Best Leather Tote — Buyer’s Guide and Reviews - Updated September 2020

While many people seek a sleek, small bag to provide a cute contrast, many people are simply looking for an everyday bag that can keep up with the realities of life. Whether you have to carry a laptop or a tablet as well as a wallet, keys, tissues, and litany of other items, a cute clutch just will not always cut it.

The top 10 most popular Tote based on sales on the website BestReviews.Tips. Updated daily.

1. MICHAEL Michael Kors Jet Set Top-Zip Tote – Most Styled Leather Tote

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Michael Kors is a giant in the fashion industry and with good reason. Seeking to blend the chic with the classic, his designs have earned him awards and accolades for the better part of two decades. His Jet Set lineup, for which there are numerous silhouettes, is just another in a long line of this philosophy.

One of the characteristic qualities about a Michael Kors brand bag is that they often use Saffiano leather. This is a top grain leather that is then pressed into a crosshatched design. This provides an elegant look while maintaining a soft, supple, and durable product.

Of course, carrying the name and prestige of the Michael Kors brand definitely inflates the price a bit. Another concern is the fact that this is an exceedingly small tote. While the silhouette may be a tote, that style is generally designed to be larger and hold more than this bag is capable of doing.

2. Ilishop Women’s Leather Large Shoulder Tote – Largest Leather Tote

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Ilishop is likely not a brand of designer fashion bags that you have heard and for good reason. While an American company, the brand imports their products from China. Moreover, this brand does not actually sell in brick-and-mortar storefronts like other designer brands, instead relying exclusively on online outlets.

Keeping that in mind, it is not that surprising that the Ilishop has some durability issues. More specifically, this bag’s zipper is known for coming undone or even losing teeth–the latter of which is a bit rare and highlights a lower grade of metal used for the zipper.

Another troubling aspect is that this is a genuine leather bag, which is the lowest grade of leather. To push that issue further, this bag is actually made from a single strip of leather that is then layered with a synthetic material, giving it a plastic look and feel.

3. Kattee Vintage Genuine Leather Shoulder Tote – Best Hobo Leather Tote

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Much like some of the other brands on our list, Kattee is a brand that eschews the traditional brick-and-mortar storefront approach to sell direct to the consumer online or through other online channels. However, unlike many of the other online only brands we reviewed, Kattee has been able to transcend the often dubious nature of that business model to become a reasonably well-respected brand.

In that vein, the Kattee leather tote is able to skirt the line between the different price points. Since they do not have the same prestige, they cannot sell their wares for over $100 like other brands, though their generally good reputation does allow them to still goose the price a bit. Ultimately though, they are still a reasonably price bag.

The tote takes a bit of a unique approach in that it seeks to blend a number of different bag types in one. First, it fundamentally relies on the tote silhouette and purpose to inform its design, primarily by providing a robust amount of storage space. Granted, those looking for a sleeker bag can purchase a smaller model too.

4. Covelin Leather Tote Shoulder Handbag – Best Small Leather Tote

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The list of online only brands continues as Covelin follows a familiar trend in the different products we reviewed by ensuring that it is an American company, but it still handles most of its manufacturing in China. That said, the Covelin is at least one of the few brands utilizing this business model that does not have a significant presence of reviewers noting a failure in the durability or design quality with one aspect or another.

Though, it definitely seems like Covelin sought to strike a balance with their tote in terms of comfort. For one, this is one of the few bags we reviewed that can come in either a vertical or cross design. Also, the Covelin provides one of the better handle drops we saw at just under 11”.

5. S-ZONE Vintage Genuine Leather Tote Shoulder Handbag – Best Budget Leather Tote

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S-ZONE is another brand that outsources the design and manufacturing of its products to China that ends up with mixed results. For one this is another product from a company following that business plan which uses the lowest grade of leather that is then reinforced with a plastic spray. Keep in mind, most of the products that do this are using a single strip of cross section leather.

That said, the S-ZONE definitely seeks to differentiate itself from the other budget friendly Chinese brands by providing a tote that offers a number of design features which are generally not found in its specific niche competitors. For instance, this is one of the largest totes we reviewed at just under 1000 cu. In.

