Help! First B and two HG options, but can’t decide!!

I would not carry a laptop regularly in my 35Bs. A GP is a better option.

I would choose togo over swift because of the weight you plan to put in it. My swift bags have worn like iron, have never gotten scratches, but I do think that the leather might stretch out of shape.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Swift! Agree, I think the leather is too fine for heavy use.
 
Thanks all for your input!!

I think I’ve concluded that IF I go for the B, it’ll be the gold togo (given the weight I want to put into it) BUT perhaps a GP is a better choice.

At least with a GP, I may have a chance to get it at an H store. But sadly my local store only has noir at the moment...guess I’ll wait it out! Hopefully they restock GPs frequently...

Still love the look of a Birkin, but sometimes practicality wins over looks!
 
I would vote togo gold, just because the leather will take much more wear and tear than swift, and even though the colour is my personal second choice, swift is just sooo delicate it makes me nervous ahahah! do you have a colour preference? or are they both equally what you want?
 
biggest H regret... buying a B35 as my first Birkin (gold togo GHW) without trying a 30.
Loved the bag... too heavy for continued wear (more than 2 hours just shopping even).
It was too heavy even though I barely had anything in it... let alone putting a laptop in it.
I can't think of anything I'd like less than having to go to work on the train followed by walking with a fully loaded 35... forearm torture.

I really struggled with that bag. Loved the color combo/hated the weight ... but it was my first. Ended up selling her and getting a 30 in same spec.
 
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I would vote togo gold, just because the leather will take much more wear and tear than swift, and even though the colour is my personal second choice, swift is just sooo delicate it makes me nervous ahahah! do you have a colour preference? or are they both equally what you want?

I think I definitely prefer gold for my first B, and I really do prefer the looks of pebbled, textured leather (big fan of Chanel caviar leather here!).

And if I get a second one, it would be the etoupe. One can dream right?!? [emoji12][emoji12]
 
B 35 gold togo PHW. I have this bag (bought it at H ten years ago) and I love it even more today than when I first got it.

What great foresight to have bought it 10 years ago!! That color combo is definitely my favorite and so timeless!!

I still remember the days when H stores had B’s just sitting out on display. Since then, I’ve never seen one IRL, let alone up close...
 
biggest H regret... buying a B35 as my first Birkin (gold togo GHW) without trying a 30.
Loved the bag... too heavy for continued wear (more than 2 hours just shopping even).
It was too heavy even though I barely had anything in it... let alone putting a laptop in it.
I can't think of anything I'd like less than having to go to work on the train followed by walking with a fully loaded 35... forearm torture.

I really struggled with that bag. Loved the color combo/hated the weight ... but it was my first. Ended up selling her and getting a 30 in same spec.

This is my greatest fear!! I haven’t had a chance to try the bags, so I have to make a judgement call purely on looks which makes me nervous if in reality the bags are not suitable for my long commute.

The bag that made me so cautious is my Alexander Wang Rocco Bag. I love the look, and still do, but it’s heavy as all hell. I remember trying it on in store, and didn’t think much of the weight. Luckily that one has a shoulder strap, but even then is really not pleasant to carry. So it mostly just sits there.

So...basically my greatest fear is buying a Birkin and having that same problem. The thing is though, I’ve always seen the B as the PERFECT work bag aesthetically. It has a bit of a briefcase, “power woman”, vibe I like and haven’t seen done as well by any other fashion houses. Perhaps the B30 can work on days I don’t need my laptop, but *sigh* I’m so conflicted.
 
This is my greatest fear!! I haven’t had a chance to try the bags, so I have to make a judgement call purely on looks which makes me nervous if in reality the bags are not suitable for my long commute.

The bag that made me so cautious is my Alexander Wang Rocco Bag. I love the look, and still do, but it’s heavy as all hell. I remember trying it on in store, and didn’t think much of the weight. Luckily that one has a shoulder strap, but even then is really not pleasant to carry. So it mostly just sits there.

