Whether it’s for work, out of town adventures, or just running errands around town, a vegan tote bag is a must-have necessity for all of us animal lovers. And there’s such a great selection now that even the carnivores have started to circle around the vegan tote bag Smorgasbord. Seriously, how many of us have found a great tote bag only to realize the handles were made with leather? No more!
This vegan tote bag post is important to me because, well, I’m a tote bag super user. I can fully vouch for their efficacy! I’m always striving to lessen my materialism, but I have to admit I’m the kind of woman who could survive just fine on Gilligan’s Island or a Navy Seal mission as long as I have my tote! There’s enough stuff in there to keep a person alive and well groomed for many months.
But even if you’re a zero waste minimalist, tote bags come in handy for carrying things like your reusable water bottle or coffee thermos, your yoga mat, and of course, fruits and veggies from the farmer’s market. But, you came to this post most likely because you’re looking for a great cruelty-free tote, so I’ll stop advocating and get down to it!
1. MATT & NAT Vegan Tote Bags
MATT & NAT has become a leader in luxury, cruelty-free accessories. Everything they produce is 100% vegan. The company’s name is derived from the words “materials” and “nature.” And MATT & NAT weaves this philosophy into their products. Whenever possible, they use natural, plantbased, and recycled materials in their designs.
You can see more of MATT & NAT’s accessories in my posts on vegan shoe brands, vegan purses, and vegan backpacks.
2. Good Mood Moon Faux Leather Tote Bags
Good Mood Moon is another brand that makes 100% accessories, including their super cute tote bags. Animal lovers to the core, Good Mood Moon donates 5% of their sales to homeless pet organizations. You can see more of Good Mood Moon’s bags in my post about vegan handbags.
Available in multiple fun colors, including red, turquoise, lavender, and more.
3. Piñatex Pineapple Leather Vegan Totes by Maravillas
If you’re looking for a vegan tote bag that’s also environmentally sustainable, check out Maravillas. The company’s vegan totes are made with eco-friendly Piñatex Pineapple Leather, which is made from pineapple leaves. All of Maravillas’ accessories are handmade in their workshop in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. (The company does create some accessories with leather, so be sure to read the product details.)
You can see more Maravillas eco-friendly bags in my posts about vegan backpacks, vegan purses. And you can check out more products made with pineapple leather in my post about Piñatex shoes and accessories.
4. Piñatex Totes by Camille Vegan Bags
The founders of Camille Vegan Bags, Raphaël and Camille Vial, are big proponents of timeless design and slow fashion. This luxurious metallic tote is handmade in Paris.
5. Maniwala Piñatex Pineapple Leather Tote Bag
Maniwala is a socially conscious brand that makes all of their stylish accessories in the USA. They’re a PETA Approved and they also fun a completely plastic-free operation. This sustainable and vegan tote bag is made with eco-friendly Piñatex and it has a hemp lining. It’s big enough to hold a 13” laptop, plus it has exterior straps that will hold your yoga mat or beach towel.
To see more pineapple leather accessories from Maniwala, check out my posts on eco-friendly laptop cases and vegan backpacks.
6. Melie Bianco Vegan Leather Totes
Another PETA Approved, 100% vegan brand, Melie Bianco produces their socially conscious tote bags and other accessories in Fair Trade conditions.
This tote is made with polyurethane (PU) vegan leather, which uses fewer solvents and toxic chemicals than PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which a type of plastic that’s used to make a cheaper faux leather. PU is more eco-friendly than traditional leather because it uses fewer resources to produce than leather derived from animals.
You can see more of Melie Bianco’s bags, including vegan shoulder bags, in my post about vegan purses.
7. LaBante London Vegan Leather Tote Bags
LaBante London is an all-vegan brand that donates 10% of their profits to charitable causes. LaBante’s founder, Vanita Badlani Bagri, experienced a life-changing moment when she was in college. She would pass a butcher’s shop on her way to school. In the shop, animals were kept alive in cages before they would be killed in front of customers and sold for their meat.
This was a transformative experience for Vanita. At that time, she didn’t imagine that she would become a vegan accessories designer. But heart wrenching experience shaped her world view.
In addition to being vegan, LaBante’s tote bags and other accessories are eco-friendly. While the material looks and feels like leather, it’s actually made with recycled plastic bottles.
8. Gunas Vegan Leather Tote Bags
Sugandh Agrawal worked as an industrial designer for KitchenAid before making the leap to start her own business. That business became Gunas, a 100% vegan fashion and accessories brand. Gunas offers a variety totes in vegan leather in irresistible colors.
You have to love a brand that has a manifesto on their website. Gunas brand manifesto that could have easily been written for UniGuide. Here it is:
- We are committed to being a 100% vegan brand.
- We believe that animals are not a “property” of humans.
- We are against the human nature of bullying and domination of other species.
