A tote that holds a laptop needs an internal width of at least thirty five centimetres for a fifteen inch machine and about thirty two for a thirteen inch, and most listings give an external measurement that flatters by two or three centimetres. The second number to look for is the depth of the base, because a bag with no base gusset collapses into a triangle and a laptop then sits at an angle pushing the sides out. The third is the strap drop. Anything under twenty two centimetres will not clear a coat shoulder, which is the single most common failure in a bag that otherwise fits everything. Get those three right and almost any shape works. Get them wrong and the most beautiful bag in the wardrobe stays at home on working days.

A structured tote in a firm leather or coated canvas protects the machine, stands up on the floor and looks correct walking into a meeting. It is also heavier before you have put anything in it, and it will not compress into an overhead locker. A soft unstructured tote is lighter, carries far more and squashes into a train rack, but it gives the laptop no protection and slumps when half empty. The honest answer for most people is a soft bag with a padded sleeve inside it, which gets you the capacity without the weight. Whichever you choose, look for a flat bottom with feet if it will be set down on pavements, and check the interior for at least one secured pocket, because a phone loose in a large tote is lost.

What changed our approach was measuring the bags we already owned and realising that two of them had failed on strap drop alone. We now check that number before anything else, then the base, then the closure, because an open top tote on public transport is a decision rather than an oversight. On material, we lean towards a mid tone leather over black, since black leather work bags scuff visibly at the corners and a tan or chocolate hides it. If you take one thing away, take your laptop with you when you buy the bag, or measure it at home before ordering, because no amount of design compensates for two centimetres of missing width.