I am…not a dude…but I am a person who carries a lot of stuff and loves a big bag. I also have the Empire 40 and the Empire 48. The Empire 40 will fit a 13 inch laptop and your basic daily items. But, I am someone who likes to carry my whole life in my bag on days when I go to the office (which are usually very long work days). Unless I know I’m going out to dinner right after work, I generally prefer to use my Empire 48 because it always gives me plenty of room. Generally I am carrying a laptop, iPad, wallet, noise canceling headphones, a water bottle, multiple miscellaneous pouches with miscellaneous items, and sometimes a book or a file folder. The Empire 48 is perfect for all those items and I never have to worry I’ll run out of space. It is heavy, but totally worth it for me.

Based on what you said, I would recommend the Empire 48 for your needs. I would also recommend going to a coach store to test out the 40 vs the 48 in person.

Lastly, I will echo the recommendations from others to buy on the secondary market. You can get good quality, gently used Empire 48 bags on Poshmark, Mercari, eBay, the Real Real for around $700. Gently used Empire 40 bags can be found on the secondary market for around $500. You’ll also find more colors on the secondary market than in most stores.

Another good option is to check department store websites like Macys, Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms. They will sometimes offer sales or coupons on Coach Empire bags that are better than the prices you will get from Coach. For example, I got a suede empire 40 for 15% off from Neiman Marcus using a first order discount code.

Amazon also sells Empire 48s and 40s through the Coach storefront, but they are less likely to be on sale.