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Trade up to a leather laptop case

Ditch whatever high-tech, waterproof, ballistic nylon, gimmicky laptop bag you've been using and go back to basics with a high-quality leather case.

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials
  • Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Dan Ackerman
2 min read

Sarah Tew/CNET

Many laptop bags and cases have been reviewed on these pages, and the vast majority of them are well-made, functional, and completely appropriate for lugging a portable computer around town. The only problem is that you wouldn't want to be seen dead with the majority of them. No matter how many side pockets and shoulder pads they include, there's still a vestige of either college campus backpackor corporate stuffed-shirt nylon briefcase in just about every one.

Our favorite leather laptop cases (photos)

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That's why I keep finding myself ditching whatever high-tech, waterproof, ballistic nylon, gimmicky bag I've been using for a few weeks or months, and going back to basics: a leather case. The actual one has changed many times over the years, but the basic principles have remained the same: sturdy construction, clean design, buckles or snaps only, no zippers or Velcro, and a shoulder strap that isn't covered in foam rubber padding.

Will you pay more for the privilege of not having 50 little pockets or a special water bottle holder? Definitely, but a good-quality leather bag can also last many times the lifespan of your average laptop case. In fact, the right leather wears its age with pride, as each scratch and nick adds character.

In the following gallery, I've collected a trio of my favorite leather laptop cases, designed to hold small, medium, and large laptops. Of course, there are many other options out there, and don't be afraid to look for bags and cases that aren't specifically labeled as being made for laptops.