Harber London Office Backpack Review - A Handcrafted Laptop Backpack for Work
Harber London is a brand that offers handmade premium leather bags, laptop sleeves and accessories. Their latest Office Backpack is a departure from their usual all-leather bags as a more attainable option that’s perfect for anyone looking to get their feet wet with a high end backpack for work and travel.
The Office Backpack offers a best of both worlds experience in terms of functionality and craftsmanship. On the one hand it is packed with modern must-have features like a laptop sleeve and tons of organization modern work items. But at its core, the Office Backpack presents a timeless heritage design that ascends modern day backpack trends. We’re talking about the kind of heirloom craftsmanship that stands the test of time.
In this hands-on Harber London Office Backpack review we will take a look at all of the details so that you can make a better choice deciding if this bag is right for you.
Where to buy: Harber London
Materials and Construction
Each Harber London Office Backpack is handmade by craftsmen in Spain and you can really see the difference in quality when compared to other mass produced backpacks. There wasn’t a loose thread or sloppy stitch anywhere to be found.
Fabric made of recycled plastic bottles
The main fabric is made completely from recycled plastic bottles. Although this fabric has the look of canvas it feels a bit rougher to the touch and heavier in weight. The thickness of the fabric is what gives the Office Backpack a lot of its structure so that the backpack can retain most of its shape when empty.
The front of the backpack and all touch points are made from Harber London’s full grain leather. We expect this leather to take scratches and scuffs like a champ over time. Full grain leather also has the habit of forming a unique character and patina as it ages.
Full grain leather and chrome zippers on the Harber London Office Backpack
This backpack really shines with small details. Every bit of hardware is made out of metal with no plastic in sight. The chromed metal zippers even match the engraved logo on the front of the backpack for a cohesive look.
Although the textile used on this backpack is waterproof, it’s important to note that the zippers on the Office Backpack are not. We regard the Office Backpack to be water resistant but we these zippers won’t do you any favors if you were to ever be caught out in a nasty rainstorm.
Pockets and Compartments
Outside Pockets
The Harber London Office Backpack is filled with exterior compartments for easy organization. The front of the backpack features a large open zippered pocket that’s great for stashing bulkier items that you need quick access to.
Front zippered pocket with a pair of large headphones inside
There is also a large organizer compartment right behind the leather panel on the front. What’s great about this compartment is that the zipper stays hidden behind the leather for a cleaner appearance.
Hidden organizer compartment on the Office Backpack
Inside this organizer compartment you’ll find a variety of pockets for small items such as pens, business cards, tech accessories and more. Here is where you’ll also find a removable magnetic key leash.
Top pocket for sunglasses or phone
On the top of the backpack you’ll find a zippered pocket for sunglasses, a phone or other items you need quick access to.
Side water bottle pockets on the Office Backpack
Finally, there are pockets for a water bottle or umbrella on each side of the Office Backpack. These pockets are made out of the same material as the body and as a result have absolutely no stretch to them. We found that only slim water bottles will fit inside these side pockets with a 21 oz (621mL) Hydro Flask being the largest bottle we could fit.
Main Compartment
The Harber London Office Backpack has way more pockets and compartments than its clean minimalist exterior leads you to believe. Along with a variety of sneaky exterior pockets, the Office Backpack also gives you plenty of organization on the inside.
Inside the main compartment you’ll find a padded laptop sleeve as well as an additional tablet sleeve.
The Office Backpack is available in both 13” and 16” laptop versions. The version we are reviewing here is the smaller 13” laptop version. Although made with 13-inch laptops in mind, we found that this laptop sleeve can actually fit up a 14” PC laptop. Users with laptops over 14” will want to stick with the larger 16” laptop version of the Office Backpack.
The oversized tablet sleeve can easily fit up to a 13” tablet which makes it perfect an iPad Pro or other large tablet. Harber even adds a small pocket next to the tablet sleeve for an Apple Pencil or stylus.
Although the laptop sleeve is fully padded it is worth noting that there is no false bottom on this laptop sleeve and as a result the laptop sleeve itself reaches all the way down to the bottom of the bag. This means that the only thing protecting the bottom of the laptop from the ground is the laptop sleeve padding and exterior material.
On the other side of the main compartment there are a zippered pocket and two slip pockets for organizing your gear.
These pockets are the perfect size for laptop or tablet chargers and other mid-sized items. We even found the slip pockets large enough to fit a larger 32oz (~1000ml) Nalgene water bottle.
What Fits Inside the Harber London Office Backpack?
The 16 liter main compartment on the Harber London Office Backpack offers just enough room for your tech, work items and a few personal items. Although we wouldn’t consider this backpack ideal for travel, it’s the perfect size as a daily carry backpack for just the essentials.
The Harber London Office Backpack can fit:
Inside the main compartment
13” Laptop
Tablet
1-inch binder
Tech Pouch (8.5" x 6" x 2.5")
Light sweater or jacket
Laptop charger
External hard drive
Comfort Features
When it comes to comfort Harber London keeps the features on the Office Backpack sleek and simple.
The back panel shares its padding with the laptop sleeve inside the main compartment. This helps give the Office Backpack a slim professional appearance when worn.
The shoulder straps are made out of full grain leather that match the leather details on the rest of the bag. Stitched to the leather is a strip of very soft foam.
Although there isn’t a ton of padding on these shoulder straps, there are no complaints about comfort when the backpack is fully loaded. This bag is too small to really benefit from extra-cushioned foam shoulder straps usually found in larger backpacks.
Swivel shoulder strap design adjusts to your shoulder width
One of the best comfort features is the swiveling shoulder strap design. Each shoulder strap is attached to a metal button that allows the shoulder straps to adjust to your shoulder width.
Although the Office Backpack is marketed as a men’s backpack - it’s still compact enough for women without being too bulky or ill fitting. This is all thanks to Harber’s swiveling shoulder straps that can fit most people regardless of body size.
Final Thoughts
The Harber London Office Backpack really does live up to its name by offering a stylish way for digital roamers to carry their tech and work items to and from the office.
Now let’s talk about price - its $351 USD price puts it up there with brands like Tumi and Filson but with the added value of being meticulously handmade by expert bag makers. With that said, the price seems just about right for a handcrafted bag made with premium materials. We believe that for professionals looking for a more sophisticated way to carry their gear the Office Backpack is definitely well worth the cost of admission.
Where to buy: Harber London
