The Cuyana Classic Easy Tote is an elegant and lightweight leather bag that’s versatile enough for everyday use. We’d wear it just about anywhere (barring rugged outdoor adventures), as the Easy Tote’s soft, supple leather and unstructured shape give it a relaxed and subtly luxurious vibe that can easily transition from casual outings to a more formal workplace. It’s large enough to carry everything you could need for a long day, but you can also cinch it to create a more purse-like silhouette for lighter loads.
Thanks to those inside ties, the Easy Tote can transform into an elevated almost-bucket shape. Photo: Connie Park
The Classic Easy Tote is a beautiful, spacious leather bag that retails for about $250. Although it’s the most expensive tote we recommend here, we’ve concluded that it’s well worth the money. The soft, pebbled texture of the Italian leather feels luxurious, but it’s not too fancy to use every day—the bag’s unstructured, slightly slouchy shape makes it cool and casually elegant.
At 21½ inches wide by 12¼ inches tall, the Classic Easy Tote is big—we’re talking hiding-an-actress’s-pregnancy-for-TV big—and seriously roomy. It’s equipped with two sets of handles: one, for wearing the bag on your shoulder, features a well-proportioned 10-inch drop, while the other set, with a 6¼-inch drop, is ideal for carrying by hand. The straps are pretty cushy and comfortable to wear and carry, but they don’t look bulky.
Our favorite detail is the Easy Tote’s set of two interior leather straps, which you can tie together to cinch the bag to your desired shape. Tied tight, the Easy Tote transforms into a fetching bucket bag; tied moderately close, a spacious purse; and left undone, a wide-open tote in all its glory. The soft, flexible leather easily conforms to whatever silhouette you choose, making the bag extra versatile.
The Cuyana tote seems well made and long-lasting. It has a two-year warranty, longer than the coverage on any tote we recommend aside from the Filson, which is covered for its lifetime.
Pockets and organization:
The appeal of a big, open-top tote is the ability to throw a lot of stuff in it and carry it everywhere. Aside from its spacious main compartment, the Easy Tote has just one midsize open pocket that’s big enough for the fundamentals, such as a small wallet, a phone, and set of keys. This is not a bag for someone who wants to be hyper-organized, though if you do want that, Cuyana makes a cool-yet-pricey $100 bag organizer sized exactly for this tote.
Flaws but not dealbreakers:
Aside from its spartan organizational features, we don’t have many bad things to say about this bag. Like our picks from Baggu and Leatherology, this Cuyana tote is unstructured, so if you haven’t filled it and you set it down on the floor or your desk, it won’t stand upright. And those cool internal leather straps can easily come undone if you don’t tie them securely.
Size: 12¼ by 21½ by 5 inches
Weight: 1 pound 10 ounces
Strap length: 10 inches
Closure type: none
Colors: black, caramel, cappuccino, stone, dark olive, assorted seasonal colors
