Choosing the best vegan handbags brands can be challenging. These days there are numerous vegan leather options in a variety of price ranges from start-ups to established vegan fashion brands.
Whether you're looking for an affordable bag made from sustainable materials or you're in the market for a luxury vegan leather handbag, a tote, a belt bag or a even a vegan bucket bag, we've got you covered.
Traditional leather designer handbags – the kind made from animal skins – have been wardrobe staples in the fashion world since, well, forever. This is changing rapidly, however, with a variety of new and established brands producing vegan leather or faux leather bags.
We've done a deep dive on the best vegan fashion brands to make your life easier. It turns out that what's good for the animals and the planet is also good for your pocketbook. Socially conscious fashion accessories for all!
Best OVERALL Vegan Hand Bags
Angela Roi
Best BUDGET Vegan Handbags
Melie Bianco
You can almost always get vegan or alternative leather options at a better price than their animal leather counterparts.
You can also reduce your impact further by shopping for a second-hand luxury vegan hand bag at one of our favorite online thrift stores.
We've identified the best vegan or faux leather vegan handbags and (and purses) brands that are proudly cruelty free.
This is an exciting time to be a handbag enthusiast!
What Is Vegan Leather?
Vegan leather is a catch-all term for materials that replace animal leather and are cruelty-free.
This can include a variety of materials including wood, cork, rubber, barkcloth, apple, pineapple and glazed cotton. Even recycled plastic bottles. We're seeing more and more alternative options available as the market grows and evolves.
The two most common types of vegan leather, however, are produced with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU).
This is where so-called “vegan leather” can be problematic. Sure, PVC and PU are not animal products. That's the good part.
The bad part is that PVC is manufactured with toxic chemicals that cannot be recycled.
So we recommend that you avoid any handbags made with PVC. You're probably more familiar with PVC in the form of Naugahyde.
Andrew Dent is the Vice President of Library and Research Materials at Material ConneXion and he recently told Vocative that “there have been concerns over the last few years about PVC because of production challenges and because they release dioxins, potentially hazardous chemicals, if burnt.”
A better synthetic alternative, while not perfect, is PU which is less enviromentally harmful and can be recycled.
Angela Roi
Angela Roi makes premium vegan leather handbags that are modern classics. They are one of our favorite vegan handbag brands.
They are ethical AND fabulous vegan bags!
Their vegan leather bags are constructed solely with non-animal materials and their artisans get paid fair wages for meaningful work in clean, comfortable factories.
But don't take just our word for it.
Check out these real customer YouTube reviews that celebrate the high quality, affordable luxury you can expect from Angela Roi.
Alexandra K | Luxury Vegan Purse & Bag Leaders
Luury vegan handbag brand, Alexandra K, was founded in Poland back in 2014 and they have since emerged as a leader in the vegan and environmentally-friendly handbags and accessories industry.
In addition to being cruelty-free and vegan friendly, Alexandra K is also focused on reducing the environmental impact of their vegan bags.
They are constantly researching and implementing new materials (plant-based) as well as more environementally friendly processes.
These are high-quality, exceptionally well made vegan handbags. Each bag is unique and has its own serial number.
In 2014, they were won a prestigious Vegan Fashion Award in the Best Women's Handbag category.
These are seriously beautiful luxury vegan handbags.
Melie Bianco
Melie Bianco makes beautiful, cruelty-free vegan leather bags with shoulder straps, handbags, crossbody bags, and clutches.
Melie Bianco believes in quality, craftmanshop while delivering affordable luxury while making a difference in the fashion industry.
Their beautiful vegan handbags are made from premium vegan leather (PU) and are cruelty free and animal friendly.
And they operate their manufacturing using fair trade principles.
Find them on Facebook, on Pinterest as well as on Instagram.
#meliebianco #meliegirls #fashion #vegan #crueltyfree
Matt & Nat
Matt and Nat is a Canadian brand founded in the beautiful city of Montreal.
We love that their company motto is “live beautifully” We aspire to live beautifully here at Whole People as well.
We're on the same page when it comes to acknowledging our collective responsibility to nurture and celebrate the creativity, positivity and most importantly, the humanity inside each of our beautiful souls.
Matt & Nat make exceptional vegan handbags and should be a top choice for anyone looking to buy a faux leather or vegan leather bag. You will not be disappointed!
Matt & Nat handbags can be found online but also at boutiques in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Australia.
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney is a lifelong vegetarian so it's no surprise that she doesn't feature any leather or fur in her vegan bags and other vegan leather collections.
Stella's commitment to sustainability is evident in all her collections and is part of her brand’s ethos of being a responsible, honest, and modern company.
If you are looking for high-quality, luxury vegan products then Stella McCartney may be the perfect fit for you!
If you're wondering whether any designer bags are vegan then Stella is the way to go!
Jill Milan
The co-founder of Jill Milan, Jill Fraser spent years searching for the perfect luxury bag that was not made of animal leather.
She finally partnered with Milan Lazich and launched the label in 2010 to address a gap she perceived in the market. All their creations are vegan and are crafted by artisans in Italy. Everything is done by hand and the quality is magnificent.
Jill Milan is popular with the hi-so community and have been spotted on the red carpet at the Oscars and movie premiers.
Celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Kerry Washington, and Eva Longoria are all big fans.
Check out more celebrities on the Jill Milan site.
Pixie Mood
Pixie Mood was founded way back in 20210 and continually strives to deliver vegan bags that look great and are socially responsible!
They have always been committed to producing cruelty-free products and as they continue to grow, they haved pledged to continue their efforts in sustainability by sourcing materials that will help minimize our carbon footprint.
At Pixie Mood, they “believe that style doesn’t need compromise. Styles can be trendy, functional and socially responsible, all at the same time.“
They “obsess over making great bags, including the little details that make them awesome, and design with our customers’ needs first and foremost.“
Moenn
Moenn is known for their minimalist, classic designs that reflect their belief in sustainable innovation.
What does that mean?
For Moenn sustainable innovation means using superior non-animal skin materials, following ethical labor practics, designing classic styles and demanding the highest quality construction.
They regularly research and explore innovataive new materials (recycled plastic bottles) and have committed to using linings made from recycled plastic bottles.
HFS Collective
The HFS Collective vegan bags are made in Los Angeles at a small, family-run factory.
I've been a big fan of the HFS brand for awhile and I love their vegan bags!
As a family, they provide a fair, living wage to every person that cuts and sews their products.
Their timeless, classic designs are according to them ” a reminder of the ease of living a life of simplicity–a life filled with more experience, happiness, wholeness and joy in exchange for less stuff.“
Scarleton Los Angeles
Scarleton makes really affordable, stylish bags.
The kind where you get asked “Is your bag vegan?” They look so good!
They also make beautiful backpacks.
When someone asks “Can you buy them on Amazon” my first response is always “Absolutely, check out the choices available from Scarleton.”
If you're on a budget and are hunting for vegan bags or even a vegan backpack then Scarleton is your best bet.
“I can honestly say that this is my most beautiful bag. I love, love, love this purse. – Actual Customer
Honorable Mentions: We love JW PEI. Check them out! Also, Freedom-Leather.
Pro-Tip: If you love our picks for the best vegan handbags but you're on a tight budget then get a great secondhand vegan bag at one of the trendy online thrift stores here. And if you need a different kind of bag, check out the best solar backpacks.
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Great list. Also check out GUNAS New York vegan handbags!
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