MacBook Air shells and sleeves Review | Macworld
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`MacBook Air shells and sleeves
`
`by Dan Frakes, Macworld.com Aug 8, 2008 4:44 pm
`
`A big appeal—perhaps the biggest appeal—of the MacBook Air is its size and weight: at just three
`pounds and thin as can be, it slides into places most other laptops can’t fit, letting you bring a laptop
`without adding much to your load. At the same time, while the Air’s size—and, let’s face it, looks—may
`tempt you to carry it by itself, chances are you want to give it at least a modicum of protection.
`
`Among the most-popular types of laptop protection—especially for
`the MacBook Air—are sleeves and shells: slip-on or snap-on
`covers designed to hold just the laptop, either for protection when
`carrying the computer by itself or for throwing it inside a larger bag
`or a suitcase. I’ve been testing several of these models for the
`MacBook Air; here’s a quick rundown on each. One drawback to
`such cases worth mentioning up front is that they add a bit of
`weight and bulk to your laptop. That’s to be expected, but when
`you’re talking about a laptop as light and thin as the MacBook Air,
`such additions are disproportionately noticeable.
`
`Hard shells
`A while back I covered several hard shells, polycarbonate covers
`that snap onto your laptop—a top piece for the laptop’s screen and
`a bottom piece for the body of the laptop—and stay there, offering
`excellent all-the-time protection from scratches, as well as
`moderate protection against dents and dings. I got a chance to try
`two such cases for the MacBook Air, and both work well. As I
`mentioned last year, you need to thoroughly clean both your Air
`and the interior of the shell before putting on the shell—and
`periodically remove the shell and brush out any dust and dirt that’s
`gotten inside—in order to prevent such debris from scratching your
`laptop. There’s also another potential drawback: heat. Although
`both of these shells keep the Air’s cooling vents unobstructed, I
`found that the Air still got noticeably warmer when inside.
`
`COMPLETE COVERAGE
`
`C.E.O. Envi for MacBook
`Air »
`
`Executive Sleeve for the
`MacBook Air »
`
`MacBook Air Shield »
`
`Orion Sleeve Case for
`Apple MacBook Air »
`
`SeeThru Slim Hard Shell
`Case For MacBook Air »
`
`Steve Sleeve »
`
`SIMILAR ARTICLES
`
`More MacBook Air (11-
`inch) bags, cases, and
`sleeves
`
`Review: MacBook Air
`(first-generation)
`
`MacBook Air (11-inch)
`bags and sleeves
`
`Speck’s $50 SeeThru SeeThru
`Slim Hard Shell Case For
`MacBook Air (
`) is, as its
`name describes, transparent,
`although it’s available in five see-
`through colors: clear, pink, smoke
`(gray), cranberry (red), and purple.
`An included microfiber cloth is
`useful for cleaning your laptop and the SeeThru before installation. Openings in the case provide access
`
`Sleeves in Brief: Soft
`covers and hard shells
`
`MacBook Pro (COLOR)
`RED
`
`Even more 11-inch
`MacBook Air bags, cases,
`and sleeves
`
`https://web.archive.org/web/20120403022106/https://www.macworld.com/article/1134919/airshellsleeve.html[1/27/2021 12:45:22 PM]
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`MacBook Air shells and sleeves Review | Macworld
`
`to the Air’s MagSafe connector on the left and the USB, video, and audio ports on the right. Vent holes
`on the bottom align with the Air’s own vents. There are also four large feet on the bottom of the case,
`although they don’t grip smooth surfaces as well as the Air’s own feet. A nice touch is four silicone
`“nubs” inside each piece of the shell that keep it from resting directly on the laptop; this helps prevent the
`dirt-scratch issue I mentioned above, although because the shell flexes, it still comes in contact with your
`laptop’s surfaces during use. The SeeThru adds about 0.25 inches to the Air’s thickness and
`approximately 13 ounces to its weight. It fits securely but is easy to remove.
`
`I’ve long been a fan of Agent 18’s iPod cases, so I was looking forward
`to the company’s $50 MacBook Air Shield (
`). The Shield takes
`a slightly different design approach than the SeeThru: instead of being
`transparent, the Shield is opaque black or white on the bottom with a
`“framed” look on top: a matching opaque border with a clear window in
`the middle that shows off the Air’s Apple logo. The Shield fits securely,
`offers access to all ports, and adds the same 0.25 inches of thickness as
`the SeeThru, but an additional ounce—14 in total—of weight.
