Harber Everyday Briefcase review: Strong and attractive protection for MacBook Pro

Harber is a London-based company selling cases, luggage, and accessories that are all made from hand-crafted full-grain leather. Every item AppleInsider has reviewed has the same precision, premium feel, and remains looking new even after extended use.

The Everyday Briefcase is no exception to the company's quality, but it does need to be chosen carefully because it's aimed at a fairly narrow audience. This is not the briefcase for you, for instance, if you never take your 16-inch MacBook Pro away from your office and you're just looking to have something that protects it from dust.

It will do that, and it will look good doing it, but it's too costly for that kind of truly casual use. Then equally, if you live on the road and your bags get squashed together on train carriage racks, the briefcase will not offer enough protection.

That said, it will emerge from all that travel and wear looking great, but there are more rugged options — including a couple from Harber.

Who the Harber Everyday Briefcase is for

You can't say that the Everyday Briefcase is only meant for occasional use because that would belie the hand-crafted care that has gone into it. It would also suggest that the briefcase is not able to withstand wear and tear.

Instead, it certainly will survive being treated badly, and since it's leather, it is also going to age very well. But aside from a slightly strengthened base, and a firm interior divider alongside softer inner pockets, it doesn't have a frame that will guard very well against serious knocks.

So it's best for general use, certainly for carrying around an office or a hotel, and certainly for getting the MacBook Pro out when you're on a train.

It would be good if there were just a little more padding in the base to protect the MacBook Pro if you put the case down heavily. But it's entirely possible that there is sufficient padding there and that we're just overly anxious about protecting a MacBook Pro.

Harber Everyday Briefcase design - interior

There is definitely sufficient room to make this briefcase useful. AppleInsider chose to review the version intended for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, specifically to see just how much duty it could do with a 14-inch MacBook Pro, plus travel items, a Kindle Paperwhite, and an 11-inch iPad Pro.

Harber includes what it calls a dedicated charger pocket. Of course, you can wedge cables in anywhere.

Add in many cables and a charger, and the neat lines of the briefcase expanded out to make a slightly more bulbous shape, but there was no question of needing to remove anything. The briefcase body held all we needed, and its two leather carrying handles don't look like anything could ever break them.

Harber Everyday Briefcase design - exterior

There is a separate carrying strap included inside the briefcase, which needs to be attached to the sides of the casing. It would be good if the strap could instead be fitted to the ends of the case, but the top comprises a single, strong zip and fastenings or clasps would get in the way.

Still, having it attached to the sides meant fitting it was a little fiddly, although chiefly because you have a concern about messing up such a fine case. You're not going to, as it looks pristine and is hardwearing enough that it's going to stay that way.

Harber notes that over time, the leather will discolor but says it will gain a patina. If, in 20 years, the case looks like Indiana Jones uses it, we'll take that.

Harber Everyday Briefcase - options

The Harber Everyday Briefcase comes in medium or large, both for the same price. The medium version is described as being aimed at 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro models, while the large is for 15-inch and 16-inch ones.

Either version can alternatively carry a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with the Magic Keyboard for iPad attached.

It's available in tan, black, or deep brown.

The Harber Everyday Briefcase will outlast your MacBook Pro

The Harber Everyday Briefcase is not a casual purchase at $422, but it's also not something you are going to be casual about using.

It's so clearly built to last that you will unquestionably be replacing your MacBook Pro before you replace this briefcase.

Harber Everyday Briefcase Pros

• Hardwearing, hand-crafted leather briefcase
• Looks excellent
• Comes in two sizes
• Either size is roomy enough to protect a MacBook Pro but have room left over

Harber Everyday Briefcase Cons

• Fitting the optional leather strap could be easier
• There's not as much padding at the base as some cases

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Where to buy

You can buy the Everyday Briefcase direct from Harber, which at time of writing is having a Black Friday sale. That runs overall from November 18, 2022, to November 28, 2022, with different discounts on different days. If you buy two or more Harber items during the period, you get between 20% and 30% off the whole order.