The Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Men’s Bag for Every Occasion
Choosing the proper bag for men depends on a lot more than just style. There is a specific kind of bag for specific situations, whether going to a business meeting, spending the day in an office, doing weekend shopping, or traveling outside of Colombo. Choose the wrong bag, and you will be left with something that is too big for your commute or doesn’t have the durability to handle a laptop. In this guide, we’ll take you through choosing the right backpack for men, side bag for men, or office bag for men depending on the situation, and what to pay.
Start With the Occasion, Not the Style
For most guys, the easiest thing is to just choose what suits them best from the photographs. The proper way to do this would be to first think about the whole week and whether you have any requirements like carrying laptops daily or having anything related to client meetings, etc. Once this is sorted out, it becomes much easier to choose between men’s backpacks, office bags, or side bags.
The Bags Men Actually Need, By Occasion
A man’s bag needs change constantly through the week, and even through a single day. Here’s how the main occasions break down and what tends to work best for each.
Formal & Business Settings
If your meeting or presentation calls for a suit, then your bag should be able to complement your level of professionalism too. In this case, a sleek and simple office bag for men would be most appropriate because you wouldn’t want a bag that will clash with your formal clothing. You can opt for a sleek office bag if all you have to carry for the meeting is your laptop and some paperwork.
Recommended Pick:
Work Casual & Daily Commutes
For most workdays, one lands somewhere in between these two extremes, and this is where a good design of a backpack for men comes in handy. A stylish, ergonomic design of the bag that has a nice finish can accommodate a laptop, wires, and other everyday items without making you look too sporty alongside a suit or a semi-formal outfit. For those men who want one shoulder to remain free while traveling to work, another option can be a crossbody bag.
Recommended Pick:
Casual Outings & Errands
Short walks, errands, or shopping require something that is not too big and that can be hands-free. In this respect, a side bag for men proves to be perfect. A bag that will allow one to take along only what is necessary, namely a phone, money, and keys, without having to lug around a large backpack.
Gym
The gym requires a bag for men that can withstand the rough usage in its everyday routine. This is why it should be made of a durable fabric and include space for changing clothes and footwear. They need to have a design that would make it comfortable to carry either on one shoulder or in the hands. In this case, the best option would be a well-made duffel-style bag, whether from canvas or nylon.
Travel
If your trip is shorter, say a one- or two-night trip, then a one- or two-day bag that actually has the space but less than what a complete suitcase will hold should be preferred. The large capacity structured bag that is specifically designed for one or two-day trips will serve as an attractive option for luggage without wheels that can prove troublesome at a bus terminal or inside a tuk-tuk. When it comes to longer or work-related trips, then a backpack with good capacity should be chosen because sometimes one prefers having both hands free.
Recommended Pick:
Choosing a Backpack for Men
There are three important functions an office bag for men should perform: protection of a laptop, proper organization of the items carried inside, and maintaining professionalism when entering the meeting room. The ideal design of such a backpack will include the following components:
- Padded pocket – laptop protection and fixation inside the backpack
- Compartment for cables and charger – separate from the laptop sleeve
- Front pocket – for cards, pens, phone, and other small things that you don’t want to search for in your main pocket
- Back panel remains stiff – regardless of the load inside
- Water resistance of material – very practical considering the rainy weather in Sri Lanka
- Strong zippers – designed for daily routine, not for traveling
The brand also plays an important role here. For example, AOKING manufactures flexible backpacks with a large-size structure made of durable polyester that cannot be torn off even when fully packed. Mark Ryden, however, tends to manufacture more structured backpacks with shiny design and water-resistant Oxford material. If you are choosing between these two brands, you can find more detailed information in our “Mark Ryden vs AOKING comparison“.
Men’s backpacks should also be the same size as their laptops – no guesses required here:
- Laptops measuring 13-14 inches: 14″ x 10″ x 1″, 15-20 liter volume
- Laptops measuring 15.6 inches: 15.5″ x 11″ x 1.5″, 20-30 liter volume
- Laptops measuring 16-17.3 inches: 17.5″ x 12.5″ x 2″, 25-35+ liter volume
Purchasing a bag that’s too small for the laptop sleeve and making the zipper stressed is common practice. It doesn’t provide any real protection to your laptop.
If you aren’t a professional but a student, then there are some different things you should take into account. These are explained in detail in our guide to “laptop backpacks for university students”.
Side Bags for Men: The Lower-Profile Alternative
For men who seek an alternative to backpacks that is more discreet, a man’s side bag can serve the purpose of a more minimalistic mode of carrying your phone, wallet, and some documents on days when you don’t require more than that. This bag serves perfectly for field visits and client visits on foot where carrying a backpack for men becomes entirely irrelevant and unwarranted. This bag has become an absolute must for Sri Lankan men. Its importance is discussed in detail in our article on side bags for men.
Backpack, Side Bag, and Office Bag Prices: What to Expect in Sri Lanka
Pricing varies with the type of bag, waterproofing, structure, and brands. You should understand how much a particular kind of bag usually costs at Bag Plus before visiting the store.
Backpacks and Office Bags are mainly based on structure and waterproofing
- Budget (Starting from LKR 7,400) – Low-end AOKING brands, water-resistant, have compartments sealed
- Mid-Range (LKR 13,000–14,000) – More structured, high-capacity AOKING and Mark Ryden bags
- Waterproof, Hard-Shell (>LKR 19,600) – High-end Mark Ryden bags
- Full Laptop Bag Range – Starting from LKR 4,990 all the way up to LKR 26,000
Side Bags and Cross Body Bags cost much less due to smaller size
- Entry-Level (Starting from LKR 4,580) – Waist bags and slings from AOKING
- Mid-range (LKR 9,000–13,000) – Crossbody bags from Mark Ryden and AOKING with anti-theft pockets, oxford/PU material
- High-End (Above LKR 13,000) – Crossbody bags with branded name, designed for daily professional use
Typically, the price of a side bag for men is about one-third to one-half of a backpack for men because you will be getting just a fraction of the material and storage space available. When it comes to a bag for running some simple errands and carrying small items. That price difference alone is enough for you to opt for a side bag.
When you’re on a very limited budget, then you can take a look at our review of laptop backpacks for less than LKR 10,000, our reviews of the best crossbody bags under LKR 9,000 for side bags on the cheaper side, and our price guide for backpacks for a better idea on backpack prices.
A Quick Buying Checklist
Before you go shopping for an office bag and a laptop backpack, consider the following:
- Laptop compatibility – Ensure that the sleeve of the bag fits your screen size and not just “most” laptops.
- Compartment arrangement – Get one with a pocket for your cables, another for documents, and one more for accessing your items easily.
- Material – Oxford fabric and polyester both offer durability in different forms. Decide which is more important to you.
- Guarantees and exchange policy – Bag Plus provides a local and international warranty for its branded bags, along with a 7-day exchange period if needed.
- Versatility – Should you want the bag to suit both office and casual use, then color neutrality and proper construction are important.
Final Thoughts
There isn’t one single best bag for men. There’s a best bag for how you actually use it. If most of your week is laptop-heavy office days, prioritise a padded, organised backpack sized to your screen. If you want something lighter for quick errands or minimalist commuting, a side bag might suit you better. Browse the full range of laptop backpacks and cross-body bags at Bag Plus, or visit the store in Maharagama to try a few on for size before deciding.