Best Work Backpacks for Women

A long-standing staple of every high-school student, backpacks have found their way into the boardroom. Boring fabric and silly cartoon characters have been replaced with sophisticated styling and elegant designs. A well-constructed backpack can easily replace a bulky briefcase and bag, leaving your hands free for that all-important cup of coffee.

The best work backpacks for women combine functionality with style. Juggling a purse, a briefcase, and a laptop can be a hassle. A good backpack incorporates space for everything you will need throughout the day with durability and sophisticated styling.

What makes a great leather backpack for work?

Trying to find the best backpack can be time-consuming – with countless options available both in the stores and online, you can easily spend hours, even days, slogging through description after description in search of the ideal pack for work and play. Trying to find a great pack like the Hinton, with its designated laptop compartment and easy-to-carry crossbody strap, shouldn’t be an exercise in frustration.

To save you valuable time (and a headache) we surveyed several professional women to find which backpacks were the “most liked” and why. After assessing a variety of popular backpacks, we created this list of the best of the best. The packs were judged on the following criteria:

• Style: The latest fad can be fun for the schoolyard, but for the workplace, opt for a more professional look that won’t quickly go out of style.
• Function: A great backpack makes organization effortless. There should be a dedicated compartment to protect your laptop, with additional compartments to keep paperwork, folders, and daily essentials such as your wallet and keys organized and easily accessible.
• Durability: A bargain stops being a bargain when you must replace it due to cheap materials or shoddy workmanship. A good, durable pack should last for many years.

Another important consideration when selecting a backpack for women that you will be using every day is the fit. The ideal backpack has ample space to carry everything you need while still being comfortable to carry. The right fit can be determined by your body type. A properly fitted pack will evenly distribute the load and will be more comfortable for the wearer. A backpack that is either too large or too small can create an unbalanced load and lead to unnecessary back pain.

How to Choose the Correct Sized Backpack:

To find the correct fit in a backpack you must measure your torso. It is your torso length, not your height, which determines which sized pack will work the best for you. We’ve created an easy guide to determine which size backpack will best suit your body. To measure your torso, follow these steps:

• Tilting your head forward, feel the bony bump where your neck meets your shoulder slope. This is the top of your torso length.
• Slide your hands along your ribcage until you feel the top of your hip bones. You will be measuring from the top of the torso to the top of the hip bones.
• Be sure to stand up straight and have a friend measure along the middle of your back, along the spine. Measure from the top of your torso to where your hip bones begin.
• The length from the top of your torso to the top of your hip bones is your torso length.

Choose the size of your backpack based on your torso length:

• For a torso length is 39 cm (15.5 inches) or smaller you need an extra-small backpack. The versatile Hess Mini Leather Backpack with its ergonomically adjustable straps is an ideal pack for those with a smaller torso length.
• Torsos that measure from 41-44 cm (16-17.5 inches) need a small backpack.
• Torsos measuring 46-50 cm (18-19.5 inches) require a medium-sized backpack.
• If your torso is 51 cm (20 inches) or longer a large backpack will be ideal for you.

How to Wear a Leather Backpack Correctly:

• Tighten the shoulder straps until they feel comfortable by pulling the ends down and back.
• Shoulder straps should wrap closely around your shoulders. The bag’s weight should feel evenly distributed across your entire back. If most of the weight is felt in the shoulders, you are putting too much stress on your neck, shoulders, and upper-back muscles.
• The anchor points of the backpack should be 1-2 inches below the top of your shoulders (at the top of the shoulder blades). If you cannot anchor the pack in this area, it means the backpack is the wrong size for your torso.
• You can vary the shoulder-strap tension by tightening and loosening the straps. Adjust the straps to relieve pressure points until it fits comfortably.

Which Material is Best for a Leather Work Backpack?

Now that you know how to choose the correct size, start looking for a pack that hits all the marks of a great women’s backpack for work. Leather is always a terrific choice for the workplace. The sleek Montana Slim Backpack is a perfect example of an ideal leather backpack for work – crafted of authentic full-grain crazy horse leather, the Montana’s elegant styling looks sophisticated in the boardroom and the durable leather will last for decades of use.

Why choose leather over other materials? 

• There are several reasons.
• Leather backpack looks professional.
• It never goes out of style and has a timeless elegance that looks chic and sophisticated.
• Durability is important - a top-quality full-grain leather such as crazy horse leather is as tough as it is beautiful.
• With a minimal amount of care, you can depend on crazy horse leather to last year after year.
• Many women have had leather packs that have lasted for decades, so the initial upfront investment is well worth it in the long run.

How to Choose the Best Work Backpack for a Woman:

Keeping fit, style, and durability in mind, the next thing to look for is function. Organization is key – for a pack to qualify as one of the best it must have a dedicated compartment for your laptop and enough additional pockets to provide ample organizational capabilities. The multipurpose Harper Leather Backpack is a prime example of function matched with style and durability. The dedicated laptop compartment and a multitude of pockets make this pack the only one you need for both work and play.

