Reminder: Baggu used to make high-quality leather bags

Let me de-influence you from buying the upcoming“recycled” leather bags.

Back in the day, Baggu did use high-quality milled leather to create bags that were made to last. I can’t remember the style name, but I want to say it was something like “leather shopper tote.” The red one has a lot of fading/discoloration, but aside from wrinkles, the black one is in great shape. I used applied mink oil to it yesterday and it feels good as new.

They then announced they wouldn’t produce leather bags to promote “sustainability” and now, they’re using “recycled” leather instead. To quote another user: the leather they’re using is like putting ground beef into the shape of a steak and calling it a recycled steak. I think these new bags are just a cash grab following the hype around the leather crescents (which admittedly were also made with higher-quality leather, too).

Baggu is making more money than ever. They could choose to use real leather, which is ACTUALLY a sustainable material that can last a lifetime if taken care of. But instead, they’re charging $150+ for a “leather” bag that is going to peel in just a few years. It says a lot that they had to make a 2+ minute video explaining their leather process/chemicals/etc. If the bags were actually high-quality, they wouldn’t need to do that. Leather is one of the oldest textiles on earth…

There are so many other places where you can get high-quality leather bags for $150 or less. And as many people here have mentioned, you could also get a vintage leather bag instead, which is probably the most sustainable choice you could make.

So, if you want a leather purse, I would seriously encourage you to look elsewhere.