Vegan handbags are more than a leather-free place to store your wallet and keys. Bags, after all, can be an essential part of your outfit. But can you find vegan leather bags that are just as stylish as their non-vegan counterparts? Absolutely!
I’ve been vegan for nearly 18 years, so I know that it can be a bit tricky trying to find a good-quality vegan bag that also looks good – that’s why I put together this article to help you. I update it regularly with the best brands I’ve tried myself or come across.
The best vegan purse brands:
Practical, well-made and always in style, Watson & Wolfe makes classic bags in vegan form.
Svala make vegan bags out of innovative, eco-friendly fabrics like vegan pineapple leather, or Mirum, the first plastic-free, biodegradable vegan leather.
Iconic bags from the famous designer whose whole bag range is vegan.
High-quality, durable vegan bags made in Spain and designed in classic styles.
Watson and Wolfe vegan bags
What I love about them: they’ve taken classic handbags, and made them vegan
If you’re looking for classic style bags, made vegan, Watson & Wolfe is the brand for you.
When the brand started in 2016, their intention was to use leather – until they started researching it and uncovered the facts of the leather industry and changed direction.
The brand is entirely vegan and focuses on men who are looking for eco-friendly alternatives. They mainly make wallets and belts but they also have a small collection of vegan women’s bags.
These vegan brand handbags are mainly classically designed totes and crossbody bags in black or brown vegan leather.
Svala
What I love about them: they use a lot of sustainable and innovative materials, like plant-based vegan leathers and Mirum, a plastic-free vegan leather
Svala’s vegan bags are made using European fabrics and are made in Los Angeles, in a factory where workers are treated fairly. All their bags are free from PVC and they use cotton and recycled polyester for the linings.
Their bags tend to be classic in style and color, so great if you’re looking for a vegan version of a traditional handbag that will be in style for years to come.
Labante vegan handbags
What I love about them: the bags are really high quality and look beautiful (my Labante backpack has gotten more compliments than any vegan bag I’ve ever owned!)
Labante London was founded in 2009 and aims to be as sustainable as possible, using a circular model to reduce waste. They also use recycled plastic bottles for the linings of their vegan brand purses and use a solvent-free, water-based polyurethane vegan leather.
I own a Labante baackpack and it seems really well made and durable; I’ve had it several years and it’s still in good condition!
Labante vegan bags come in a range of different styles, from a vegan clutch bag to a laptop bag to a backpack or tote bag.
Stella McCartney vegan designer bags
What I love about them: they’re only major luxury designer brand to have a fully vegan range
If you’re looking for vegan designer bags, look no further than Stella McCartney’s range. The range of luxury vegan leather bags, totes and backpacks are designed using vegan leather. These are the best faux leather bags from a luxury brand.
While the whole brand isn’t vegan (Stella is vegetarian and uses silk and wool in some of her clothes), the bags are all vegan. These vegan leather designer bags are popular with celebrities, especially the iconic Falabella bag, which is now a classic.
The vegan designer handbags from Stella McCartney come in nearly 100 different styles, so you can be sure to find one that suits you.
Thanks to some hardcore searching and a stroke of luck, I found my vegan Stella bag (pictured against the pink backdrop above) on eBay at a bargain price – it’s still in excellent condition and I love the chain detailing, but I do need to get the handles repaired.
Matt & Nat vegan purses
When it comes to vegan bags, Matt and Nat is one of the oldest, if not oldest, fully vegan handbag brand. Matt and Nat vegan bags are some of the top vegan handbags as they’re probably the most well-known vegan handbag companies.
Founded in Montreal in 1995, it has a long history of making vegan bags and wallets and more recently started branching out into shoes and outerwear. Matt & Nat stands for Mat(t)erial and Nature and has been vegan since the start.
All linings of their faux leather handbags are made from recycled plastic bottles. In making Matt and Nat purses, they recycle 9 million plastic bottles per year. I had a Matt & Nat wallet for 10 years old so their vegan leather products are definitely durable!
In terms of range, this is one of the best vegan handbag brands with the biggest range of designs, and you can find a vegan hobo bag, diaper bag, vegan leather tote bag, vegan shoulder bag and more.
Canussa vegan and sustainable bags
What I love about them: they’re made in Spain, and I love my vegan shopper tote – it fits a laptop and is perfect for business meetings, while also being big enough to use for a weekend away.
Canussa is a vegan Spanish brands that prioritises eco-friendly materials like vegan leather made from corn waste and other innovative materials.
All their bags are made in Spain and they’re incredibly reasonably priced for being made in Europe. They also look great!
Minuit vegan bags
Minuit Sur Terre is a French vegan company that makes vegan bags and shoes, and I love their design details.
For example, the bag pictured on the top left is made of vegan grape leather in a classic crossbody/shoulder style but I love the detail of the gold-tone clasp, which is made of tiny leaf motifs in a circle.
They have a wide range of bags styles, from backpacks to crossbodies to bucket bags, and they use eco-friendly materials for their vegan sustainable bags such as vegan grape leather, made with the leftover grapeskins from the wine industry.
Corkor cork bags
Sustainable fashion doesn’t get much better than cork. Cork is one of the most sustainable materials because cork trees require very little input in terms of water and fertilisation, making them low-carbon, and can be harvested without destroying the tree.
It’s water impermeable and looks great, making it an excellent vegan leather alternative!
As far as vegan leather bag brands, Corkor is one of the most sustainable thanks to cork. This is a 100% vegan brand that makes bags, wallets and belts out of cork. All their products are crafted by artisans in Portugal.
Their vegan leather handbags are not only cruelty-free, but sustainable as well. Whether you’re looking for a vegan bucket bag or a vegan crossbody purse, Corkor has a cork-based alternative.
Melie Bianco affordable vegan bags
Melie Bianco is a non leather purse company that designs vegan bags in different colors. I love their pops of color and own a mustard yellow Melie Bianco bag I managed to snag secondhand a couple of years ago. I really loved it!
Whether you’re looking for a vegan leather shoulder bag or practical convertible belt bags, Melie Bianco has different styles for all.
As well as the usual black and brown cruelty free, vegan handbags, they have mint green, coral and mustard yellow designs.
Samara vegan bags
Samara is an all-vegan bag brand using a variety of eco-friendly materials, including apple leather, bamboo, castor seeds and recycled plastic bottles, as well as standard PU vegan leather.
One unique aspect of Samara bags is that they have some cute mini bags perfect if you’re minimising what you take out with you. If you’re looking for the the best faux leather purses that will fit the essentials but not weigh you down, these are ideal. For example, bestselling The Mini (a clutch), the mini fanny pack and the apple mini crossbody, made of vegan apple leather.
Thalie luxury vegan bags
Thalie started in France during lockdown. It’s a 100% vegan brand with a focus on sustainability and they were the first to make vegan handbags made of Desserto cactus leather.
You can find my full guide to vegan cactus leather bags here.
Their vegan friendly purses are made with high quality vegan leather made from cacti. Cactus leather is one of the newest innovative, sustainable vegan leather alternatives.
It’s made from Nopal cactus, which doesn’t require much input in terms of water for production and thus saves resources. Cactus leather is soft, hard-wearing, resistant to tears and durable, plus unlike animal leather it deals well with with humidity. These stylish vegan handbags are PETA certified vegan.
FAQ
What purse brands are vegan?
There are a number of cruelty free purse brands around the world, from Alexandra K in Poland to Minuit Sur Terre in France and Labante London.
There’s also a wide range of price points, from budget brands such as JW Pei to high-end vegan handbag designers like Stella McCartney.
In short, there’s a huge number of vegan friendly handbags these days.
Where can I find vegan name brand purses?
There aren’t many vegan options from high-end fashion houses (yet) but one notable exception is Stella McCartney, the best non leather handbags on the luxury side of things. The whole range is vegan, as the entire fashion house is vegetarian just like Stella, so no leather is used (however, she does use wool and silk in some clothing designs, so beware if you look at those).
The high quality vegan handbags from Stella McCartney are beloved by celebrities and sure to turn a few heads.
Other well-known brands selling vegan bags are Telfar, Themoire and Kenneth Cole (not all bags are vegan so check materials!).
Pin this for later
If you’re searching specifically for crossbody bags, see my vegan crossbody bag guide.
And if you want a tote bag, check out my guide to vegan tote bags.
If you prefer a backpack, find my guide to vegan backpacks.
I also have guides specifically for vegan laptop bags, vegan satchels, vegan bucket bags and messenger bags.
For designer style, see my guide to vegan designer bags.
Looking for more vegan fashion & beauty inspiration?
Find my guides to vegan shoes, vegan boots and vegan sneakers.
