Putting a case on a MacBook Air can seem counterintuitive. You buy the computer for its sleekness, so why add bulk? Of course, some people want to protect against clumsiness; others like the style. Regardless, we've decided to test five popular MacBook Air cases to see how they stack up.
Speck's SeeThru Satin
Speck does one thing, and it does it well: gadget protection. It's no secret I've been a fan of its utilitarian iPhone wallet case, and without surprise I've similarly taken a liking to its no-frills MacBook Air case — the satin one at least, which on top of aesthetic appeal also has a nice soft touch. (Though this is merely personal preference, the sheen of the glossy cases gives off an air of flimsiness.)
The design is consistent with most MacBook Air cases on the market. Two removable pieces of plastic attached to the lid and the base protect the computer from dents and scratches. There are four raised feet on the bottom and the sides are protected. The case isn't terribly difficult to remove, but if you ever have trouble, here's a protip: Slip a credit card in between computer and case, and the tiny latches will pop off.
Speck's SeeThru Satin ($49.95)
Moshi's iGlaze
The iGlaze sports a near identical design, except unlike Speck which offers a spectrum of colors, Moshi streamlines it to three: black, translucent and white. Fewer colors isn't a disadvantage though. The point here is minimalism. The black and white models hark back to the pre-aluminum MacBook laptops, and the translucent one appeals most to the people who want protection but don't want their computers to look like they're wearing any. I sat through a product demo right next to a iGlaze-cladded MacBook without noticing the accessory — color me impressed. Invisibility isn't its only super power; this case also excels in its ease of use. It pops right off without the aid of any tools.
Moshi's iGlaze ($54.95-$59.95)
Incipio's Feather
From the surface, the Feather case by Incipio looks like the two aforementioned ones. In fact, it looked like it even had an edge with perforated holes on the bottom to act as air vents. But it does so many things wrong despite the very simple premise of the accessory.
Speck and Moshi both designed their cases so that the lid could open up without any obstruction, achieved by precisely shaping the edge of the case so that the material doesn't cover up the entire back edge area. Incipio left out this simple tiny detail, which not only creates friction when opening and closing but actually wears down the plastic there. Furthermore, Incipio is too concerned with making sure the case adheres to the laptop that it creates unnecessary snags, making the Feather the most difficult to remove of the bunch thanks to hard plastic that's not very malleable. Before I learned that credit card trick (see Speck review above), I spent plenty of time trying to pry the case off, a rather unpleasant experience for my fingers. The vents on the bottom make the Feather stand out, but that alone is not enough to make this case a consideration, especially since the lack thereof hasn't proven to be a major disadvantage in my testing.
Incipio's Feather case ($49.99)
Incase's Perforated Hardshell case
Incase's Perforated Hardshell case stands out with its bold design, featuring an injection-molded construction that's dotted with holes throughout. In my testing, these holes haven't compromised the protection, since they're small enough and the case is thick enough so keys, for example, aren't able to easily scratch the MacBook Air's aluminum. Not to mention, the holes on the bottom panel sort of double like air vents a la Incipio's Feather.
The case is the second simplest to remove of the bunch (following the BookBook, see below), since the snags are strategically placed. The entire edge of the bottom panel subtly latches on to the computer. There is one vulnerability though, and that's the back edge of the MacBook Air, which is left exposed. This design, however, is far better than Incipio's oversight of too much plastic.
Incase's Perforated Hardshell case ($59.95)
TwelveSouth's BookBook
Standing out among the group is TwelveSouth's BookBook, which not just protects your laptop but disguises it as a gorgeous leather-bound book. The major downside is obvious: The MacBook Air certainly loses its form factor with such a bulky case, which also adds 13.5 additional ounces to a computer that begins at 2.38 pounds — that's roughly a third of the Air's weight.
But there are also plenty of pros if you're willing to overlook that. First, it's gorgeous. The BookBook is made with genuine leather and sports a spine that rivals vintage books that typically belong in an anthology of hundreds of volumes. A downfall to the material is that it scratches easily, scarring the exterior (the laptop inside is fully protected though). The Air is held in place with some tout elastic, and a zipper fully shields and stealthily conceals the precious cargo within. Who would mug someone carrying an old book, right? When it comes to the BookBook, the big consideration is style versus form factor.
Twelve South's BookBook ($79.99)
