The best slim cases & sleeves for laptops

laptop bag

There are many stylish laptop sleeves on the market, but there are a few things to take into account when purchasing one.

If you’re only looking for style, then hand craftsmanship can be important, along with premium materials. If you’re looking for pure functionality, then value can be important as the price doesn’t always reflect how well it will protect the laptop inside. This is a look at the best laptop cases and laptop sleeves on the market, for both fashionistas and for frugal functionality.

Harber London

Harber London produces some of the most elegant, well crafted laptop sleeves on the market. It’s a fashion article as much as it is a laptop sleeve; yet don’t mistake it for being impractical – as it will still protect your laptop from scratches and small dents. Ranging from iPhone cases to iPads and MacBook sleeves, the range is predominantly focused on providing high-end handcrafted craftsmanship to protect your Apple devices. The Leather MacBook sleeve is a good example. Priced at £ 69, the design is slim so there’s little bulk despite there being a front pocket for phones, notepads and cords. The sleeve itself is dense wool felt, making the Spanish-crafted case dynamic in design. Harbor Lonon’s stylish laptop sleeves are customizable to fit any MacBook, and all have a 1 year warranty, 30 days returns and worldwide shipping.

Thule

On the other end of the laptop case spectrum is something a little less pretty. Outdoors company Thule have produced what is considered to be the safest case on the market. The Thule Gauntlet 3 is an extremely functional, tough case whose priority is absolutely protecting the laptop inside. It does this by having a hard exterior which has very little give upon being dropped or squashed. Inside is dense foam that is designed to protect the laptop, ensuring sturdiness and durability. The case is surprisingly light. Perhaps its best feature is that it doesn’t need to be taken off or removed when using the laptop. Instead, it simply flips up, so the outside of the laptop is still protected even when in use. Like with most laptop cases, this is designed for the MacBook, but you could possibly fit other brands inside.

EveCase

EveCase are extremely popular among those who have been in the market for a laptop sleeve. It’s biggest asset is its value for money. Being priced at only £ 11.99 on Amazon, the EveCase is super cheap. It’s highly compatible, as they actually state many of the laptops that it fit (many other brands only state the Apple products that will fit). Among those that are compatible are: MacBooks, MacBook Air, Samsung Chromebook, Samsung TablePro, HP Stream 11. Among the cool laptop sleeves, this has to be up there. It’s design is a black diamond-esque padded foam exterior, constructed in a sleek way. The material protection is relatively thick, with soft foam lining. The case has little excess material, meaning it can easily be stored and carried in a backpack or briefcase unlike the Thule. The case is stated as being not only shock-absorbent, but water-resistant too. This is an incredible amount of value for £ 11.99.

AmazonBasics

Amazon are beginning to leverage their presence in the market by providing customers some of their “own brand” stuff. Focusing on price and value, the Amazon Basics case is £ 10.49 and comes in 3 sizes; 11, 13 and 15 inch. The sleeve is black, with no real design going on. This is perfect for some, who just want a minimal, affordable sleeve. Like the EveCase, this sleeve will protect from only minor impacts and scratches, and wouldn’t endure being crushed with a heavy object unlike the Thule. There is 360-degrees of protection, though, and the smooth zipper offers a nice user experience. There are now 5 colors to choose from (black, gray, light blue, navy and purple.

The main issue with this and the EveCase alike is the lack of functionality regarding cables. Most people carry around their charger and phone when using a case, and being a laptop sleeve instead of a laptop case doesn’t mean you can neglect this. It would be useful, and take little extra room, for a pocket to be designed on the outside of these sleeves.

As we can see from above, there is no single best laptop. It simply depends on what you’re looking for. Harbor London is as good as they come for a leather laptop sleeve in terms of design and craftsmanship. If you only care about protection, then the Thule is perhaps the ultimate choice. Likewise the EveCase offers some style (but far from being premium), and some (arguably enough) protection, but for an incredibly cheap price.