The perfect bag or case for your laptop can complete any look, and give you the professional or casual vibe that you're going for. Express yourself with a briefcase, messenger bag, backpack, tote or laptop sleeve that sends the message you want to give the world.
As I mentioned back when, we see more laptop products than we can possibly cover in depth. That’s especially the case when it comes to laptop protection, so this week I’m going to speed through a slew of laptop sleeves and give you my quick impressions. (I’m defining “sleeve” here to be a compact case designed to hold just a laptop—either for protection when carrying the laptop around by itself, or for throwing the computer inside a larger bag or a suitcase.) Today I talk about some soft covers and hard shells; on Wednesday, I’ll cover a few leather jackets and rigid cases. Soft covers Back when I had a PowerBook Duo, neoprene “skin” sleeves were quite popular.
They protected laptops against scratches and scuffs—although not against anything worse than a minor bump—and some even let you use your laptop without removing the sleeve. Nowadays, most laptops run too hot to be used in a sleeve; on the other hand, today’s sleeves are quite a bit more rugged, made of materials that offer decent shock protection, as well. The various LArobes are also among the most attractive and protective soft sleeves I’ve seen, thanks to a wide range of available colors, stylish trim, and impressive attention to detail. For example, the zipper is color matched, and the zipper pulls are wide and easy to grab. On the inside of the sleeve, each seam serves dual duty as a thick, padded lip that offers additional shock protection for the edges of your laptop (as well as a bumper between your laptop and the sleeve’s zipper). Unlike the other two sleeves below, the LArobe is truly a sleeve: when unzipped, only the top third or so of your laptop is exposed to allow you to slide the computer in and out of the case.
The LArobe doesn’t fit like a snug glove; there’s a bit of room—half an inch or so, vertically and horizontally—for your laptop to move around inside. But I was impressed by the LArobe, both aesthetically and functionally. If you just need mild protection when sticking your laptop inside another bag, this is a good bet.
(The LArobe is available in sizes for all MacBook Pros, MacBooks, and PowerBook G4s, as well as 12-inch and 14-inch iBooks.). Although it sounds convenient, there are three drawbacks to this approach. The first is that, given how hot today’s notebooks get, surrounding them in a sleeve while they’re in use certainly won’t help with heat dissipation. The second is that on laptops with a front-ejecting optical drive, the elastic straps actually block the drive; you’ll need to unfasten the front-right corner of the sleeve in order to use the drive. Finally, I wasn’t able to get a MacBook Pro or a MacBook to close properly with these elastic straps in place.
Thanks to those issues, I recommend using the Skinbook as a standard sleeve; but if you’re going to do that, I found the LArobe and BookCase sleeves to be more attractive, more protective, and better-fitting for the same or lower prices. Hard shells A couple vendors have released snap-on polycarbonate shells that protect your laptop from scratches; some are clear, whereas others let you “change” the color of your computer.
Having used one of these shells on my own laptop since last fall, I can tell you that they work well, although there are two potential risks. The first is that you need to be sure to clean your laptop and the interior of the shell before putting on the shell, and you should periodically remove the shell and brush out any dust and dirt that finds its way underneath. If you don’t, that debris can actually scratch your laptop; in fact, because it’s pressed between your laptop and the shell, it can do more damage that if the shell wasn’t on. Second, be careful not to open your laptop screen too forcefully. The top piece of these shells clips onto your laptop’s screen and effectively makes it thicker; when you open the screen fully, the base of the screen is therefore coming into contact with the bottom of the laptop sooner than normal and putting additional pressure on the screen’s hinge. I haven’t seen any actual damage due to this design—again, common to every shell I’ve seen—but it does make me nervous.
Cute laptop sleeve cases to protect your laptop from dust and scrapes! Our goal is to create one of a kind laptop sleeve cases for Apple MacBooks, iPads and custom fit gadget cases for your Kindle, iPad Pro, Air, Mini, Surface, 11' to 15.6' Laptops and Chromebook computers. FAQ: All items are handmade to order from our home in the USA. We specialize in cute iPad sleeves, Kindle covers and padded laptop sleeves for the 11.6', 13.3', 15.4' MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and new 12 inch MacBook. Many styles are custom fit for any gadget size.
We also make eReader and tablet sleeves for any Kindle, Amazon Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Kobo and other Android tablets and phones. Please convo us for a quote! Will you be making other custom laptop sleeves? Yes, but please note custom sizes may take longer and are non-returnable (unless we've made a mistake!). Any Bertie's Closet coupon or promo codes? Connect with our Facebook page for specials and news. Enjoy your visit in our store - where cute meets function!
Contact: bertiescloset !at gmail.com. Bertie's Closet - where cute meets function! Bertie's Closet opened in 2009 and we're thankful to be still sewing handmade crafts from a small corner of our home in the USA.
We make handmade laptop sleeves, iPad cases, Kindle covers, and other gadget accessories. After perking up in the morning with freshly ground coffee or kale blueberry smoothies, we spend our days crafting, sewing, answering messages, and packaging with a handmade tag or handwritten thank you whenever possible. Everything is made to order and it usually takes 2-5 days before shipment though we do our best to ship everything out sooner. We love to write gift notes and ship worldwide. Thanks so much for your visit and supporting our small shop!
FAQ: Our button string closure sleeve cases can be customized for any iPad, MacBook, laptop and most other devices. If you don't see the right size for your gadget, please convo us for a quote! Need help selecting your MacBook size? Please check the following dimensions. 13' MacBook Air (2018+, Retina, ID): 11.97' x 8.36' x 0.16-0.61'. 13' MacBook Pro (2016+, Touchbar): 11.97' x 8.36' x 0.59'.
13' MacBook Air (old, a1466): 12.8' x 8.94' x 0.68'. 13' MB Pro Retina (2012-2015): 12.35' x 8.62' x 0.71'.
13' MB Pro CDROM, NON-Retina: 12.8' x 8.94' x 0.95'. 11' MacBook Air: 11.8' x 7.56 x 0.68'. 12” MacBook: 11.04' x 7.74' x 0.52'. 15' MacBook Pro (2016-2018, Touchbar): 13.75' x 9.48' x 0.61'. 15' MB Pro Retina (2012-2015): 14.13' x 9.73' x 0.71'. 15' MB Pro CDROM, NON-Retina:14.35' x 9.82' x 0.95'.