Leather Who?
Well-made products shouldn’t have to come at the expense of an animal’s life, and bags are no exception. If you’re an eco-conscious fashionmonger on the hunt for superior quality vegan bags, you’ve come to the right place.
Keep in mind that true vegan handbags aren’t just made of synthetic materials, but hail from companies who uphold ethical manufacturing processes and business practices too, such as strict bans on animal testing.
The following list is our top picks for cruelty-free bags, one of which will surely take your bag game to the next level. Whether you’re looking for a sunday brunch tote, functional crossbody, or weekend duffel, there’s a bag here that’s right for you.
Best Vegan Luxury Bag: Frayme by Stella McCartney
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An early 90’s style resurrected in late 2020, the beloved baguette bag is back and better than ever. Who better to join the movement than Stella McCartney, the daughter of Beatles’ vocalist, Paul McCartney. The fashion designer is leading trendsetters away from Fendi’s leather baguettes to sport the completely vegan, unapologetically stylish, Frayme Small Zipit Shoulder Bag.
Available in three classic colors, the Frayme comes equipped with Stella McCartney’s signature silver and gold diamond-cut chain and medallion. For a pretty penny, you can get this Italian-made beauty to complete your look, or maybe even bring back an old one.
Price: $1,830 USD
Color Options: Black, Teal, & Bright Red
Materials: 51% Polyester, 49% Polyurethane, Lining 50% Polyamide, & 50% Polyurethane
Best Vegan Value Bag: Caitlin Tote by Pixie Mood
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What do you get when you mesh a crossbody, tote, and handheld purse together? PETA certified brand Pixie Mood created the answer by designing the Caitlin Tote. What makes this bag a great value is its versatility, since it can help you achieve a variety of looks without compromising style, functionality, and most importantly, sustainability.
The vegan leather Caitlin Tote comes in eight fun colors and has an adjustable strap that also detaches. Metal purse feet keep the tote standing upright when not in use, and opening the front flap gives you quick access to a few card slots and a decent-sized pocket. Even without the tote’s exterior pockets, there’s still plenty of room in the main interior pocket for other essentials.
The clever design even comes with a key holder, so you never have to dig for your keys ever again. This bag truly checks all the boxes.
Price: Starting at $95 USD
Color Options: Black, Wine, Vintage Blue, Chocolate, Black Mock Croc, Misty Rose, Mineral Blue, & Desert Clay
Size Options: Small & Large
Materials: 100% Vegan Leather
Best Vegan Travel Bag: Weekend Bag by Elvis & Kresse
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Now this one is exciting. Curating a brand made entirely from decommissioned British firehose, Elvis & Kresse have succeeded in creating a weekend bag that is so original it was featured as a key piece in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The concept behind the vegan-friendly fire-hose line is simple: rescue raw materials before they enter landfills and reignite them with purpose.
These upcycled bags are the perfect choice for an overnight trip or weekend getaway, and they’re a conversation starter wherever you choose to take them. The fire-hose material bag mimics a real leather feel and comes with enough interior and exterior pockets to organize your essentials.
The only potential drawback for these babies is their high-demand – Elvis & Kresse can’t seem to keep this travel bag from flying off the shelves! To get your hands on the Weekend Bag, monitor the Elvis & Kresse Instagram for drop announcements, and sign up for their restock email alerts.
Price: £340 GBP ($454 USD)
Color Options: Red, Yellow, Black, Black-Yellow, & Black-Red
Materials: Decommissioned British Firehose and Recycled Textiles (All Vegan)
Best Vegan Laptop Bag: Backpack by Ministry of Tomorrow
Handcrafted in Nairobi, Kenya, by the award winning Eco-Fashion house, Ministry of Tomorrow, the Backpack is the solution to the traditional laptop bags we have grown to loathe. Replace your current, clunky laptop bag with its shoulder-crippling strap for the laptop bag you can wear on your back to evenly distribute its weight.
