The best briefcases

The Bellroy Slim Work Bag has laidback minimalistic looks but seriously high-quality construction.

Just because you use your briefcase to carry sensitive documents, a $2,000 laptop, and other important, irreplaceable items, that's no reason the piece can't be imbued with a casual, understated style.

The Bellroy Slim Work Bag is the perfect choice for the student who wants to look a bit more serious about his studies or for the young professional who wants to look a bit more easygoing than his stuffy associates.

The polyester exterior is soft, yet durable and water-resistant. Full-grain environmentally certified leather straps, zipper tabs, and logos are used to accent and elevate the upper.

Its 11-liter capacity and 15-inch laptop sleeve provide a generous amount of space for carrying daily essentials, while its 60-millimeter depth keeps the bag at a low profile.

Some people might find the Bellroy Slim Work Bag to be too small, but minimalists will surely appreciate it.

Pros: Casual style, good padding for computer, slim and lightweight

Cons: Too small for some users

Buy the Bellroy Slim Work Bag at Bellroy for $189

The Filson Original Briefcase is large enough to carry everything you need for your workday with some room left over for personal sundries.

Yes, the Filson Original Briefcase costs $325, and that's well over twice the price of the other briefcases included on our list. But with that elevated price comes a bag of elevated quality. This briefcase features an exterior made from a twill woven so tightly that it is rip, puncture, and water-resistant.

If you truly value the stuff you'll stuff inside your bag, then you'll see the value in having a piece that can protect against everything from spilled coffee to a scrape against a jagged object. The briefcase also has a reinforced bottom, protecting it from the varied surfaces and substances found in the city, on the train, and everywhere else your days take you.

Behind that thick two-way brass zipper, the briefcase has several pockets that allow for easy organization of file folders and documents and that can accommodate most laptops up to 14 inches in size. And while this American-made bag is indeed rugged and durable in construction, its aesthetic is suitable for use by a man or a woman.

A gentleman named Jack says of his Filson Original Briefcase it is "well built, handsome" and great for "travel and work." Another owner says the "quality of the workmanship is first rate."

A review from The Brooks Review called the Filson "built to last a lifetime" and singled out the quality of its zipper and other hardware. A writer with Travel Gear Addict called it rugged but "stylish enough for everyday use."

Pros: Amazing durability, protects contents well, thoughtful interior pocket layout

Cons: Expensive, rather heavy

Buy the Filson Original Briefcase at Backcountry for $325

The Alpine Swiss Expandable Leather Attaché Briefcase can accommodate multiple files and papers including legal sized documents.

Some men still want that classic rectangular, hard-sided briefcase, either because of its iconic style or because these cases make it so easy to organize and access paperwork.

Whether you want to channel your inner Don Draper or you just want to keep important files and papers properly organized, the Alpine Swiss Expandable Leather Attaché Briefcase is a great way to do it. This classic black leather, hard-walled rectangular briefcase makes it easy to sort and store your documents and keeps them secure, too, thanks to a pair of combination locks that seal the case shut.

The briefcase also has dedicated spots for pens, a phone, calculator, or wallet, and business card slots, too. What it lacks, however, is a good place to stash a laptop computer, though tablets will be easy to tuck away within.

Lack of adequate space for a laptop aside, as a briefcase used for actual briefs (or for any other documents, from contracts to scripts to marketing materials) this is a great briefcase. Its accordion-style inner pocket extends out to a four-inch thickness when unclasped, providing ample space for dozens of pages. And the rigid construction of the case protects its contents.

With hundreds of reviews posted on Amazon, the Alpine Swiss Expandable Leather Attaché Briefcase has a respectable 4.3-star average rating. One owner calls it a good "traditional locking briefcase" at a "reasonable price," while another calls it a great way "to keep papers organized on the go."

A writer with JenReviews called the Alpine Swiss briefcase "sturdy and fashionable," while a review from BestMensBriefcases noted the quality "double stitched lining" on the exterior and the many well-designed pockets.

Pros: Timeless design, easy document organization, combination locks protect contents

Cons: Not suitable for laptops

Buy the Alpine Swiss Expandable Leather Attaché Briefcase on Amazon for $69.99

The CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase is a true transformer that can be a handheld briefcase, an over-the-shoulder messenger bag, or a backpack.

At first glance, the CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase looks like a traditional messenger bag. And in fact, even after you have poked around inside the bag, noting its large laptop pocket with a protective strap, its smaller spots for your phone, wallet, music player, and other such items, its pen slots, and its exterior pockets for sundry items ... it still looks like a traditional messenger-style briefcase.

But this bag has a secret. Or two, to be precise: a pair of straps is concealed away beneath a zipper on the back of the bag that can be used to convert it into a backpack.

In its backpack mode, a CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase can be worn around all day without discomfort. As a messenger bag worn on the shoulder, it is perfect for shorter walks down a few city blocks. And of course, the handles are there for carrying the bag out to your car or around in the office. This unit is larger than most of the briefcases on our list and is in fact likely too large for many people, but its size allows it to serve as a great overnight bag for short trips.

The CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase has a solid 4.4-star rating on Amazon, with an owner named Danny saying it "fits everything and is extremely comfortable." Another customer calls his bag "great for a laptop" and loves the convertible backpack function.

A Nerd Junkie write up about the CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase calls the piece "on the cutting edge of fashion trends" and praises its pocket configuration and water-resistant exterior.

Pros: Works in multiple configurations, great for overnight travel, low price point

Cons: Too bulky for some people

Buy the CoolBELL Convertible Backpack Briefcase on Amazon for $49.99