So...basically my greatest fear is buying a Birkin and having that same problem. The thing is though, I’ve always seen the B as the PERFECT work bag aesthetically. It has a bit of a briefcase, “power woman”, vibe I like and haven’t seen done as well by any other fashion houses. Perhaps the B30 can work on days I don’t need my laptop, but *sigh* I’m so conflicted.

Honestly, I have been down this route.
You can use a Birkin 35 as a laptop bag, BUT:
- It will take some toll on the handles, nothing major but if you hand-hold and walk with the bag full up, there will be some stretching eventually. You have to be ok with bag as workhorse here.
- A 13" MBP just fits without completely sticking out. Anything bigger will not work.
- You'll want a stiffer felt organizer, not a soft one, if you use a bag organizer.
- It IS heavy, it just depends on what you are ok with weight wise. Heavy bags don't bother me, but I lift weights. If you have bags that are too heavy already, I would make sure you try the bag first. With a Togo bag you are looking at around 2.6-2.8 pounds plus your laptop at 1-3 pounds plus if you carry chargers, water bottles, umbrellas, papers, etc. - just be mindful.
- Are you just commuting or do you have days of going meeting to meeting outside the office?
- Depending on your workplace, the "power bag" can be a good or a bad thing. I am very aware of what Birkins mean in a boardroom and to my staff, and carry them with that consideration.

I carry an iPad Pro now most days instead of an MBP and it's much easier. If I need to carry both I have a small backpack or a laptop sleeve, and then I carry a small Kelly, B30, etc. as my purse. No, not ideal, but I am less stressed about loading it all in. I love my Want Les Essentiels backpack and it holds everything I need even for a day of out of office meetings.

I would only buy the B as a work bag if you will use it on other occasions as well as for lugging laptops.

I would NOT buy it without the option to return. You haven't tried it on and it's a big purchase.
 
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This is my greatest fear!! I haven’t had a chance to try the bags, so I have to make a judgement call purely on looks which makes me nervous if in reality the bags are not suitable for my long commute.

The bag that made me so cautious is my Alexander Wang Rocco Bag. I love the look, and still do, but it’s heavy as all hell. I remember trying it on in store, and didn’t think much of the weight. Luckily that one has a shoulder strap, but even then is really not pleasant to carry. So it mostly just sits there.

So...basically my greatest fear is buying a Birkin and having that same problem. The thing is though, I’ve always seen the B as the PERFECT work bag aesthetically. It has a bit of a briefcase, “power woman”, vibe I like and haven’t seen done as well by any other fashion houses. Perhaps the B30 can work on days I don’t need my laptop, but *sigh* I’m so conflicted.
So since that is your greatest fear, i will ramble about some things to think about before you drop some major loot. I get everything you're saying but the reality is, whether it's a $10 bag from Forever 21 or a $10K bag from Hermes, if it's hard to carry or heavy or both... eventually...YOU WON'T. It happened to me with my original Goldie. I am no VVVIP at H with a huge collection so coming to the realization that this bag was not fun to carry was a HARD pill to swallow. Getting that bag was a huge milestone for me and waaayyyyy more money than I ever thought I'd spend on a bag. But for me, a heavy bag will go to charity (the one from Forever 21) or I will have serious buyers remorse and end up selling the B, which I did (6 yrs later). You know this...with a B, you have no shoulder option... you just switch back and forth between tired forearms... struggling (and hoping it doesn't rain because the last thing you need is to try to carry an umbrella with a B) as you walk from the train station to work. OHHHH and the other thing with a B35... It is WIDE. I bumped into everyyyyything. I couldn't make it down a shopping aisle at ZARA without hitting at least 3 racks and a few people in the process! It was so cumbersome. hhahhaha

PLEASE learn from my mistake.

I'm not trying to discourage you if you know that you can manage with this heavy, large bag. Plenty of women here do! I'm just saying that if you have any doubts, you need to try before you buy. I find the 30 has more than enough room for my daily stuff plus more... it feels like 1/2 the weight of my old 35 and it's not wide. I will say this though .... I do NOT put just anything in my Birkins. I carry a separate tote for shoes (flip flops, UGGS), my lunch, drinks, etc. I just don't like those kinds of things touching my valuables. HTH! :flowers: