Wilsons Leather has a nice selection. How much do you want to spend?

Here is a link that might be useful: Wilsons Leather

The leather ones ARE heavy... So if he travels and has back problems, I would really not go there. Unless you want to buy the absolutely beautiful one I well paid over $200 for and used only once because is was so darned heavy... Or the similarly-priced leather replacement model with wheels (I'm learning! ...I thought) that I also used only once because so many places aren't suitable for the wheels and for those places, it was still too darned heavy. But they do look good!

Go nylon. Go nylon. Go nylon.

And go to a really good computer store to shop; a luggage store or office supply would be second best. MicroCenter is the best computer store and their prices are very fair. Your area may have some others that are not national.

Things to look for: A nicely padded interior where he can slip his computer in and out easily. A Velcro tab to secure it that can be left fastened while the main zipper is open, making airport in & out's less painful. You'll also want smaller pouches for his accessories: mouse, cords, cables. Probably a slot for a portfolio or writing tablet. Maybe a loop for keys and cell phone pocket. A couple of card slots is handy for hotel keys and flash drives.

Consider how much he want to carry in there and what other pieces of luggage he'd prefer to either carry or avoid. In other words, would a bigger computer case allow him to skip an overnight bag? Or would he want the PC case as small as possible (PC sleeve only) since he'd also carry an overnight or suit bag... In some bags, the computer sleeve is easily removable and expansion pockets can collapse.

And do make sure it's returnable, because as with purses, people have strong opinions.

My sons are fans of Tumi, and I've bought them both messenger bags although not leather. What else does he need/want to carry besides the laptop? There are cases that only hold the laptop and maybe a single file folder and cases that are essentially suitcases with a laptop compartment. That may help narrow down your search.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tumi Leather Messenger Bag @ Zappos

He does tend to use the laptop bag for pads, folders w/notes, pencils, his eReader and other work paraphenalia so the slim cases won't work. I loved that Tumi you linked to dlm2000 but it only has the shoulder strap and no handle so the only way to carry it is over the shoulder. I think there are times when he's going to want a handle on top. I did see that they have a Tumi store in Center City Philly so I may go down and look to see what else if available.

Thanks natal for reminding me of Wilson Leather! I'd forgotten them, it seems now that in my area they are in the outlet malls. Don't know if they're outlet stores or just in the outlet mall as regular retailer. There is one near enough for me to go look so I'll probably do that too.

So far, all I've done for his birthday is make a dinner reservation and buy a bottle of bubbly. It's less than 2 weeks away! Must chip away at this very quickly or I'll be empty handed.

Leather bags that will hold as much as he carries may indeed be too heavy. I have a leather briefcase and hauling it around a conference for a week can be a bit much. But leather sure looks good! Check out the briefcases and messenger bags at L.L. Bean. Some leather, some not.

Look for a bag that's labeled checkpoint friendly. Quite a few of them have been designed so that you don't have to physically remove the laptop from the bag when you're going through security. The laptop is by itself in a compartment that folds out flat and separately on the conveyor.

I was just looking at this sort of bag yesterday. Here are 3 from Zappos that may good for what he wants-- they even have videos so you can see someone unzipping the compartments and talking through everything.

http://www.zappos.com/skooba-checkthrough?zfcTest=gs:1

If you really want one that's leather, I think some of the ones I saw at Newegg were leather, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a ton at Amazon.

My husband uses a laptop roller bag for his computer when on business trips. Plenty of room for everything and it's easier on his back. Has a handle, also.

I used to carry my laptop in a shoulder bag and it really did a number on my neck and shoulder. I was actually happier with something I could carry in my hand that had handles short enough so that it did not hit the ground.Many come with handles and also an adjustable strap. The backpack look was not appropriate for a middle aged lady, plus it would be hard for me to get it on and off. Young people can do that shrug movement without everything bouncing, but I cannot!

Good luck and make sure he can exchange it!

I was at a Kenneth Cole outlet store in Lancaster, Pa., a few weeks ago and took a quick look at some of the laptop bags and more general bags (in the men's section) -- really nice. But I love Kenneth Cole bags in general (have some nylon ones). So if there's a Cole outlet store in outlet centers near you, you should check it out. Prices were very good, too.

bump for the holidays!

Just saw this...again. The update is that I found a bag at the Wilson's outlet near my house. It had secure straps, a padded interior compartment for his laptop, and a long carrying strap that can be worn cross body to distribute weight evenly. It was a good deal, cost about a hundred bucks. He is happy with it and uses it daily. So far no problems.

Just saw this...again. The update is that I found a bag at the Wilson's outlet near my house. It had secure straps, a padded interior compartment for his laptop, and a long carrying strap that can be worn cross body to distribute weight evenly. It was a good deal, cost about a hundred bucks. He is happy with it and uses it daily. So far no problems.