Also worth a look in this category:
Then the laptop, and it is a separate question
A briefcase that takes documents does not automatically take a laptop. Our models are specified from 13 to 19 inches, and the useful number is the padded sleeve, not the main compartment. A 16 inch machine in a bag rated 15 will go in and press against the frame every time you set it down.
Measure your laptop rather than trusting its marketed size. Screen inches say nothing about the footprint of the chassis.
Leather, and what the word actually covers
- Full grain keeps the outer surface of the hide, marks included. It darkens with use and lasts longest.
- Corrected grain has been sanded and coated. More uniform, less character, still real leather.
- Crazy horse is a waxed treatment. It scuffs pale and the mark rubs out under a thumb, which some people love and others find restless.
Most of this section is leather. Where a model is coated or synthetic, the product page says so.
My take
Buy for the document, not for the silhouette. A briefcase that will not lie flat around a Letter page is a bag you will stop using within a month, however good it looks. Width first, laptop sleeve second, leather third.
And a word on price. Between the luxury houses on this search and an honest independent maker, most of the gap is the name on the clasp. The build difference is real but far smaller than the price difference.
Questions we get
Will a European briefcase fit US Letter?
Usually yes for height, sometimes tight for width. Letter is 6 mm wider than A4. Look for an internal width of 220 mm or more.
What laptop size should I look for?
Match the padded sleeve, not the outer dimensions, and measure your machine rather than trusting its screen size.
Hand carry or shoulder strap?
A detachable strap costs nothing in weight and changes everything on a commute. Fixed handles alone suit short walks and meetings.
Does the leather need treatment?
Full grain benefits from a conditioner once or twice a year. Coated leather does not, wiping is enough.
A softer, more casual cousin of the briefcase: the mens satchel range.