leather, and the decoration on the front is detachable if you want to remove it. There are four different colors available.
Pinatex Vegan Leather Laptop Bags
A less popular, but more eco-friendly vegan leather alternative is known as Piñatex®.
What is Piñatex®?
Piñatex® is leather made out of pineapple leaves, a natural byproduct of pineapple harvesting.
Usually, they’d be discarded and burnt but Dr. Carmen Hijosa has developed a way to make these leaves into leather.
The leather produced is soft, water-resistant, breathable and light – all good qualities for a bag.
The ultimate aim is for Piñatex® to be sustainable cradle to cradle, meaning it’s entire lifecycle from the farming to the eventual degradation is eco-friendly and ethical.
Unfortunately, at the moment the leather has to be coated with a resin so isn’t 100% biodegradable, but the company who invented it is working on this.
Eve And Adis Pinatex Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 21 x 15 x 4 inches
This vegan messenger bag has 25-litre capacity, so great if you have lots of stuff to carry as well as your laptop. There’s a built-in sleeve to hold your laptop and a hidden side pocket for ease of reach.
It’s made from Pinatex, with velcro fastening. The bottom is made from a vegan material called Cordura.
There’s also a cork version of this bag available if you want a lighter color.
Caonis Bag Pinatex Briefcase
Dimensions: 15 x 11 x 1 inches
Stylish, vegan and great for the environment. This laptop bag has two main compartments, one for a laptop and one for your other belongings.
It’s not as spacious as other laptop bags I’ve featured, something to bear in mind if you’ve got a lot to carry.
The bag is made from Pinatex and secured with an RV zip. It comes in either black or red.
Vegan Pinatex Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 12.6 x 16.1 x 4.7 inches
This vegan backpack is handmade made using Pinatex and then lined with cotton. The bottom of the bag is made using a waxed canvas material for extra durability.
The seller recommends waxing the bag every so often to keep it in good condition.
Natural Vegan Laptop Bags
Natural fibres are an alternative to vegan leather for those who want to steer clear of the look altogether.
Cork, hemp and jute are some examples of natural fibres commonly used to make bags.
These materials are all biodegradable, so eco-friendly as well as vegan.
Cork is widely used as a vegan alternative to leather. It’s soft, durable, easy to clean, waterproof, and best of all, cork is very sustainable. Cork tree’s don’t have to be cut down to harvest the material. Therefore the tree can continue to grow and be re-harvested.
Hemp is a sustainable, low impact crop which can easily be turned into fabric. The resultant material is sturdy and damage resistant, but still feels soft to touch.
Jute is considered a sustainable material because the plant grows very fast and therefore, less land is needed to produce large quantities.
Furthermore, the plant grows easily without the need for pesticides or fertilizers. Jute bags are hard-wearing and can take an impressive amount of weight.
Corkor Eco-Friendly Cork Briefcase
Dimensions: 16.1 x 11.4 x 3.9 inches
Cork is a great eco-friendly alternative to leather, and this bag proves that it can be stylish too. It’s water-resistant and has a soft, smooth finish.
The adjustable shoulder strap is made from cotton, just like the lining. Inside there’s a laptop compartment and a tablet pocket, as well as two pen loops and a key holder.
The laptop bag also has a suitcase strap on the back, which you’ll find very useful if you travel a lot with your laptop.
It’s available in black and brown. Corker also has lots of other cork bags and eco-friendly wallets that you can check out on their shop.
Sweetbriar Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 16 x 11.5 x 3.5 inches (M) 17.5 x 13 x 4 (L)
Another laptop bag from Sweetbriar, but this one is mainly made out of cotton canvas with vegan leather detailing.
The medium-sized bag has a laptop compartment big enough for a 13-inch laptop, and the large size will hold a 15-inch laptop. Both sizes have plenty of extra room to hold any books or files you might need as well.
Natural Hemp Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 16.5 x 12.5 x 4 inches
This bag is handmade in Nepal by local artisans. It’s made using durable hemp textiles and lined with organic cotton. Proud London says they use ethically harvested hemp from the Himalayas.
The vegan laptop bag will be shipped to you in easily recyclable materials and without any plastic. Furthermore, any dyes used are natural, so the bag is chemical-free.
It’s also available in red and burgundy.
Hemp Mini Messenger Bag
Dimensions 11 x 3.5 x 10 inches
Despite having mini in the name, this hemp laptop bag has plenty of space. It has internal organizers and two outside pockets for extra storage.
There’s a laptop sleeve inside, although it’s only suitable for smaller laptops and tablets.
The ‘dime’ logo is a removable velcro sticker. If you have other velcro stickers, you can customize the bag to create a unique look.
Why not get a matching hemp wallet as well?
Chanchal Ikat Jute Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 15.5 x 11 x 2.5 inches
This bag is made using ikat cotton and jute textiles which have been sourced directly from weaving houses. This particular bag comes from a small village in India called Pochampally.
The natural laptop bag is lined with a water-resistant material to protect your belongings from spillages and rain. Inside there’s enough space for a laptop along with all its accessories.
You can have a look at their other designs on their Esty shop.