`
`There are two other things worth noting about the Shield. First, the
`bottom of the case, presumably in the interest of better cooling, leaves a
`large section of the MacBook Air’s underside exposed. Between this
`opening and larger feet on the bottom of the Shield, my Air didn’t get quite as warm inside the Shield as
`it did in the SeeThru, but if the idea of a shell is all-over protection, some people may object to this
`tradeoff. Second, the Shield’s top piece was heavier than that of the SeeThru by about 1.5 ounces, and
`this was just enough difference that my Air’s screen would occasionally flop backwards from the weight
`of the shell. It didn’t happen all the time, but often enough for me to notice.
`
`Soft sleeves
`If you don’t need always-on protection, a soft sleeve helps protect your laptop from scratches and keeps
`out dirt and dust while you’re carrying it around—on its own or inside another bag. While my roundup of
`sleeves for the MacBook and MacBook Air was heavy on padded neoprene sleeves, the sleeves I’ve
`been testing for the Air skew leather, with one exception.
`
`Incipio’s $40 Orion Sleeve Case for Apple MacBook Air (
`) is
`a slip-in case made of synthetic leather with a soft, microsuede lining.
`Available in black, gray, red, orange, green, pink, creme, or white, the
`Orion weighs less than 7 ounces and is approximately 0.25 inches thick
`in total. The Orion feels well-made and looks nice, although because it
`doesn’t have a lid or flap, your MacBook Air isn’t completely protected.
`In fact, as you can see in the image here, the sides of the sleeve bow
`outwards a bit when your Air is inside, and cut-outs in the sleeve
`designed to make it easier to remove your laptop leave small portions of your Air unprotected. As such,
`the Orion seems most-appropriate for carrying your Air inside another protective bag or for “casual
`transport”—for example, toting it between meetings at the office.
`
`Marware’s $90 C.E.O. Envi for MacBook Air
` plays on Apple’s
`“fits in an envelope” theme for the Air, offering a fully-enclosed sleeve
`that looks like a black-leather envelope. Made of real leather, the sleeve
`is semi-rigid to offer a little—but not much—impact protection, and is
`lined with soft fabric. Light-gray stitching adds to the Envi’s attractive
`appearance, and a magnetic closure secures the sleeve’s top panel. The
`Envi fit my MacBook Air well and looked great, although it does add
`about 10.5 ounces and half an inch of thickness to your laptop load. As
`you might expect from smooth leather, the sleeve itself picks up scuffs
`and scratches easily.
`
`Sena’s $200 Executive Sleeve for the
`MacBook Air
` is a step (or two)
`up the luxury ladder from Marware’s offering. Made of full-grain, black or
`brown Italian Napa leather, the Executive Sleeve is more of a high-end
`portfolio for your MacBook Air than a traditional sleeve. The leather is
`indeed of high quality, the inside surfaces are lined with velvet to avoid
`scratching your laptop, and the stitching and workmanship—Sena calls
`the Sleeve “hand-crafted”—are impressive. The chrome-finish, magnetic
`closures are quite secure, and as with the Envi, the sides of the sleeve
`are semi-rigid for a bit of additional protection. Although the Executive
`
`https://web.archive.org/web/20120403022106/https://www.macworld.com/article/1134919/airshellsleeve.html[1/27/2021 12:45:22 PM]
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`MacBook Air shells and sleeves Review | Macworld
`
`Sleeve is expensive, those in the market for a high-end business accessory are likely to be unfazed. On
`the downside, this is the bulkiest of the sleeves I tested, adding 15 ounces of weight and 0.75 inches of
`thickness to your Air. The Sleeve also adds over an inch of width and depth because of its tapered
`edges.
`
`Finally, if you’re not into leather, at the opposite end of the materials
`spectrum lies Timbuk2’s $50 Steve Sleeve
`. Essentially a fabric
`sleeve—designed to look exactly like a manilla envelope, down to the
`string closure on the back—for protecting your Air against scratches, the
`Steve Sleeve’s appeal is its low environmental impact: The tough outer
`material and the two buttons for wrapping the closure string are made entirely from recycled plastic
`bottles (PET); the soft inner lining, made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), is biodegradable; and the
`seams are welded using non-toxic glue. The front of the sleeve features a subtle Timbuk2 logo. My
`MacBook Air fit perfectly inside without being difficult to remove. The negatives? The edges of the
`“envelope flap” on the back tended to curl up rather than lay flat after some use; and given that the Steve
`Sleeve offers minimal protection against anything but scratches, you pay a pretty penny for its design
`and for helping the environment.
`
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