How do I recognize a good leather bag?

Handbags are the object of desire for many women. High-quality leather bags have a clear advantage: they are durable and hard-wearing. With these tips from Mik, you will find a good leather bag that you will enjoy for a long time.

When you're on the move, you need something to carry your things in. A leather bag is particularly suitable for this. If it has a high-quality finish, it will remain beautiful even after a long period of use. A leather bag is not only practical for transporting items on the go, for example on the way to work or for shorter trips in your free time.

A leather bag is also suitable for weekend trips if it is large enough - like one of our spacious weekenders. A bag like this is also a design object, an accessory that underlines your own style and can even be a status symbol. If you invest in a good bag, you will have a reliable companion in every situation.

If you want to buy a leather handbag, you need to think about which model suits your style. Should it be sporty or elegant? Do you need a bag that offers a lot of storage space or is a handy companion that takes up less space enough? Of course, a high-quality handbag is also a question of cost.

After all,materials and production cost money, which is reflected in the product. But the investment is worth it. If you buy a cheaper but poor quality bag instead, it will usually break much more quickly.

The result: in the amount of time you can use a high-quality handbag, you would have to buy many fewer handbags. The financial result is often the same. While a good leather handbag will usually serve you faithfully for many years, the same cannot be said of inferior materials.

Even after years of use, a leather bag usually does not show any cracks or defects, as is often the case with synthetic leather bags. On the contrary, use gives the bag an even smoother surface.

This special patina is part of the appeal of leather handbags . But how can you tell whether it is a high-quality leather handbag or not? Our tips will help you make the right purchase decision.

Faux leather or real leather?

One of the first things to clarify is whether it is genuine leather or imitation leather. This is sometimes not as easy to clarify as you might think, because artificial leather can always be manufactured to a higher quality. In some cases, the look and feel of good artificial leather now resembles real leather.

On the one hand, the label on or in the bag provides information about the material. A genuine leather handbag is labeled as "genuine leather" or "real leather". The English version of this is "Genuine Leather". Real leather" is also occasionally found on the inside of handbags.

In most cases, there is also a symbol of an animal skin on the bag, which also stands for the use of genuine leather. If, on the other hand, there is no indication of the material, it is probably a bag that is not made from real leather.

The smell also differs depending on the material. Leather has a distinctive smell of its own, which is not usually present in artificial leather. This usually smells more like plastic or chemicals. If you touch a synthetic leather bag and a leather bag to compare them, you will also notice that the leather bag feels softer. Imitation leather is usually smoother and less grippy to the touch.

There are also differences in the cut edges. Imitation leather usually has a very smooth cut, while real leather is more fibrous at the edges. This is due to the natural skin structure of the animal.

Swiss leatherhandbags: these are the characteristics of a high-quality leather bag

A good handbag made of leather from Switzerland or another country of manufacture should not only look good. It should also give you pleasure for as long as possible. To achieve this, the quality of the bag must be right. The following features are crucial if you want to find out how high-quality a product is.

Is it high-quality leather?

Is all leather the same? That's not true. In most cases, leather is of higher quality than artificial leather. However, even genuine leather can vary greatly in terms of quality. The material used also has a corresponding effect on the price. There are three basic grades of leather. A distinction is made between full-grain leather, top-grain leather and split leather.

Full-grain leather is the highest quality leather. It is also known as full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is the most robust leather and largely repels water. It is made from the hide of the animal, which lies directly under its hair. Scars, for example from mosquito bites, can also be visible on a bag made from this leather. This is not a quality defect.

Top-grain leather is of a slightly lower quality than full-grain leather. The top layer of the animal's skin has been removed in this variant. This leather is therefore usually somewhat thinner. Split leather is the poorest quality variant of genuine leather. Thick layers of skin have been cut into smaller pieces. This has created layers. Split leather is usually less elastic than high-quality leather.

Incidentally, there is also a middle ground between leather and artificial leather. This is also known as "fake leather". Leather remnants are mixed with synthetic materials such as polyurethane or latex. The proportion of genuine leather in this variant varies. It can be very low or very high.

Functionality is important

A good bag is functional - and therefore always depends on your individual requirements. The leather handbag should of course match your style. It should also have all the desired elements.

For example, do you need many different inner or outer compartments? If not, many compartments may be unnecessary - and therefore something you can do without. You may also have specific ideas about what you want to carry in your handbag . Make sure that it fits in the bag. This applies in particular to electronic devices such as laptops or tablets.

The zipper should not catch

The zipper of a handbag is an important quality feature. Check it carefully. Is it easy to open and close? Or does it catch in places? Does the zipper possibly not open smoothly?

Wider zippers are usually particularly robust. These are particularly easy to use. Also make sure that this area is waterproof if this is an important criterion for you.

The seams: flawless and straight?

The next thing you should look at is the seams of the handbag . Are they sewn flawlessly? Are the seams straight and, depending on the seam pattern, do they run exactly parallel? Are there any threads sticking out? This is another way to tell whether you are dealing with a quality leather bag or not.

The shoulder strap: it has to be comfortable

The shoulder strap or shoulder straps of a handbag or weekender bag are also important when it comes to quality. They determine whether the handbag is comfortable to carry. The handle should be soft and have no hard edges or seams. Otherwise, it will easily hurt if you carry a little more in your handbag. The handle should not be uncomfortable even after carrying it for a long time.

For larger handbags , a shoulder strap is often a decisive factor. Is it well padded? Does it not slip too easily? No matter how great a handbag looks, it is not functional if it is uncomfortable or impractical to actually carry.

Feel, cuts and surfaces

A good leatherhandbag stands out due to its exceptional feel. The leather is soft and flexible, yet hard-wearing and robust. When pressure is applied, for example by a fingernail, the material yields slightly at this point. The imprint can be seen for a short time before it disappears again.

Make sure that all parts of the handbag are cut evenly. The surface of the bag should be largely even. However, depending on the type of leather, creases, folds or small scars are normal.

The latter is particularly normal with full-grain leather. This is the top layer of the skin. Any damage to the animal's skin is visible on the leather. However, this does not affect the quality.

Are important areas reinforced?

A good handbag must be able to withstand a lot. It should not have areas that have already become thinner after a short time. Otherwise holes will quickly appear.

It is therefore important that particularly vulnerable areas have been reinforced during the production of the bag. Is the material thick enough at the corners? Or have sensitive areas been reinforced in other ways to protect them from damage?

Where does the bag come from?

There are also big differences in the manufacture of leather bags. Choose a manufacturer that stands for quality. Check where the bag was made.

At PACK EASY, we offer you high-quality leather bags from Switzerland. They are all Swiss Made. Choose from different colors and shapes and rely on the high quality and functionality of one of the PACK EASY leather bags from Switzerland.

Your Mik