The Backpack is the perfect commuter bag, able to fit a 13-inch laptop, a tablet, and all your important documents. The bag is made from Italian synthetic leather and is designed to provide an ultra-slim luxurious feel. Internal pockets and card slots keep your smaller items organized, and a stylish MOT branded charm doubles as a secret compartment. The shoulder straps are adjustable, and the lining of the bag is made from organic fair-trade cotton from India.
The bag is completely waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about the electronics you have stored getting wet. To top everything off, the laptop bag comes with a lovely organic cotton silk screened drawstring bag to store the Backpack when it’s not in use.
Price: $249 USD
Color Options: Black
Materials: Vegan Leather and Synthetic Cotton
Best Vegan Fanny Pack: Vie Vegan Fanny Pack – Vintage by Matt & Nat
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Another trend that found its way back from the past is the iconic fanny pack, and Matt & Nat has got you eco-conscious consumers covered with a completely vegan version of it. The Vie Vegan Fanny Pack is a modern take of a classic design, made with posh vegan leather and recycled water bottles. The belt bag comes in seven colors and has one spacious main pocket and another zippered pocket inside. Use the subtly placed D-ring to latch on your keys for quick deployment.
Wear the Vie crossbody style or use the integrated buckle belt design to comfortably wear the belt bag across your waist. The cruelty-free brand specializes in making highly functional, fully vegan carriers, and the Vie is no exception.
Price: $110 USD
Color Options: Ceramic, Pearl, Black, Chili Matte Nickel, Olive, Heirloom, & Sage
Materials: Vegan Leather & Recycled Water Bottles
Best Vegan Minimalist Bag: Myla by Co-Lab
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You may call it basic, but we call it stunning simplicity. The by PETA approved, Montreal-based design house Co-Lab created the Myla, a no-nonsense, minimalistic crossbody made from durable nylon. The Myla comes in four earthy colors and has an adjustable crossbody strap. The strap is also removable, so you have the choice of using the Myla as a pouch or throwing it into a larger bag.
Don’t worry, you’re not sacrificing organization for minimalism with such a small package, because the bag houses three zippered compartments to store your essentials.
Sometimes you just need a bag, minus the bells and whistles. You can’t go wrong with the Myla, especially at such a reasonable price.
Price: $55 USD
Color Options: Black, Cactus, Sahara, & Mouse
Materials: Nylon
Best Vegan New Style: FEI Mini Tote Bag by JW Pei
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Utility isn’t a bag’s only function, and the fashion world knows this. Sometimes a bag is meant to be a striking statement piece above all else, and that’s exactly what the FEI Mini Tote Bag aims to be. JW PEI is a Los Angeles based brand brought to life by a husband and wife duo, and all their creations are nothing short of remarkable.
The FEI Mini Tote Bag comes in almost a hundred design variations, styles, and colors, and is meant to match your innermost style. Whether you choose a solid yellow or emerald green-embossed, you’ll turn heads carrying the FEI. Each bag is made from a variety of different vegan materials – anything from ostrich-Embossed vegan leather to recycled PVC.
The bag has a simple, prominent handle, but also comes with an attachable and detachable crossbody strap for added versatility. Only a few items can be held within it, such as a smart phone and wallet, but an anti-theft brush provides added security.
Be warned, once you get your hands on one of these babies, you won’t rest until you collect them all.
Price: Starting at $69 USD
Color Options: Too Many to List! SEE ALL COLORS
Materials: Vegan Leather and Recycled PVC
Bagging It Up
There you have it, seven of the best vegan bags out on the market right now. This is by no means an exhaustive list of course, and there are many more vegan-friendly bag brands out there waiting to be discovered, held, and worn. When shopping for vegan bags, it’s good practice to scout the brand’s “About” or “Materials” page first. That way, you can immediately figure out whether a brand is vegan friendly and what materials they use to make their products. We have another article on vegan designer bags that dives deeper into vegan bags and has some more of our favorites.
Before you go, check out the list of honorable mentions below of vegan-friendly bag brands that may be worth paying attention to:
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