35 Best Tote Bags for Travel: Luxurious, Sustainable, and Versatile Picks Our Editors Love

13.09.2023 - 21:09 / cntraveler.com / Mercedes Bleth

Totes are one of the most essential travel items you can own—the best tote bags are endlessly versatile and tend to have room for everything you could need while in transit. For some travelers, a sturdy leather tote is a no-brainer personal item for flights: It's bigger than most purses, so you can more easily fit a laptop, water bottle, and all other plane accessories inside. For others, an easy-to-fold cotton option might be the item you break out mid-trip for a visit to the beach or farmers market.

Whatever your style, a tote bag you love is a must-have piece of luggage, and we're here to help you find the right one. Below, we've pulled together the best tote bags to travel with—from value buys to investment bags you'll get compliments on for years to come—starting with the ones Condé Nast Traveler editors and contributors are carrying these days.

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

This is truly a case of “I didn’t find the bag, the bag found me.” It first showed up on my Pinterest feed ages ago, and I adored it every time it appeared. I finally caved, justifying my need to upgrade my work bag from a faded, coffee-stained canvas tote to something chicer. This tote is quite large, but it molds perfectly into my side as I commute to and from the office. The fun checkered pattern matches everything I wear, and I receive compliments on the daily. I especially love the matching zip pouch that comes with every bag—it’s easily removable, and I’ve been using it as a place for all of my essentials that I can easily throw into other bags. The only problem with the tote is that it doesn’t have any closures, so you have to be mindful of spillage. —Mercedes Bleth, global associate director, social

Made from 100 percent Italian leather, the Kahmune tote can be dressed up or down. The tote is large at 11" H x 13" W. With that much room, I gravitate towards it on days when I'm constantly on the go but don’t have time to stop at home. The sturdy yet soft handle makes carrying my belongings easy, in fact, I've opted to use it for a quick overnight trips in place of a duffel. Kahmune offers 10 neutral hues to choose from and each tote comes with a matching, detachable wallet so I feel more put together with the monochromatic pairing. —Paris Wilson, commerce producer

I’ve gotten so many compliments on this bag since I started using it on my commute. I have it in the eggplant color, which is a beautiful purple-brownish hue; the leather material is truly buttery soft. It’s smaller than my other work bag, but still fits all my essentials—laptop and chargers, notebook, a small toiletry bag, sunglasses, wallet, phone, etc—and I’ve been appreciating the more streamlined