The Best Tote Bags Are Happy to Share the Load

June 5, 2025 / Kevin harson /

We love Aer’s backpacks and laptop bags, and their tote has everything a gym rat could possibly want from their tote bag. There’s a ventilated separate base compartment for all your gains gear— shoes, your protein shaker, musty clothes or a wet towel—and plenty of space in the main compartment for workout clothes and toiletries. (The whole interior can also be wiped down easily to prevent any smells from sticking around.) But even beyond the gym, this is just a great tote. There’s a laptop pocket, a luggage handle for slipping it over your suitcase handle, and the whole thing is made from 1680D ballistic nylon which, while heavier, is considerably tougher than other nylons and most cottons.

Best Packable Tote Bag: Montbell Pocketable Light Tote

Montbell

Pocketable Light Tote

Pros

Can pack down into any other bag
Water-resistant
Nicely priced

Cons

Larger size may be unnecessary for daily loads

Size: 15.7” x 14.2” | Carrying Capacity: 21L | Materials: Ripstop nylon | Colors: Khaki green, black, navy, red

Most packable totes compromise on functionality and security—not the one from Japan’s fifty-year-old, leading outdoors brand Montbell. While palm-sized at its most scrunched, when unfurled this tote has an outer zip pocket, incredibly spacious 28L capacity, and a water-resistant drawstring closure up top to keep everything from books to groceries to sports gear dry. (I own it, and have used it to port all three categories.) There’s also a water bottle pocket on the outside, and that logo is just undeniably nice.

More Tote Bags We Love

Gramicci

Ripstop Tote Bag

Once again, Gramicci lands on our radar—this time with a tote that’s as tough as its legendary hiking pants. Made from sturdy ripstop nylon, it’s built to take a beating, with a generous 40L main compartment and mesh side pockets that make it even more functional. Rugged, roomy, and ready for anything.

Southern Field Industries

Shopper Tote

This handmade-in-Japan carryall elevates the tote into a high art form. Nolledo has used this tote bag as his daily hauler for more than a decade, noting it’s the perfect office tote bag. He likes that the bag has structure, noting that the piped leather edges are an excellent “just-for-me” detail, and that every tote bag should have two exterior side pockets.

Porter-Yoshida & Co.

Tanker Helmet Nylon Twill Tote Bag

Porter Yoshida is best known for its tasteful nylon bags (every menswear guy either has one or wants one) but we’re partial to this rugged nylon-twill version. It’s hefty enough to protect your laptop (with a canvas-lined compartment inside) and loaded with exterior pockets for all your bits and bobs.

LeSportsac

Essential Carryall

A great laptop tote shouldn’t feel like a tech accessory. But it should be padded, lightweight, and snug enough to keep your tech from rattling around. Made from ultra-light nylon with a durable ripstop weave, Le Sportsac’s features a zip-top closure, plenty of pockets, and just the right hit of nostalgic branding.

Kapital

Kountry Factory Printed Cotton-Twill Tote Bag

An outlaw tote with duffel energy from the cotton fiends at Kapital. This tote works equally well as a messenger bag, and it’s an undeniable IYKYK flex that’s not for the faint of heart.

Amiacalva

Washed Canvas 6 Pocket Tote

Also from Japan, Amiacalva nailed it here with what could be described as a handmade Japanese boat and tote. Its six pockets don’t take away from its neat appearance, and you’ll appreciate those long 8” handles on big sweater days.

COS

Slouchy Leather Tote

Cos’s ability to construct a designer look at a more affordable price extends to its bags. This slouchy tote, cut from 100% leather, nails the luxe-but-lowkey vibe and looks a whole lot more expensive than it is.

Colin Meredith

Static Comp Bag

Based in Vancouver, Colin Meredith cut his teeth at major technical apparel brands like Arc’teryx and Rapha before applying his learnings to his own design practice. This bag is a prime example of his eye—and the same bag Meredith himself uses daily.

Lemaire

Belted Tote Bag

Lemaire’s bags don’t scream for attention—they just quietly outclass everything else. This latest style is no different: heavy cotton canvas, a leather belt-style strap that doubles as structural reinforcement, and enough space for your laptop and the rest of your daily clutter.

Makr

Fold Weekender

Makr, the Florida-based design studio, is known for its precise, utilitarian craftsmanship. Made in the USA from heavy brown cotton duck canvas, it features a unique fold-top closure and an asymmetrical body gusset that adds a subtle design twist to its rugged functionality.

What To Look For in a Tote Bag

While the dream is that tote bags also rep your local deli or beloved indie bookstore, what turns an average tote into a truly great one is if it’s sturdy, comfortable to carry, and suited to your daily needs. That doesn’t mean it has to be canvas, though there are plenty of reasons totes often are, including durability, comfort on the shoulder, and cotton’s certain patinated charm. Plenty of our favorite totes are nylon, too—the key thing is really just that the fabric is light (given that a heavier tote is more of a burden to carry than a heavy backpack) but still strong.

While it’s not essential—our best overall tote bag, for example, doesn’t offer this—it’s also nice when a tote has a degree of organization built in, whether in the form of internal open pockets, outer zip ones, or a padded laptop section. These things just mean you aren’t always reaching around at the bottom to find your keys, or letting your pens cozy up dangerously against your sweatshirt.

And it goes without saying that the handle drop should be generous enough. No tote should ever make your armpit feel like it’s one added layer away from losing blood flow.

How We Tested

While we couldn’t test out every tote on the planet, across our discerning team we had at least a collective century of tote-toting knowledge to share and debate. So that’s what we did: We gathered all of the totes we owned, and then whittled that long list down to only the totes we’d urge a friend to buy.

That left us with still too many (a nice problem) so from there, we edited down further to include only the best totes for a handful of different user needs—from the best for a gym-goer, to the best for bigger loads, to the best for a decades-long commitment. Whatever your preferences, whatever your lifestyle, there’s bound to be a superlative tote on this list for you.

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