Mobile Edge Cotton Canvas Eco Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 17.5 x 13 x 4.25 inches
Made of all-natural cotton canvas the manufacturer claims that this vegan messenger bag has a minimal carbon footprint. Mobile Edge use renewable and recycled materials wherever possible.
The bag is well set up for working life. It has an integrated workstation to hold all your pens and accessories, as well as a removable ID holder with several anchor points.
The Courier Hemp Vegan Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 15 x 12 x 5 inches
These sustainable messenger bags are handmade in the USA using hemp, and the lining is made of recycled plastic.
The shoulder strap can be used to convert the bag into a backpack, and there are two different zippered compartments on the inside.
The bag is available in black or white.
Hey Jute Moon Loom Briefcase
Dimensions: 14.5 x 11.5 x 2 inches
HeyJute has a range of different eco-friendly laptop bags, mostly made from Jute. The bag I’ve featured is made by a women’s self-help group and uses entirely plant-based materials.
They chose the name moon loom because the plant used for the dye produces different colors depending on when in the moon cycle its harvested. If the plant is harvested during a new moon, then the color will be lighter.
This bag will fit a 13-inch laptop inside, but there are larger bags available.
Cork Vegan Briefcase
Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 3 inches
Goossen Bags make briefcases out of cork, there are blue and natural cork colors available. The lining is made from cotton.
The seller uses offcuts from previous projects to reduce waste, so each lining will be different. There are two zipped pockets, one on the outside and one on the inside.
Upcycled Laptop Bags
Recycled materials are eco-friendly and can be used to make almost anything, from flip flops and swimwear to laptop bags.
Some creative examples shown below include recycled fire hoses, truck tarps and feed bags. These materials are all naturally weatherproof and durable.
Using the material to make bags not only saves waste from being sent to landfill but also saves more material and energy from being used to create a new bag.
Recycled Fire Hose Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 3.5 inches
Because this bag is made out of upcycled fire hoses, it’s naturally tough and weatherproof.
Fire hoses can only last so long fighting fires, and after that, they generally have nowhere to go but landfill. Amber and Rose are giving these retired fire hoses a second life as vegan messenger bags.
The bag is quite small, so not suitable if you have a larger laptop.
Recycled Feed Bags Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 2 inches
This unique messenger bag is made from recycled feed bags, and there are lots of different designs based on the feed bags the maker has access too. The interior of the bag is made from recycled plastic bottles.
This bag is designed with work in mind as it’s padded and has different compartments to keep your laptop and files separated.
Seatbelt Vegan Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 11 x 11 x 2 inches
Buckle Up Bags takes seatbelts that have been rejected by the airline industry for failing safety testing and upcycles them into eco-friendly laptop bags.
The inside is lined with cotton and is split into three different compartments. There are also two exterior compartments.
Shop the whole collection on Etsy.
Alchemy Goods Recycled Tire Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 20 x 14 x 6 inches
For those of you with big laptops, this bag should be large enough to accommodate them and still have some room left. Inside there’s a padded laptop sleeve and several zippered pockets.
It’s made from recycled bicycle inner tubes and lined with nylon. The bag has reflective details on it, so if you commute home in the dark, you’ll easily be seen.
REBAGO Recycled Truck Tarp Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 16.5 x 11 x 3 inches
Each of these bags is handmade and one of a kind. The outside is made using recycled truck tarp. Airbag, tent and banner materials make up the interior lining.
All their laptop bags are 100% vegan and there’s plenty of different designs and sizes to choose from.
Haiku Eco-Friendly Messenger Bag
Dimensions: 12 x 11 x 4 inches
Haiku is a company owned and led by women. The bags are designed to effortlessly take you from the office to your weekend camping trip.
This messenger bag is made of recycled plastic bottles; each uses around nine plastic bottles. Using recycled plastic reduces energy usage by 50%, air pollution by 60%, and water use by 20%.
Did you know you can also make shoes from recycled plastic bottles?!
Recycled Tire Rucksack Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 12.5 x 7 x 18 inches
This recycled laptop bag is made from old tires. It’s lined with a waterproof fabric and has a padded compartment that can hold a 15-inch laptop.
There are several other pockets, and the back is lined with a mesh which you can use to hold a jumper.
The materials used to make this bag are extremely tough so expect to use it for a long time.
Billboard Vegan Laptop Bag
Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 2.3 inches
Another surprising material, this messenger bag is made out of upcycled billboards and vegan leather. The bag is completely waterproof so you can take it out in any weather.
It’s lined with nylon and has a reflective strap on the side. There’s a main compartment for your laptop or tablet and two zipper pockets.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re after a vegan leather laptop bag or one made from old fire hoses, one thing’s for sure: you have a lot of choices.
Suppose the environmental impact is a crucial deciding factor for you. In that case, I’d recommend sticking to upcycled/recycled or natural laptop bags, as these are more sustainable than the faux leather options I’ve listed.
What is vegan leather made of?
Most vegan leathers are made from plastic-based materials, usually polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU).
PU-based vegan leather is generally best because it’s better for the environment than PVC-based leather, although unfortunately, PU is not great for the environment either.
Another downside to PU leather is that it tends to smell when it’s new, but don’t worry; this should disappear after a few uses.
