The briefcases I cover, sorted by price, from a £440 British-made one to a £4,100 hand-stitched attaché, so you can see where your budget lands. For a closer head-to-head of three, see the best men’s leather work bags comparison. Prices checked against each brand’s own site in October 2026.
Under £500: Chapman Minimalist Briefcase — £440
Chapman’s Cumbria-made Minimalist Briefcase is the cheapest British-made briefcase I cover. It won’t have the refined boardroom polish of the pricier options here, and the aesthetic leans more sporting-heritage than city-slick, but the manufacturing credentials hold up at a price nothing else on this list gets close to.
£500–£700: Aspinal Slim, Carl Friedrik Palissy, or Mismo Aspire
The strongest bracket on this list for most buyers. Aspinal’s Slim Leather Briefcase (£595 in black pebble) is the one I’d recommend first for a daily commute, with a trolley strap on the back for the occasional travel day — see the full Aspinal review. Carl Friedrik’s Palissy (£695) is the minimalist pick: the cleanest-looking bag here, in full-grain semi-aniline leather sold direct, with interior pockets that are its weak point — see the full Palissy review. Mismo’s M/S Aspire in leather (£633) sits between them: a textured full-grain body with full-grain bridle-leather trim, Danish design, and a bridle-leather trolley sleeve on the back.
£700–£1,000: Tusting Wymington, Bennett Winch Brief, or Mulberry Chiltern
The most crowded bracket, and the one where the choice is least about money. Tusting’s Wymington (£870) and Bennett Winch’s Brief (£875) cost almost exactly the same, so pick on how you’ll use the bag. The Wymington is leather-only, made at Tusting’s own Lavendon workshop with a story you can trace back to an 1875 tannery — see the full Wymington review. The Brief is built for travel: bonded waterproof canvas, brass hardware welded in London, and a back panel that slips over a suitcase handle — see the full Brief review. Mulberry’s Chiltern Briefcase (£995) is the one to buy if the name matters to you, since it’s the most recognised brand at this price. Know that this bag is made in Türkiye from Italian leather, not in Mulberry’s Somerset factories.
Around £2,000 and Up: Dunhill, Swaine, Valextra, or Métier
Four very different reasons to spend this much. Dunhill’s briefcases run from £1,950 for the Bourdon slim document case to £3,600 for the Alfred, with Richemont-level design resources behind them and the polish that comes with a conglomerate. At Swaine (£2,000–£4,100, the most expensive I cover), one artisan takes a bag through a 250-step process, and you can watch it happen at the New Bond Street workshop. Valextra’s Avietta, from £2,550, is hand-painted Milanese minimalism in one of the most recognisable silhouettes in Italian leather goods. Métier’s Closer briefcases (£2,850–£3,450) put function first and are made by artisans in Florence and Naples. None of these will commute better than a well-chosen £600 bag. You’re paying for the story and the details.
How Much to Spend
Most people don’t need to spend more than £1,000 on a briefcase that lasts a decade. Full-grain leather and solid hardware are available well below that line, and so, at current prices, is the most traceable manufacturing story on this list: Tusting’s Wymington, under £900.
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