- We stand up to the culture of violence and suffering that we inherited against our will.
- Justice, empathy, and compassion are our core values.
- We envision a world of peace, love, and kindness that starts with each one of us.
- We advocate conscious consumerism over fast fashion.
- We make “victim-free” fashion full of love for all.
- We will not participate in any kind of exploitation, be it towards our planet, people, or animals.
Amen!
9. Canopy Verde Vegan Backpack Tote
Minimalist designer Linda Wong created Canopy Verde after working in the fashion industry and witnessing the amount of waste that’s generated season after season. Canopy Verde tote bags are made in a production process that minimizes waste and reuses materials whenever possible.
Made with PU vegan leather, these tote bags have a lighter carbon footprint than those made with traditional leather. In addition, Canopy Verde’s bags are lined with GOTS certified organic cotton that’s dyed with eco-friendly, chemical-free dyes.
10. MeDusa Vegan Tote Bags
MeDusa founders Gili Rozin Tamam and Adi Gal named their company based on a combination of the infamous Greek deity Medusa and the Hebrew word for “jellyfish.” The two designers were inspired by the power of Medusa and the beautiful colors and patterns found in sea life. Blending vintage shapes with modern textiles, MeDusa’s tote bags and other accessories are truly unique. All of MeDusa’s accessories are 100% vegan.
11. Pixie Mood Faux Leather Tote Bags
Pixie Mood’s motto is: “There’s always room for fashion with compassion!” I couldn’t agree more. A socially conscious brand, Pixie Mood donates a portion of their sales to nonprofits, including PETA and Progress Place Mental Wellness.
See more vegan bags by Pixie Mood in my post about vegan purses.
12. Sole Society Faux Leather Totes
If you’re looking for an affordable vegan tote bag, check out Sole Society. They offer a variety of totes in different colors, shapes, and sizes, so you’ll be sure to find the perfect bag for your needs.
13. Red Maus Faux Suede Tote Bags
If you love the look and feel of suede or distressed leather, but insist on cruelty-free style, check out Red Maus’ minimalist vegan tote bags. They come in a variety of luscious colors, like ruby red, purple, and mustard, and they’re all animal-friendly.
14. Stella McCartney Vegan Tote Bags
One of the crown goddesses of vegan fashion, Stella McCartney has some stunning totes that worth checking out. Perfect for the gym or a weekend away with your sweetheart, these totes are high-quality and super versatile.
15. Aloha Pinstripe Zipper Tote
If you haven’t been to REI’s website lately, it’s worth a visit! They offer a variety of vegan and eco-friendly accessories and it’s even easy to search for “vegan” stuff on their site and get real vegan results!
This cute beach tote has a zipper closure and it’s made with a splash-proof material, making it great for sea-faring trips or sessions at the gym.
It has a small outside zip pocket, which is perfect for your keys and phone, plus, a hidden zipper pocket on the inside.
And it gets better: The maker of this tote, Aloha, donates 5% of profits to conservation initiatives in Hawaii.
16. Pacsafe Dry Beach Tote
This super functional vegan tote bag is splash-proof, making it great for beach days, rainy days, or boating trips. The material it’s made with is RFID-blocking fabric, which helps to keep your electronic valuables safe from identity and data theft.
This bag has two compartments inside that lets you keep wet and dry items apart, as well as a passport pocket. Plus, it has a detachable shoulder strap and handy key and wallet clips on the outside.
17. Cabo Vegan Backpack Tote
This functional vegan tote can be converted into a backpack, making it a great travel tote. It’s made with a water repellent coating on the outside and a waterproof polyurethane coating on the back of bag to keep your belongings dry, no matter the conditions.
This tote is equipped with an RFID-protected pocket to protect your cell phone data. And multiple zipper pockets help to keep your belongings organized and secure. In addition, this vegan bag is made with recycled materials.
18. Hydro Flask Cooler Tote
A socially conscious brand that hails from Bend, Oregon, Hydro Flask supports a number of initiatives to get people outside and into nature. They’ve provided grants to support programs such as the National Parks Foundation’s Open Outdoors for Kids, The Trust for Public Land’s Woonasquatucket River Adventure Park, and the City Parks Foundation’s Partnerships for Parks.
This must-have tote bag is cooler tote that will keep contents ice-cold for up to 48 hours.
While this bag is waterproof, the liner is FDA food-grade and BPA-free. A cooler bag is great to keep in your car for those times you’re out running errands after the grocery store and want to keep your perishables cold.
Check out Hydro Flask’s non-toxic, eco-friendly reusable water bottles in my post about stainless steel and glass water bottles.
19. Vintage Tote Bags
You know where else you can find great vegan tote bags? On eBay and in Etsy’s vintage collection! I’m a big advocate for buying used goods and you can find some truly unique totes in thrift shops and online vintage sites.
See you at the beach!
