The Best Travel Totes for Digital Nomads Who Never Log Off

I decided I needed a different bag for when I didn't want to look like a child in my backpack. The O.G. 2 is a larger version of the brand's Nouvelle purse (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It comes in medium and large versions; the medium is adequate, but you need the large if you have a laptop bigger than 13 inches. I like that it’s low-profile and has both smooth leather handles as well as a shoulder strap. I have kicked it under plane seats and around airports and my kid's dance classes, and the nylon doesn't show any damage. It also has sturdy feet on the bottom so you can sit it on a counter or table without it falling over, or on a floor without the bag getting gross and dirty.

I also liked a hidden shoe compartment on the side if you’re traveling from a cold to a hot location and want to switch to sandals. The toothed zippers tend to crinkle and snag at your knuckles when the bag gets overstuffed, but I suppose you could always, uh, avoid overstuffing your bag. Overall, it’s a light bag that works well for work and travel. —Adrienne So

The Drift is my favorite travel tote. It's burly but with styling that's refined and classy, and the rolled handles and removable strap make it comfortable to carry by hand or over the shoulder. But the best thing about it is the smartly organized storage pockets inside and out. It feels designed especially for people like me who always carry an army of gadgets.

There are two zippers along the top of the Drift; one leads to the 28-liter main compartment, the other to a padded laptop pocket that can fit a 16-inch PC. The front of the bag has a smaller zip-up slot for a Kindle or iPad, plus an exterior compartment with several pockets for cables, pens, chargers, and notebooks. A dedicated phone pocket on the side of the tote is lined with a fuzzy nonabrasive fabric. The other side has a slot for a water bottle. (It fits a slim Klean Kanteen but not a chubbier Nalgene.) The Drift is kind of a beast, though. It's too huge to slide under the seat in front of you on an airplane, but it fits into the overhead baggage compartment. —Michael Calore

This vegan leather bag is deceptively huge. The base is 7.5 inches deep, so while it doesn’t look that big in pictures, it holds an astonishing amount of stuff—I’ve packed enough clothes in it for a full weekend trip. I usually have concerns about vegan leather cracking and breaking with use, but Cincha’s soft pebbled fabric does not look or feel obviously plastic. This is the tote bag I took on a multi-week trip to the Philippines, and the leather stood up to rain and being kicked around airport lounges, ferries, and train depots.

It has two (two!) mesh water bottle holders in the interior, a laptop sleeve that holds a 13-inch laptop, and three interior pockets (one that zips shut). There is one exterior zipper pocket that fits my iPhone for easy access. As far as carrying options go, it has two grab handles, two hidden fabric shoulder straps that tuck away into zip pockets, and my favorite accessory—two loops for the separate travel belt so you can strap it to the rest of your luggage. However, it is more than 2 pounds heavier than a Longchamp Le Pliage, so this is strictly for when you can sling it around on top of your carry-on. —Adrienne So

This is Bean's "field tote." Its rugged construction is designed for long, wet mornings spent trudging through the New England muck in search of waterfowl. It has an outdoorsy vibe, and the entire interior surface of the bag is coated with a thin layer of water-resistant thermoplastic. That lining isn't leakproof, but it gives the tote enough hardiness to make it well suited for hauling wet gym clothes, carting snow-crusted boots, or schlepping sandy beach towels. Not the sporty type? I'll sweeten the deal: I use this bag for my weekly trips to the farmers market. I can dump in damp bunches of carrots, dewy napa cabbages, and dirt-covered beets while never worrying about soiling my clothes or the bag; the plastic lining keeps the moist crud firmly on the inside and wipes clean with a paper towel.

I use the extra-large size (53-liter capacity, $70). It can hold a week's worth of veggies, plus a couple of half-gallon cartons of oat milk and a 12-pack of hard kombucha. It's a no-frills affair, you just get one large compartment, but don't be afraid to stuff it silly. All the seams are double-stitched, the thick polyester shell is reinforced with a second layer of material along the bottom, and the handles are beefier than an Aberdeen Angus. It's also available as an open-top tote, but get the zip-top version. You don't want to be picking loose grapes up off the floor of the car. —Michael Calore

What sets BaubleBar apart is its playful personalization. Your chosen icons (up to six depending on the size) are embroidered directly onto the canvas tote. The process is super user-friendly, with predesignated spots to help you visualize your picks. Choose from zodiac signs, cutesy foods, initials, and more. Just note that it's a final sale, so be sure of your design before ordering.

Inside, you'll find a roomy main compartment with a small interior pocket and key loop. The large size fits everything you need for a beach day trip, and the medium and small options are better for light shopping or city exploring. It closes with just a snap button, which isn't the most secure for crowded areas. The quality of the playful embroidery makes it a fun choice for travel.

I recently took this versatile and large tote from Topo Designs to Colorado for a long weekend as a stand-in for my ski boot bag (yes, Arapahoe Basin is still open!) after using it all winter to haul my curling gear to the club. The main compartment, which zips closed, is big enough for ski boots, gloves, and the like, and there's plenty of room to stash socks or other gear in the side pockets. Come July, this great tote will make the perfect bag for my cook kit on a summer camping road trip. When you have a tote this stylish and durable the question is not whether it's coming on the trip but what you're going to use it for. —Martin Cizmar