Coach's Best Bags Are Worth the Hype—These Are the It Styles to Shop in 2026

"Trendy" and "viral" don't do proper justice to describe the best Coach bags—"fashion phenomenon" is more accurate.

Pick any Coach It bag at random, and it's likely dominated your social media timeline at some point, or you've heard a friend rave about it as the best purchase she's made all year. Maybe you even bought one of its designer handbags recently, influenced by a trusted TikToker's review of the Empire or by Bella Hadid carrying her Brooklyn tote all around Manhattan.

Coach's trending bags are so influential that they've helped position the American brand as a textbook example of a successful comeback two decades after its so-called prime. Lyst's Q4 2025 Index (an analytics aggregate of who's who in fashion) ranked Coach the sixth-hottest fashion brand of the season, above big luxury names like The Row, Gucci, and Loewe. The secondhand market shows similar findings: eBay's 2025 Watchlist reports that "Coach’s comeback made it this year’s [It girl] favorite, searched 92 times per minute."

2026 is already proving to be Coach's year, too. On its Fall 2026 runway, presented a few weeks ago at New York Fashion Week, the label debuted its new Kisslock Frame Bag as a see-now-buy-now item. The burgeoning It bag sold out by day's end.

In short: This is Coach's world; we're all just living—and shopping—in it.

The backstory behind the American luxury label's takeover is a lesson in doubling down on what you do best.

If you're familiar with Coach's history (or if you coveted its "C" monogram canvas bags in the early 2000s), you know that its bread and butter has always been affordable handbags and leather goods. To re-solidify its rank as a top contender in the category, the brand brought on creative director Stuart Vevers in 2013. Cut to 2019, when Coach debuted its envelope-flap Tabby Bag—now a favorite of Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez—rendering it in pillowed leather, shearling, glitter jelly, and endless other fabrications, and its cool-girl renaissance began.

The Marie Claire team can personally attest to the well-earned buzz about Coach's designer handbags. Walk into our New York HQ on any given workday, and you'll see one editor run out the door with Coach’s Empire in hand, while another arrives with a Brooklyn bag on her shoulder, her 13-inch laptop safely tucked inside. If the online chatter and celebrity co-signs weren't enough, take it from us: For every viral Instagram Reel you watch or new It girl you see joining the Coach fan club, just know that the hype is real.

Ahead, we spotlight our top eight picks for the best Coach bags, backed by editor reviews, A-list stamps of approval, and more.

A Quick Look at the Best Coach Bags

• The Perfect Work Bag: Coach, Brooklyn Bag, $295
• The New Cult-Classic: Coach, Tabby Bag, $350
• The Viral Sensation: Coach, Empire 34 Leather Carryall Bag, $450
• Best Daily Purse: Coach, Plaza Bag, $125
• The Gen Z Staple: Coach, Ergo Bag, $137.50
• Best Shoulder Bag: Coach, Lana Bag, $495
• The Go-To Party Bag: Coach, Terri Bag, $199
• Best Throwback Style: Coach, Swing Bag, $325

The Brooklyn Bag

Appearing on Coach's Fall 2024 runway and officially launched in August 2024, Coach's Brooklyn Bag is made of slouchy, natural-grain leather and offered in two sizes—the smaller 28 and the generous 39, which can fit a 15-inch laptop. Bella Hadid religiously carries the leather tote, and two years since its launch, the bag continues to go capital-V viral on TikTok, with millions upon millions of views.

Marie Claire's fashion e-commerce editor, Julia Marzovilla, owns Coach's Brooklyn 39 and praises it as a perfect work bag. "One of my new favorite totes," she says, "it's lightweight and large enough to hold a laptop, a makeup bag, a change of clothes, and more." Marzovilla also notes that the large tote bag isn't too big—it's just right: "I’m 5’2, and I don’t find the larger silhouette overwhelming on my frame."

The Tabby Bag

Launched in Spring 2019 and recognizable by its signature "C" hardware, elongated east-west bag silhouette, and envelope flap, Coach's Tabby is one of the brand's foremost hero styles. It comes in various iterations, each with subtle design tweaks. Think: Compact shoulder bags, chain wristlets, and micro-sized crossbodies.

