It’s that time of year when many of us are heading back into work after a nice festive break. It’s also a great time to think about refreshing your style and finding a new work bag you love taking to the office. Choosing the perfect work bag can be harder than it sounds though, with options for men, women, or unisex, in formats like briefcases, laptop backpacks, handbags, totes, messengers and more.
This guide helps you cut through the hype and figure out how to choose the perfect work bag for you. It’s all about asking what you carry day to day, how you like to carry it, what style suits your office environment, and what style suits you personally.
We’re carrying more tech than ever to work these days, but that’s not the only thing. If you want to find the perfect work bag the first step is listing out what you take day-to-day and get something to accommodate that list. Take a laptop? Make sure there’s a padded laptop sleeve. Have a tablet too? Many options have little slips for those as well. You might even want to think about anti-theft security to protect those valuables. Check out this anti-theft option that Unboxed Therapy has called ‘The Perfect Gadget Bag’…
There’s also whether you maybe ride to work and need to fit in a spare pair of clothes. Do you have your own drink bottle to keep hydrated during the day? Do you need some organization for pens, or cables and usbs? Once you’ve got a solid list of must-have daily work items you have with you, then check the features lists of your potential bags to work around that.
If you’re carrying a lot, you’ll need to find something big as well. A 24-litre laptop backpack should be enough for most days at the office, but if you also want to use that bag to travel to work, you might want to go upward of even that capacity.
How much you do carry, will also affecthowyou carry as well. This brings us to our next step.
Do you like the comfort of backpacks, or do you prefer the easy access of slinging something over your shoulder? Or, do you want to remain ultra professional and go briefcase style to carry in the hand? There are plenty of options to choose from in this area, and some out there that even convert between all three.
Part of how you carry your bag might include how you commute to work in the first place. If you ride, you’re probably all about a backpack or messenger style of work bag. If you take public transport, you might need something agile with some anti-theft security added in. If you drive, then a handbag or briefcase is a walk up start.
Briefcase style work bags that have more of an urban look have been ultra-popular of late, so there should be a version for you which gives you the shoulder strap/hand carry combo. On that same token, if you’re female and what to keep a stylish, feminine look at all times, there are also some amazing laptop handbags which also have organization pockets to suit a work environment.
Part of that comes down to your place of work, and part of that comes down to personal style. That brings us to your final considerations.
This question would have been a lot easier to answer a decade or more ago, when most offices were ‘suit and tie’ formal, and leather briefcases were the norm. Not anymore. Not only are plenty of offices way more casual in their approach, but some offices aren’t even offices. They’re at home, in cafes, in meeting places, or jet-setting around on airplanes.
If you do lots of travel for work, finding the perfect work bag will include easy access for your laptop to get through airport screenings efficiently. If you work in a business that focuses on active lifestyles, then a sporty bag could be the most appropriate option.
Generally speaking, however, if you want to remain professional, the laptop briefcase or handbag will be your fall back. Should you prefer a backpack, then go with more urban styling in dark colors that look clean. Blacks, charcoals and navys never go out of style and are at home in most situations. That is, of course, unless you want to stand out a little.
Ultimately, the perfect work bag is one that suits you. Your work tools, your office space, your style. If everyone uses a briefcase at your office, but you really suit a backpack, then go with that. That doesn’t mean you can’t make sure you have a backpack that is still incredibly sleek and professional looking. Pick the right one, with organization to make your colleagues jealous, and you might even start a swing in trend towards your chosen style.
To further browse work bags that might suit you, which also include some amazing anti-theft features to secure your tech, head here.
Happy searching and happy working.