On top of that, the S-ZONE features a vertical design that comes in 8 different styles to choose from. Also, while the leather may not be spectacular, the nylon lining is actually a better material used for the inner than many of the designer brands which opt for a cheaper, less reliable polyester instead.

6. Michael Kors Mk Jet Set Signature Shoulder Tote Bag – Most Compartmented Leather Tote

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Michael Kors continues its philosophy of the simple blended perfectly with chic in its Jet Set lineup with the MK Signature series model. In doing so, the brand takes a definitive step beyond its purely designer roots as it makes a play towards the more functional by loading this bag with design features that are frankly somewhat rare for a Michael Kors brand bag.

For instance, this bag seeks to provide an option for people of all sizes, rather than simply erring on the side of a single model. The MK Signature accomplishes this in two ways. First, the shoulder drop of this bag’s handles is a solid 9 ½”. This is a sharp divergence from the general Michael Kors design which is often too small for some people. However, Michael Kors makes sure that there is something for everyone by also offering this bag in both large and small sizes.

7. AINIMOER Women’s Leather Crossbody Tote – Best Crossbody Leather Tote

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AINIMOER is a brand similar to many of the others on our list which do not make an attempt to seek storefront stocking. Instead, the brand prefers to sell either direct or through other online retailers. The benefit of this platform is that they can sell quality goods at a lower cost. Though, this is one of the brands like that which are not actually headquartered in America.

Still, the AINIMOER makes use of another feature that less established brands can get away with: hybrid silhouettes. In this instance, the AINIMOER blends the silhouette of a tote with a crossbody bag. This provides some versatility in how you can wear the bag. Though, it should be noted that the handles do feature a rather short drop of under 7”.

Of course, if you wear this tote as a crossbody bag, the adjustable 23.5” drop is more than sufficient for any shape or sized wearer. Even better, this bag offers 7 different compartments and 10 different styles to choose from providing both form and function.

8. Fossil Sydney Shopper Tote – Best All Around Value Leather Tote

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Fossil is far more well known for manufacturing high quality timepieces that are also designer in nature. On top of that, Fossil is a brand which cut its teeth making products designed more for a male market–something that continues today. In fact, even the products designed for women display some of the simplicity that generally informs products manufactured for the male market.

That being said, the male market also has a tendency to place a premium on durability and construction quality. Thankfully, Fossil continues that trend with this bag as well. This is on full display as the Fossil bag is the only one we saw which did not use a synthetic material for the liner.

Of course, the simplicity of Fossil does also rear its head specifically with a veritable dearth of styles at 3 total–the lowest number out of any leather tote we reviewed. On top of that, the bag is definitely a bit short in drop–though not excessively so. It also has fewer compartments than some of its competitors, though again not so few as to raise alarms.

9. YALUXE Horse Leather Work Tote – Best Vertical Leather Tote

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The YALUXE is the final product we reviewed which follows the business model that seems to be taking the designer fashion bag market by storm: sell exclusively online. The continued advantage of this model is that these bags have a tendency to be significantly less expensive than those from other companies which set up in storefronts.

Still, the YALUXE is not simply satisfied with providing one of the best leathers we reviewed, they also strive to ensure that their bag is simply one of the best constructed as well. For one, this bag uses a strap that is a bit wider than most and is held in place by a double cross stitch so there is no risk of it failing. On top of that, the zipper is heavy duty–even beyond YKK–and sewn to a thick fabric liner.

That said, this tote is definitely more limited in terms of style. This is due to the fact that to achieve the type of leather quality and look that YALUXE seeks, they are unable to stain the leather like some of the other brands. This also leaves the YALUXE bag more prone to being easily scratched.

10. kate spade new york Cedar Street Small Tote – Best Traditional Leather Tote

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kate spade is a brand with a founder whose impeccable eye for fashion began as an editor for Mademoiselle magazine. Dissatisfied with the products she reviewed, the designer decided if want something done right, you have to do it yourself. To that end, the kate spade brand seeks to take classic silhouettes and give them a modern appeal. While this is somewhat similar to Michael Kors or other brands, kate spade makes it a point to use vibrant, eye-catching colors that others might shy from.