The Tabby has become a consistent favorite among Coach fans, including Ashlyn Delaney, associate social editor at Marie Claire. "I'm obsessed with this bag, and that's not an exaggeration! My Tabby, which I had customized with Coach bag charms, is truly a timeless piece that I know I'll cherish in my wardrobe for years to come," she says. "It's the ultimate LBB, little black bag—not only is it incredibly stylish, but its versatile shape makes it the perfect accessory for any occasion."

The Empire Bag

After debuting on Coach's Fall 2024 runway, the Empire Carryall 40 quickly became a must-have bag for both fashion insiders and the general public. Coach has since expanded its Empire collection to include an elongated East-West bag, introduced on its Fall 2025 runway, and a supersized weekender bag known as the 48. Each features glove-tanned, natural grain leather for a vintage, worn-in appearance, adjustable gusset straps, and reinforced handle anchors for enhanced security.

Like countless others, Marie Claire beauty writer Ariel Baker was inspired to buy the Empire 40 carry-all after falling down a TikTok rabbit hole. “I’ve never impulsively spent $700 on a bag before, but TikTok was spot-on this time. I got the Empire 40 in Maple and have been using it daily as my work bag," she says. "I'm not one to baby my purses, so my Empire has been stuffed into corners, tossed onto the floor—you name it, this bag has been through it. Still, it only seems to improve with time. The leather is perfectly slouchy and worn in. With a few minor exceptions, there are hardly any scratches on the bag, and the best part is, the handles are intact."

The Plaza Bag

Meet the Plaza, which debuted in 2024 as a reimagined take on a similar style from 1988. At 8.25 by 4.75 inches, she's small but mighty. The Plaza is the most compact of Coach's trending bags, but the one-compartment purse has room for your daily essentials, including a phone, wallet, keys, and a spare tube of lip gloss. Plus, it converts to a wristlet, making it ideal for concerts and other activities where you want to be as hands-free as possible.

The Ergo Bag

Another factor in Coach becoming a 2025 power player was the launch of Coachtopia, a sub-brand of accessories and apparel designed with sustainability and circularity top of mind. Coachtopia's Ergo—a bag beloved by Gen Z's arbiter of cool, Olivia Rodrigo—is made with 50 percent recycled leather fibers from scraps and is known for its playful, eclectic prints.

Sadie Bell, Marie Claire's senior culture editor, can't say enough good things about the cutesy handbag. "I grew up borrowing (stealing) my mom's classic leather Coach bags and then began thrifting them. But I've come to prefer a bag that's a bit more playful," Enter the Ergo, which she owns in white, cloud-printed Coachtopia leather. "It's cute, fun, has a striking sheen, and I love that it's still small but has a strap that's large enough to fit over my shoulder and that the leather gives so you can stuff quite a bit in there," she says. "It's the perfect little bag that pairs well with most any outfit and makes me feel on cloud nine."

The Lana Bag

The Lana is another TikTok favorite, with countless users raving about the pebble leather shoulder bag as a fantastic in-office option that accommodates their laptop, lunch, and more. (Some TikTok users are even repurposing the handbag as a stylish diaper bag.) While she's relatively small, the Lana certainly packs a punch; the slouchy yet sturdy bag is available in a standard size of 16 inches by 11 inches, and a smaller 5.5-inch by 8.75-inch version called the 23. It also includes a central zip compartment, two side pockets for organized storage, and four protective feet to keep the bottom of the bag secure.

The Teri Bag

With a length of 9.5 inches and a detachable strap, Coach's Teri is the ideal going-out bag. It's small but mighty, meaning it won't be too bulky at a house party or bar but still has room for your essentials (phone, keys, wallet, lip balm). The brand offers its zip-top, pebble leather Teri shoulder bag in 13 colors, most of which pull from a minimal, '90s-inspired palette—think: jet black, chocolate brown, and gunmetal. However, those who like the loud luxury look will be pleased to see that Coach does offer the Teri in its signature canvas "C" print, too.

The Swing Bag

Last but not least: Coach's Swing bag is a reinterpretation of a 1998 design that combines vintage appeal with modern sensibility. Its movement-friendly name comes from the 10-inch to 12.5-inch straps, which position the base of the bag snugly against the wearer's elbow and side body. The Swing, also available in a smaller 20 size, is the bag to choose if you love the look of a vintage Coach bag but lack the time to thrift or search on eBay.

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