My storied search for a 13” MacBook sleeve

I’ve been scouring the net for the best value for your money notebook sleeve. Though there are some that caught my attention, the only issue is whether they are available locally here in the Philippines. Thanks to the high cases of credit card hacks of the late 90’s, most international Internet sites banned us. One of my issues though in purchasing online is that you don’t get to inspect the actual product. Looking at pictures even in high resolution doesn’t quite replace the old fashioned “touch and inspect” routine.

Top Pick Sleeve
The first sleeve that I actually liked, functional at a reasonable price and highly rated at 5 out of 5 stars, unfortunately is only available through the net. My brother and sister paid dearly with their time for finding me one. And having failed to secure the sleeve is the reason details such as brand name shall never be mentioned in this blog. I used the word “shall.”

2nd Pick Sleeve
The second sleeve that I saw, not through the Internet, is the Crumpler MacBook sleeve dubbed as “School Hymn.” I was checking out some electronic gadgets in Park Square Makati when I chanced upon the “Digital Walker Store.” I was surprised that in that not so frequented corner of Park Square is a store that has this assortment of Crumpler products. I’ve seen Crumpler products before through the net and I specially liked their line of messenger bags, the only problem is that they are priced a little too high for my standards. So I was holding and checking out the Crumpler sleeve and found it to be sturdy (plastic material in between internal pads and synthetic leather outer skin) for a sleeve. As my new practice in buying branded things, I decided to compare the price on the net. The Crumpler sleeve in “avocado green” was priced at 2,050 pesos while the price on it’s official website is set at 45 USD. At that time’s exchange rate, the store’s price is reasonable and the following week, I bought one.

Since I didn’t bring my MacBook with me when I bought the sleeve, certain issues presented to me when I got home. Having spent years in the QA business and not because I’m an OC (obsessive compulsive) as my girlfriend and sister accuses me of, I placed my Macbook right away of all the other things I should have done when I got home. I noticed that it wouldn’t fit around the corners which is kind of troubling since I remember asking the sales lady if the sleeve could house a 13” or a 13.3” notebook. So I did some minor adjustments and then I was able to close the sleeve but I wasn’t satisfied. If my MacBook could only talk, it might have said, “You’re squishing me!” I asked a friend of mine if he encountered the same thing with his Crumpler sleeve and he said, it’s kind of tight since it’s new. I believed my friend at first but I decided to return the product for replacement the following week thinking I got a defective product.

My initial hunch was right. When I asked for a product replacement, which is no problem with the store, one unit of the same model but different color fitted perfectly. Basing on the design of the sleeve, there is no question that it is a good product. But what went wrong with the first sleeve I bought is caused by the way it was manufactured. Though it may have been designed in the US and before I proceed… I don’t want to generalize but it was made in China, the Variance Capital of the World. Come to think of it, that weekend I bought another item made in China and I wasn’t also satisfied. But Nike shoes made in China are still the best!

My Sleeve
Did I end up with Crumpler? The answer is no. The Crumpler sleeve available at the store that managed to live up to its specifications was old and dusty. It’s like it was used before or maybe returned by somebody like me. Luckily when I first went to the store, I saw another sleeve that has a cool graphic design but is made up of “neoprene” material. I don’t know if you call it luck but the said sleeve was still there when I returned the defective Crumpler sleeve. Though it might not give the same protection as that of the Crumpler sleeve, I decided to buy the sleeve made by “Sumdex.” It fits just right and since it’s colored black, it gave the illusion that my Macbook looks smaller... thinner like a Macbook Air (hahahahaha!). Another feature is that it has a zippered pocket in front. The zippers themselves don’t look cheap. Protective flaps present in the defective Crumpler sleeve that I suspect doesn’t work, works just fine for the Sumdex sleeve. The Sumdex sleeve is pegged at 1,250 pesos, almost half of the Crumpler brand. But unluckily this time, I am not entitled for a refund of 800 pesos. The store clerk told me I had to spend on other items. And since I don’t really need accessories, I ended up with a 950 pesos “Capdase” keyboard silicone protector which when I searched on the net turned out to be priced a little higher since it only covers the keyboard.

So for almost a year of using my Macbook, after all the scratches done by my brother (I forgive you), I now have a sleeve and a keyboard silicone protector. It’s time to go mobile!

My only concern is whether my keyboard protector has “phthalates.”