The Best Tote Bags for Digital Nomads and Tech-Savvy Commuters

The best tote bags have come a long way from their humble beginnings. The word tote, meaning “to carry by hand,” has been around for centuries, but the bag as we know it didn’t emerge until 1944 when L.L.Bean debuted the Bean Ice Carrier: a double-handled canvas bag designed to lug ice blocks. Fabricated from the double-layered material used in conveyor belts, its oatmeal-colored shape could bear up to 500 pounds of weight—ultimately solidifying the tote’s status in the pantheon of carryalls. You need a large tote when you need to carry a ton of stuff.

Over the decades, tote bags have evolved from practical workhorses into cultural currency, adapting to reflect the shifting identities of their carriers. In 1965, the Bean Ice Carrier was reinvented as the iconic L.L.Bean Boat and Tote, a taller and arguably more fashionable version that became one ...