Best Vegan Leather Backpack

Love the look of a leather backpack but aren’t keen on harming animals? Vegan leather is a great option for you. The best vegan leather backpack looks and feels like genuine leather, but is 100% cruelty-free.

With so many great faux leather backpack options out there, decision paralysis is inevitable. We’ve done the heavy lifting of researching the best vegan leather backpack so that all you have to do is choose from one of these five options below!

How We Researched The Best Vegan Leather Backpack

59 Expert Reviews Considered
5,440 Consumer Reviews Considered
6.5 Hours Researching
28 Products Evaluated

Best Vegan Leather Backpack 3 Features That Make Vegan Leather Backpacks Special

1. Cruelty-Free Leather

Vegan leather backpacks are made of cruelty-free “leather.” No animals are used or harmed in the process of making this synthetic material that is meant to look like leather. While it’s typically made of polyurethane, and is therefore sometimes referred to as “PU leather,” vegan leather can also be made out of recycled water bottles, cork, and even pineapple leaves.

2. Water Resistance

Unlike real leather, which becomes damaged when exposed to water, most vegan leather is water resistant when it’s made of a synthetic material (as opposed to an organic material like cork). Plastic makes faux leather repel water instead of soaking it up. If you and your brand new vegan leather backpack get caught in the rain without an umbrella, you won’t have to worry about your bag getting ruined!

3. Chic Style

Backpacks are no longer just for school kids. In fact, backpacks and cruelty-free fashion are currently in vogue. Many women are replacing their day-to-day shoulder bags and purses for the hands-free comfort of backpacks. You can find many vegan leather backpacks that look fashionable rather than juvenile.

Best Vegan Leather Backpack Top 5: Best Vegan Leather Backpacks

Scarleton Chic Casual Backpack H1608

Product place
Our Top Pick
Product rating

The Scarleton Chic Casual Backpack H1608 has rave reviews from happy customers who love this vegan leather backpack for its feminine silhouette and various color options. While this backpack is purse-sized and therefore isn’t intended for laptops, it’s large enough to fit a tablet. It has strategically-sized internal pockets for storing small accessories.

  • Stylish backpack purse
  • Comes in 14 styles
  • Perfectly sized for tablets
  • Internal pockets for small accessories
  • Not large enough for a laptop

LXY Vintage Backpack

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Runner Up
Product rating

If you’re looking for a vegan leather alternative to a classic school backpack, you can stop your search. The LXY Vintage Backpack is perfect for students and professionals alike. It fits all of tech gear you’ll ever need – including a laptop and a tablet – and will help you stay hydrated thanks to its water bottle compartments.

  • Classic backpack silhouette
  • 15.6” laptop sleeve
  • Front pocket fits tablet
  • Two water bottle pockets
  • Not waterproof

CLUCI Women’s Backpack

Product place
3rd Place
Product rating

The CLUCI Women’s Backpack is a beautiful take on a purse backpack. While its stylish looks could kill, this bag is 100% cruelty free. This petite rucksack has useful features like a tablet sleeve, water bottle compartments, and a hidden back pocket. Now that you’ve discovered this stunner, all you have left to do is make the difficult decision of choosing which one of its 18 colors to call your own.

  • Comes in 18 colors
  • Tablet sleeve
  • Hidden back pocket for safety
  • Two water bottle pockets
  • Doesn’t fit a laptop
  • Not waterproof

LXY Vegan Leather Backpack

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4th Place
Product rating

On its facade, the LXY Vegan Leather Backpack looks like a retro leather satchel; only you’ll know that it’s actually a backpack and is made of faux leather! Something else that no one else will know is that you have small valuables stashed in the hidden back pocket. If you want to carry larger treasured items with you, you can fit a 14” laptop in this vintage-inspired backpack’s main compartment.

  • Chic vintage look
  • Main compartment fits 14” laptop
  • Hidden back pocket for safety
  • Hidden snap buttons let bag expand or contract
  • No dedicated laptop sleeve or compartment
  • No warranty

Matt & Nat Women's Brave Loom Backpack

Product place
5th Place
Product rating

The KAUKKO Laptop Backpack is the ideal bag for those who want a faux leather alternative to the classic canvas and leather backpack. Its trim is made of synthetic leather, unlike the rest of the bags on this list which are trimmed with genuine leather.

This backpack’s ergonomic design, laptop sleeve, and water bottle pockets make it the perfect canvas and leather backpack for students. With 40 style options, there’s a KAUKKO Laptop Backpack for everyone.

  • Padded straps and back for comfortable carrying
  • 15” laptop sleeve
  • Comes in 40+ styles
  • Two water bottle compartments
  • Neither water resistant nor waterproof
  • Made with faux leather

Best Vegan Leather Backpack Conclusion: The Best Vegan Leather Backpack

The jury has spoken and a verdict has been reached: the Scarleton Chic Casual Backpack H1608 is the best vegan leather backpack available on the market. According to reviews, customers love it for its elegant style and ability to fit a tablet.

If this Scarleton beauty isn’t the best vegan leather backpack for you, we challenge you to give any of the other bags on our list a try. They all have the sleek look of animal leather without the animal cruelty, high price tag, and permeability.