If you're choosing between the Emery Astrid Tote and the Grams28 185 Tote Bag, know first that they're different sizes. The 185 is a large vertical tote: 23 litres, 43.5 cm tall, 1.8 kg, with a padded slot for a 16-inch laptop, bottle and eyewear slots and a luggage pass-through. The Astrid is an everyday tote with its own 13-inch laptop compartment, weighs 1 kg, costs AED 409 less than the 185's sale price, and comes with a lifetime warranty, 100 days to return or exchange it and free delivery across the GCC.
Emery wrote this page and we make the Astrid, so we're not neutral. Everything about Grams28 below comes from its own website, checked on 25 October 2026, and we've included where Grams28 comes out ahead.
Side by side
| Emery Astrid Tote | Grams28 185 Tote Bag | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (UAE) | AED 1,590 | Dhs. 1,999.20 on sale (Dhs. 2,499 full price) |
| Size | Everyday tote | Large: 38 × 43.5 × 14 cm, 23 L |
| Weight | 1 kg | 1800 g |
| Laptop | 13-inch, in its own compartment | 16" MacBook Pro, padded slot |
| Leather | Vegetable-tanned full-grain calf, LWG-certified tanneries | "Italian Pebbled Bovine Leather" (suede on Navy), Gruppo Mastrotto tannery, LWG certification |
| Lining | Lined interior | Not stated |
| Pockets | Laptop compartment, large zip compartment, 3 small inside pockets, outside slit pocket | Tiered inside pockets, eyewear slot, water-bottle slots |
| Closure | Not stated | Magnetic snaps |
| Carry | Long shoulder straps | Luggage pass-through for a suitcase handle |
| Hardware | Brass zip | Not stated |
| Colours | Camel, Black | Black, Navy |
| See it in a store | Online only | Stockists: Level Shoes (Dubai Mall), CVRGRM (Abu Dhabi), Harvey Nichols (Riyadh, Kuwait) |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime on bags, for functional damage and defects; leather replacement quoted at a cost; shipping not covered |
| Returns | 100 days to return or exchange | 30 days, unused with tags; you pay return shipping |
| Delivery | Free across the GCC | "Free, Fast Shipping"; express 2–7 working days, standard 7–15; UAE duties and taxes settled with FedEx on delivery |
Prices and terms as published on 25 October 2026. The Grams28 price is a banner sale ("Autumn Reset") and may end. Check both sites for the latest.
Where Grams28 is ahead
The 185 carries far more. At 23 litres it takes a 16-inch laptop in a padded slot, an iPad Pro, chargers, a water bottle and your sunglasses, each with its own place. Magnetic snaps close the top, and the luggage pass-through lets it ride on a suitcase handle when you fly. Grams28 publishes its size, weight and capacity, names its tannery, Gruppo Mastrotto, and its leather is LWG-certified. The navy version uses suede. You can also see Grams28 at stockists in Dubai Mall, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Kuwait.
Where Emery is ahead
If you don't need that much room, the Astrid is the lighter, smaller everyday bag: 1 kg against 1.8 kg, with its own 13-inch laptop compartment, a large zip compartment and three small inside pockets. It costs AED 409 less than the 185's sale price and AED 909 less than its full price. It's vegetable-tanned full-grain calf from LWG-certified tanneries, with a lined interior and a brass zip. Grams28 describes the 185's leather as pebbled bovine leather, a textured finish.
Both totes come with a lifetime warranty. Grams28 says it charges for replacement leather pieces and doesn't cover shipping for repairs. Emery gives you 100 days to return or exchange the Astrid. Grams28 gives 30 days from delivery, and you pay the return shipping. Its returns page says that cost comes off the refund. Its separate refund-policy page says refunds are made "less 10% for fees/expenses", and that Grams28 pays return shipping on defective items. Emery delivers free across the GCC. Grams28's shipping page says UAE customers settle duties and taxes with FedEx on delivery.
Which should you choose?
Choose Grams28 if you carry a 16-inch laptop, a tablet and a bottle every day, travel often, and want a big tote with a place for everything.
Choose Emery if you carry a 13-inch laptop and want a lighter everyday tote in vegetable-tanned full-grain leather, with a lifetime warranty and 100 days to return or exchange, for less.
See the Astrid Tote and all women's totes, or compare it with Kaizer's Au Fait tote.
Quick answers
Which tote is bigger? The Grams28 185 is much bigger: 38 × 43.5 × 14 cm, 23 litres, 1800 g, for a 16-inch laptop. The Emery Astrid is an everyday tote for a 13-inch laptop, weighing 1 kg (October 2026).
Which is cheaper? The Emery Astrid is AED 1,590. The Grams28 185 was Dhs. 1,999.20 on sale, Dhs. 2,499 full price (25 October 2026).
Do both have a lifetime warranty? Yes. Grams28's lifetime warranty covers its bags. Emery's warranty on the Astrid is lifetime.
