Looking for a case for the 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air? Here's a look at some of CNET's top choices.
David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Kobo e-books and audiobooks.
Acme Made's Skinny Sleeve MBA is one of the more attractive and well-designed Air sleeves we've come across. It's made out of StretchShell neoprene and is both water- and stain-resistant and doesn't have any zippers, so you don't have to worry about scratching your Air. An elastic band keeps your laptop securely in the sleeve. It's available in matte black or purple.
Price: $39.99
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BoxWave Manila Envelope
Ever since Steve Jobs unveiled the first MacBook Air and showed it sliding it out from a manila envelope, several companies have offered up leather manila envelope sleeves. In terms of cost, BoxWave's Manila Envelope is about at the middle of the pack, with some companies selling more affordable models and some more expensive.
Price: Around $38
3 of 21Amazon
CaseCrown Book Cover Clip On case
CaseCrown is known for its value cases for a variety of mobile products and its faux-leather Book Cover Clip On case is no exception. It's available on Amazon for around $20 and is clearly one of the better deals in this roundup. CaseCrown also makes a simple Clip On Clear case that sells for about $22.
Price: Around $20 (13-inch version costs $22)
4 of 21Sarah Tew/CNET
G-Form Extreme Sleeve for Laptops
If you're looking for some serious protection for your MacBook Air, you can't get much more serious than the G-Form Extreme Sleeve for Laptops, which is made out of material called Poron XRD that's lightweight yet is able to absorb a lot of impact.
Price: G-Form makes two models: the one that fits that 11-inch Air is $69.99, and the one that fits the 13-incher is $79.99.
5 of 21Hard Candy
Hard Candy Convertible
The Hardy Candy Convertible is a faux-nubuck cover/case that looks and feels similar to the Apple case for the original iPad. It's available in multiple colors.
Price: $49.99
6 of 21Incase
Incase Perforated Hardshell case
Incase makes a variety of sleeves and cases for the MacBook Air, but the one that stands out is the Perforated Hardshell, which comes in blue, black, and white (we like black).
Price: $59.99 but can be found online for around $45
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Incipio Feather
As its name implies, the Incipio Feather is a lightweight two-piece shell that covers the top and bottom of your MacBook Air. It has a nice, smooth feel to it, and it comes in multiple colors.
Price: Lists for $49.99 but can be found online for around $35
8 of 21Incipio
Incipio Slim Sleeve
The Incipio Slim Sleeve is an inexpensive and lightweight sleeve for the 11-inch model that's made out of faux leather. It comes in multiple colors.
It also is available in a slightly different version for the 13-inch Air called the Orion Slim Sleeve (same price, multiple colors).
Price: Around $20
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iPearl mCover Hardshell
The iPearl mCover Hardshell is one of several soft polycarbonate cases for the MacBook Air. This one's more affordable, and it's available in multiple colors.
Price: Around $20
10 of 21Marware
Marware Sportfolio Sleeve
We wanted to throw in another affordable sleeve, and Marware tends to make more budget-minded cases and sleeves for a variety of mobile products. The Sportfolio Sleeve comes in multiple colors.
Price: Around $30
11 of 21Moshi
Moshi iGlaze
Moshi's iGlaze clip-on cover is similar to the Speck's SeeThru Satin covers. Pictured here is the translucent model; it also comes in "stealth" black and "pearl" white. Nice cover, but it should cost less than $50.
Price: $55 (13-inch version costs $60)
12 of 21Pad & Quill
Pad & Quill Cartella
Pad & Quill brings its book-bound style cases to the MacBook Air with the Cartella, which features a form-fitting wooden tray. We like the iPad version of this one, and the Air version makes for an interesting case option. These cases are all handmade in Minnesota.
Price: $79.99 (13-inch version costs $89.99)
13 of 21Amazon
RooCase Super Bubble Neoprene Sleeve
We wanted to throw some lower-cost sleeves into the mix, and this one from RooCase, called the RooCase Super Bubble Neoprene Sleeve, fits the bill. It gets its name from having bubble-shaped neoprene cushioning on the inside.
Price: $19.99
14 of 21Sena
Sena Folio
Sena makes very classy covers and cases with high-quality leather, and The Folio is no exception. Alas, it's expensive, but it's sweet.
Price: $170
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Sena Zipbook
Sena's Zipbook is a clamshell-style zip enclosure case for the 13-inch Air that's made of soft leather and nicely padded on the inside. It's definitely got a swanky design and is a great case if you can afford it.
Price: $180
16 of 21Speck
Speck SeeThru cases
Speck's SeeThru covers are lightweight and made of translucent hard plastic. The standard model has a smooth finish which while the Satin model has a soft-to-the touch "satin" finish. They clip on to the top and bottom of your Air and are available in several different colors.
Price: $49.95
17 of 21Timbuk2
Timbuk2 Crater Laptop Sleeve
Timbuk2 makes some interesting laptop and tablet cases, and I thought it was worth highlighting the Crater, which is available in three color schemes.
It has a rubbery, meshlike feel to it, and it's very lightweight. The key feature is that if you hold it up to the light--or just look at it--you'll notice that it has lots of little perforations or "craters" in it, and light passes through it.
Price: $35
18 of 21Twelve South
Twelve South BookBook Hardback Leather
If you always wanted to store your MacBook Air in a case that looked like an old leather-bound book, then the Twelve South BookBook Hardback Leather case should be right up your alley.
Price: $79.95
19 of 21Waterfield Design
WaterField Design Air Travel Express
San Francisco-based WaterField Design makes really nice cases for a variety of products. This Air Travel Express is designed to fit small laptops like the Air and offers power-cord storage as well. It's available with different trim colors.
Price: $79-$89 (13-inch version costs more)
20 of 21WaterField Design
WaterField MacBook Air Smartcase
WaterField's MacBook Air Smartcase is a simple, attractive, and nicely built sleeve with a soft interior. It's available in multiple colors.
Price: $79-$89 (13-inch version costs more)
21 of 21Waterfield Design
WaterField Suede Jacket Sleeve
This WaterField Suede Jacket Sleeve is superthin -- it literally feels like a piece of cloth, but it's suede. It's not going to offer much protection, but it does cover your MacBook Air and prevent it from getting scratched up. It comes in vertical and horizontal versions.
Price: $25-$29 (13-inch versions are more expensive)
