Man Bag Buying Guide

At Blokesbags we have been advising people on choosing the right bag for the last four years. In fact we were the first on the web to deal exclusively in bags for men. Here we have put together a guide to find the right men's bag for you. From Messenger and shoulder bags to satchels, briefcases and tablet bags.

The Bum Bag

The smallest and least obtrusive bag is the belt or bum bag (or fanny pack as it is better known in US), which as the name suggests is worn around the waist. This has several advantages as it is secure, easy for the wearer to access and can carry the sort of items you need to hand, particularly when on holiday. They come in a variety of materials including leather and cotton weave and the only functional difference between the two is that the belt bag hooks onto your belt whereas the bum bag has an integral waist strap. Both belt and bum bags are popular with travellers and men who don't need to carry around too much.

The Handbag

Next comes the men's handbag - or more popularly known as a men's wrist or clutch bag. Despite what many people think, the men's handbag is quite simply the best selling bag in our store, so yes, men do carry them and with good reason, they are stylish practical and convenient and great for every day use as well as for holidays and travel. Men's handbags are handy for keeping documents, wallets and phones together and most will also take a book.

The Shoulder Bag

If that doesn't suit then you need to be looking at our range of men's shoulder bags - a bag that men have long been comfortable with when travelling abroad, and are highly popular for carrying gadgets around with. When considering a men's shoulder bag then you need to work out what you want to carry. Most will happily accommodate a book, phone, wallet, keys, pens and the like, but they are not large enough for A4. Men's shoulder bags come in a variety of materials with the most popular being leather and canvas weave

The Tablet Bag
The tablet or iPad bag is small and compact - big enough to transport your gadgets around. They vary in size depending on what you need to carry alongside your iPad. Some people are happy with just their machine, others need space in the iPad bag for A4 files and all the trappings. It depends whether you need the basics or need to turn your iPad bag into a mobile office.

The Briefcase
Briefcases have been around for years and in many ways were the original bag for men. No sooner had an enterprising French man added a metal hinge to a carpet bag than business people - lawyers in particular started carrying them for their work. Designs have changed a great deal since then to accommodate A4 files and laptops and in many ways briefcases were until recently the only bag of choice for the busy professional. No matter what you want to carry be it your iPad, laptop, mobile phone camera, pens and pencils, credit cards or wallet then we have a briefcase just for you.

The Backpack
Some men remain uncomfortable with carrying what they perceive to be a man bag, but are happy to tote around a backpack instead. These days they have been adapted with those men in mind and are now designed to carry everything from laptops to mobile phones and some even have the equivalent of a mobile office in a pocket on the front. Cyclists and motorcyclists favour backpacks because it leaves their hands free, whilst others like them because a properly adjusted one spreads the load comfortably.

The Messenger
However many men still choose to carry their backpacks on one shoulder, hence the messenger bag being introduced and one of the most popular choices. From their early days as the bag of choice of the despatch rider, messenger bags have now evolved into the bag of choice for young professionals. And you can easily see why. As long as being stylish, they are fit for purpose, with many incorporating pockets for A4 documents, laptops, iPads and the rest. Check out any city High Street these days and not many minutes will pass before someone walks towards you with a messenger bag over their shoulder.

The Holdall
Finally we come to holdalls - a true bag for life and one of the very first bags to be carried by men. Invented in the mid 18th century they were originally carried by men on behalf of their wives when travelling. Yes, times have changed. These days they are used for everything from going to the gym to shopping and as a weekend bag in the place of luggage. In fact a holdall is one of the first you get as a child to carry your school sports gear around in, then one for carrying your kit to and from the gym as a young man and then as one for weekends away in later life. Holdalls really do serve you throughout your life and bought carefully one will virtually last you a lifetime too.

We hope you have enjoyed our men's guide to the perfect bag to suit your style and needs. Have a browse of our wide selection of bags and accessories at Blokesbags and keep an eye out for our next blog post!