Wide Sleeve: WaterField Designs 13" MacBook SleeveCase Pros: Quality Construction; Piggyback Option is Quite Handy; Understated Chic Design; Exemplary Service & Support Cons: Fully Tricked-Out, This is a $94 Sleeve. In Sum: Simple Sleeve or Sleek Shoulder Bag - WaterField Means Quality Pricing: $39 (sleeve only), $94 (as tested) More Info: WaterField Designs, sfbags.com

by Noah Kravitz, Reviews Editor

26 June 2006

The Classic Sleeve, Resized For the New Macs

Several years ago I had the good fortune to be introduced to WaterField Designs' laptop sleeves by the salesman at TekServe who sold me my TiBook. I still remember the line he used to sell me on the case: "If you were buying a Stradivarius, you'd get the case too, right? You're buying a $2,000 computer; buy the sleeve." Ever since then, I've been sold on WaterField's cases and sleeves. They're functional, durable, and stylish in a minimalist kind of way - the kind of thing you could give as a gift to most any laptop user and they'd love it, no matter their personal style.

The folks at WaterField - and believe you me, they're good people - sent us their newly redesigned laptop sleeves made to fit the 13" MacBook series of laptops. Included in the post box was a vertical sleeve fitted with the optional front flaps, a horizontal sleeve (flapless), one suspension strap, and one vertical piggyback accessory bag. I've been using a WaterField Sleeve with my iBook G4 for a few years now, but that didn't stop me from borrowing a MacBook and putting the new sleeves through their paces. You never know how things may change from year to year...

WaterField's SleeveCases have changed ever so slightly, but only for the better. These are still high quality laptop sleeves worthy of the Stradivarius comparison. The main difference between that sleeve I bought in 2001 and these new ones is the addition of a rear-panel document pocket for easy storage and access to papers or a manual or magazine. Otherwise, they're still quality and still customizable so your sleeve can be a sleeve or be a full-on shoulder bag complete with clip-on accessory pouch.

Vertical? Horizontal? Choices, Choices.
WaterField's SleeveCases are constructed from a custom-made, domestically produced ballistic nylon exterior backed by 6mm of neoprene and trimmed with Indium and an inch of nylon webbing at the bottom for you to better grip by while extracting your Mac from its sleeve. The SleeveCases are black with said Indium trim done up in WaterField's trademark lead (silver) and black checkerboard pattern and and orange, white, and baby blue "WF" logo on the webbed nylon velcro closure. The style is understated cool, flexible enough to please boardroom CEOs and skateboard-designer punk rockers alike.

The basic SleeveCase is well-designed and padded enough to protect your MacBook but slim enough to slip into a bag without adding too much bulk. The sleeves are designed to fit neatly into WaterField's line of larger bags (The Cargo, Cozmo, and Vertigo are all available in bundles with a SleeveCase) but also can be secure and slipped into any bag you might have. The SleeveCase provides ample protection to keep your MacBook safe from scratches, bumps, and dings either inside of another bag or simply tucked under your arm. At $39, WaterField Design's SleeveCase is pricier than some other sleeves, but better made than them, as well.

For a little extra money, WaterField will outfit your SleeveCase with a number of options. The $15 front flap turns the one inch-wide webbed nylon closure strap into a full-on flap that will keep dust, paper clips, and the like away from your Mac. Neat freaks can probably do without the flap, but folks like me who tend to throw everything and then some into their shoulder bags will likely think fifteen dollars well worth the added protection the front flap offers. A word of advice: If you don't want the flap, go with the horizontal sleeve so the left and right side ports on your MacBook are protected from the "elements" lurking inside your shoulder bag.

An additional $12-18 will get you a shoulder strap and metal D-rings affixed to your SleeveCase. Freelancers who tend to turn the local coffeehouse into a "home office" will appreciate the sleek portability of a shoulder-slung SleeveCase, and while the suspension strap is certainly more comfy to carry, the cheaper standard-issue shoulder strap also gets the job done. Another $22 will get you the Piggyback, a clip-on accessory bag large enough to hold your AC adapter and a few other diminutive goodies like a wallet and cell phone or earphones and a 2.5" hard drive. While the Piggyback costs half as much again as the SleeveCase itself, it's well worth it if you think you'll use the sleeve as a standalone laptop bag. I regularly throw my SleeveCased iBook over my shoulder with an AC pack, earphones, and cell phone in the Piggyback. That plus a few dollars in my pocket gets me an afternoon's worth of Coffee and WiFi at the local cafe without all of the needless distractions I'd wind up throwing into a larger bag.

Good to Go
WaterField Designs is one of the first accessory makers to introduce a custom-fit MacBook bag to the Apple gear market. That alone would make the MacBook SleeveCase worth a look for any owner of a shiny new MacBook. However, it's Waterfield's history of quality products made stylish at reasonable prices that's really worth your attention. Between the myriad options they offer and their second-to-none customer service (including a lifetime warranty), Waterfield represents one of the best options available to the Mac or iPod owner in need of a case for his precious cargo. The new MacBook SleeveCases uphold WaterField's fine tradition in typically superlative style.

The 13" MacBook SleeveCase in horizontal or vertical orientation sells for $39, and add-on options range from $5-22, and shipping is extra. The sleeves, along with the rest of WaterField Design's sleeves, bags, and pouches, are available direct from WaterField Design's website.

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