Gecko Gear, an Australian company known for its iPod cases, now has sleeves for the Apple notebooks. The Gecko pro-sleeve13 is a professional quality sleeve for the 13” MacBook and functions as a standalone case or a sleeve to place in another bag. Made of high quality materials and built to last, the pro-sleeve cases should suit most MacBook and MacBook Pro users. Presently a 17" case is not available.

Construction

The pro-sleeve line is well made, even though the zipper teeth are a bit small. The case is ballistic nylon, which is used, in military uniforms and harnesses. The material does not show scratches and is not very susceptible to wear or tear. The addition of bump absorbing strips on the top and bottom is a nice touch. These raised strips help reduce impact to the notebook in the event that you drop the case. The edges lack padding, but are firm and maintain the mold even under stress. After performing some simple drop tests, the case held up extremely well and the addition of the stress strips definitely helps. A bit of padding at the four corners of the case might be nice though. Stiff sides help to keep your MacBook from dings during a fall, however, added padding ensures that internal components do not take a beating. The Gecko Gear zipper is smooth and zips fast or slow with no snags or hangs. An attempt to pull the case apart while half zipped did not work, which means you should not experience problems after long-term use.

Features

An innovative sleeve addition is an internal document net. You can store documents that are just shy of the MacBook’s size, so the net holds letter (8.5x11 inches) size paper. The 15" case holds slightly larger documents. The nettting material may cause surface scratches on the lid of your computer after prolonged use, but over the short term, I experienced no problems. The pro-sleeve13 I received has a green zipper, but the pro-sleeve15 the Editor received has a black zipper. A rubber Gecko Gear logo on the top of the case is a minor cosmetic addition that does not detract from the business-like appearance. The feature I appreciate the most is a rubber strip along the back edge that may not wear over time. It also adds more cushioning if dropped.

Overall

The pro-sleeve is more than sufficient for toting your MacBook to the nearest coffee shop or placing it in a backpack with your books and miscellaneous items. It offers excellent scratch protection. The pro-sleeve is available for the 13” MacBook and 15” MacBook Pro at the same price.

Edited by Ilene Hoffman, Reviews Editor

by Adam Jackson