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.