The Hermes Herbag Zip 31, All The Details

The Hermès Herbag Zip 31 is one of the most classic pieces that the fashion house has created. A bag that is both extremely versatile and as expected featuring the highest quality of materials.

The Herbag is actually known as the sister of the ‘Kelly Bag’ and was once known as the ‘Country Kelly’ before it was discontinued in the early 00s and relaunched as the Herbag Zip in 2009. Both the Herbag and the Kelly have a similar shape with a wide base, narrowing towards the top. 

The Materials

The Hermes Herbag is primarily made of canvas, for some that might be off-putting. Let us tell you that the quality of the canvas is strong and long lasting. You won’t need to have the fear of getting a deep scratch across your epsom leather Mini Kelly. The hand part of the bag is made from a very smooth high quality cow hide. 

Hermes use either Officier canvas or Berline Canvas. The difference is hard to see from afar, but noticeable when you look closely. The Officer canvas is slightly less expensive with a much smoother feel and finer grains. On the other hand the Berline Canvas is more grainer but it has a higher level of water resistance. The Berline leather is also much easier to clean and remove any marks. 

The Design

The design as described above is made from Cavas and Cowhide. On the front the closure is made from either Gold Plated hardware or Palladium plated hardware. The Herbag features a long strap for either shoulder or cross body use, as well as a top handle for hand carry. On the back of the bag there is a pocket that can be used to store documents that you need to get to more conveniently. 

So we’ve covered the outside, on the inside you find a bag with an incredible amount of space to fit all of your items, it can even fit a MacBook Pro 13”, making it perfect for a travel or work bag too. Hermes also provides a detachable small pouch inside which you can use as a separate document pouch or to put cash and other small items inside. 

The Price 

The price of the Herbag has of course risen as part of the Hermes annual price increases. However, it is still one of their most reasonable priced leather goods, notability as it is primarily made of high quality canvas. 

For 2022 the Herbag retails at the following: 

Herbag 31 Officer Canvas : £2120

Herbag 31 Berline Canvas : £2220

Herbag 39 Officer Canvas : £2280

Herbag 39 Berline Canvas : £2360

Herbag 50 Cabine Verso : £2930

Herbag 50 Weekend Verso : £3080

Should you buy one?

The Herbag if you are new to Hermes is not part of the 2 or 3 bag quota system that applies for the Kelly or Birkin. This is an additional allowance, so it’s a great investment if you do not have one. We think the Herbag is just a great versatile everyday bag that you can use daily without the fear of it getting scratched. If you go with the Berline leather then it’s easy to clean and wipe away any dirt, do note the Herbag comes without feet. 

If you don’t have one, you should add one to your collection. You’ll find yourself using it all the time.