Of course, this can be a bit of a pain if you intend to use the tote as an everyday bag since the single additional compartment does not offer much in the way of organization. Another design feature that is troubling is the slightly short drop. While a 9” drop is standard for the fashion industry tote, it is not always appropriate for a real world situation.

Buyer’s Guide:

Materials:

The outer material of all the totes on this list is leather, but not all leathers are created equally. There are numerous grades of leather that will each influence how the leather feels, how durable it is, and most importantly the cost. This consideration gets even more difficult when you consider exotic leathers that are not made from cowhide.

Genuine Leather

This is the lowest grade of leather available. Rather than relying on a given layer of skin, genuine leather is actually made by gluing or fusing strips of leather together. While this is a significantly less expensive grade of leather, it is also the least durable. Also, genuine leather will often be treated with plastics or other chemicals which can make it look and feel “cheap.”

Top Grain Leather

This is technically the middle grade of leather used, but it is actually seen as the premiere choice of leather for totes and other bags. This is because top grain leather is significantly softer and more flexible than full grain leather. It is also much lighter which altogether make it a more comfortable leather to use.

Full Grain Leather

While full grain leather may not necessarily be the top choice for a designer handbags, it still remains the highest grade of leather available. Unlike the other grade of leather, full grain uses the entire layer of skin. While this may render full grain leather thicker and heavier, it also provides a significantly more durable material that will last longer than any other grade of leather.

Exotic

While this is not technically a “grade” of leather, exotic leathers involve using skin from animals other than cows. While cowhide leather is the most common, that is usually due to its availability more than anything else. Exotic leathers will often have the advantage of being both more durable than cowhide as well as lighter and softer. Unfortunately, exotic leathers are also far more likely to show the natural scarring of the animal which is not necessarily a feature all consumers desire.

Compartments:

Technically, totes are not designed to have a wealth of different compartments. Instead, this bag was meant to carry larger items that smaller silhouettes could not properly handle. That said, the modern person is often carrying too many item for that to be a reasonable expectation. As such, the addition of numerous compartments can make keeping your different items separate much easier.

The three primary compartments you are liable to find in a tote are the main, pocket, and slip. While every bag has a main compartment, totes are notable for being large enough to have multiple main compartments. In fact, some totes will even go so far as to have three main compartments.

Pockets and slips are much smaller compartments that are intended to hold your smaller items and keep them from getting lost at the bottom of the main. Pockets are noted for closing with either a zipper or a snap, while slips remain open for easy retrieval of often used items like smartphones.

Conclusion:

Depending on what your needs and budget are, which tote is the best leather tote for you will differ greatly from another shopper. If you need a larger tote explicitly for the increased storage capacity, the Ilishop and Kattee are both solid options.

In terms of organization, there can be two approaches. The first favors the more modern bag which offers a wealth of organizational features. In this vein, the Michael Kors MK Jet Set Signature series is the best bet. Conversely, the kate spade is the least compartmented tote we saw, which is more in line with the original intent of a tote–even if it is less convenient for organizational purposes.

Tote Name		Size, inch	Color
	Michael Kors Jet Set Tote Review & Video	15 x 10 x 5	32	Check Price
	Ilishop Large Tote Review & Video	19 x 6 x 12	5	Check Price
	Kattee Vintage Tote Review & Video	16 x 7 x 11	4	Check Price
	Covelin Leather Handbag Review & Video	15 x 11 x 5	7	Check Price
	S-ZONE Vintage Handbag Review & Video	12 x 6 x13	8	Check Price
	Michael Kors Mk Signature Bag Review & Video	16 x 12 x 6	15	Check Price
	AINIMOER Crossbody Tote Review	14 x 10 x 5	10	Check Price
	Fossil Sydney Tote Review & Video	13 x 12 x 5	3	Check Price
	YALUXE Horse Tote Review & Video	14 x 11 x 6	3	Check Price
	kate spade NY Cedar Tote Review & Video	17 x 10 x 6	9	Check Price