Which Backpacks were Voted the Best Work Backpacks for Women in 2023?

The following laptop bag/backpacks won the most votes as the ideal choice for the professional woman. Here are the Top 5 winners in the selection of the best work backpacks for women in 2023:

1-Best Backpack in the Medium-Large Category: The Hinton Backpack

The versatile Hinton leather backpack is the perfect example of an ideal laptop backpack for today’s accomplished woman. This chic pack is an organizational powerhouse with a polished, professional look. Handcrafted of the finest full-grain crazy horse leather, the Hinton is built to last. Its padded laptop compartment offers scratch-free protection for a MacBook Pro 13” (or any similarly sized laptop) and the additional interior and exterior compartments make organization a breeze. With adjustable crossbody straps to provide carrying comfort, this distinctive pack is easily one of the best work leather backpacks for women in 2023.

2-Best Large Backpack: The Harper Backpack

For a versatile bag that can take you from the beach to the boardroom and back, look no further than the popular Harper backpack. This multipurpose pack hits all the marks, making it ideal for work, school, or play and one of the best work leather backpacks for women in 2023.

Crafted of 100% authentic full-grain crazy horse leather, this hardy pack has a professional look that belongs in the boardroom and its rugged durability makes the Harper the ideal pack for camping, hiking, and your most challenging outdoor adventures. Fully loaded with dependable features like YKK zippers, precision stitching, and a detachable suede lining for easy cleanup, this multipurpose backpack can easily manage all your needs, both indoors and out. The padded straps offer superior weight distribution, which your back will thank you for after a long day.

3-Best Medium-Sized Backpack: The Montana Slim Backpack

For the ultimate in sophisticated styling, look no further than the Montana backpack. Its sleek lines and contemporary exterior prove that a backpack doesn’t have to be bulky to be efficient. Hidden snaps provide a streamlined exterior and can be snapped open for extra storage.

Ergonomic, adjustable straps allow the Montana to be worn as a backpack or a cross-body bag. The softly padded laptop compartment provides secure storage for a MacBook Air 13”, MacBook Pro 13”, or any laptop up to 13 inches. Available in three classic colors, the Montana is the perfect choice for those seeking elegance, functionality, and durability.

Graceful lines and superior storage capabilities make the distinctive Montana one of the best work leather backpacks for any discerning woman.

4-Best Small Backpack: The Hess Mini Backpack

Sometimes great things come in small packages. The Hess mini backpack has ample space to carry a laptop, papers, and important daily items.

The smaller size and ergonomic straps to evenly distribute the weight make this pack comfortable to carry all day long. Small but mighty, the Hess has pockets inside and out to keep everything organized and within easy reach.

Chock-full of features such as YKK zippers that glide easily without jamming or breaking, precision stitching that won’t pull apart or tear, and crafted of 100% full-grain crazy horse leather, the Hess is a sturdy little pack with chic styling.
Available in four custom colors and adorned with vintage brass buckles, the innovative Hess is easily one of this year’s best work bags for women.

5- Best for Women who need an Extra-Small Pack: The Logan Laptop Bag

For those that require an extra-small pack, the new Logan leather laptop sleeve offers a practical alternative to the backpack, briefcase, or purse. Crafted of top-quality full-grain crazy horse leather, this sleek sleeve provides a solid level of protection that fabric sleeves cannot compete with. Three compartments provide a generous amount of storage with ample room for notebooks, folders, and business briefs.

The bonus back pocket can hold important paperwork with additional space for a wallet, cell phone, and keys while the front pocket keeps the charger, mouse, and cords tangle-free and easily accessible. A detachable padded strap makes the Logan easy to carry and is adjustable for extra comfort.

The Logan is available in two sizes – one size accommodates laptops up to 13-14 inches and the larger sleeve can hold a MacBook Pro or any 15 to 16-inch laptop. Magnetic closures provide secure storage and give the Logan a clean, professional appearance.

Why Yukon Bags?

When searching for the best of the best work backpacks for women in 2023, you can depend on Yukon Bags to consistently deliver the ultimate in durability, functionality, and style. All our fine leather items are crafted of 100% full-grain crazy horse leather sourced from hides that are carefully hand-selected for top quality. We exclusively purchase our hides from L.W.G. Gold-certified tanneries, which is our guarantee to you that our hides come from tanneries that demonstrate the best environmental practices and performance in all areas of leather production.

At Yukon Bags we take the environment seriously, from our bags to our boxes. The boxes our bags arrive in are made from 100% recycled materials, taking environmental protection one step further than other manufacturers. Our zippers are YKK, which means you can rely on them to glide smoothly without breakage. Meticulous, precision stitching, top-quality leather and materials, and our expert artisans create backpacks and bags that you can depend on year after year, for decades to come.