When spending upwards of £800 on a new Macbook, it is only right that it is coupled with a quality sleeve or bag to protect it from the bumps and knocks of everyday life. There are a vast number of options available on the market from £5 to over £100 depending on how much you want to spend.
Urbano come in at the top end of the market, producing premium quality sleeves and cases which are designed specifically for Apple products. All of these are finished in real leather with a choice of various different colours.
Today we are going to look at an Urbano leather sleeve designed for 13-inch Macbooks and Macbook Pros.
I was initially a little surprised on opening the shipping parcel, finding the leather sleeve packed within a cheap looking plastic wallet. This should prevent the leather from picking up scuffs and marks in transit, though.
On the whole, we feel that the packaging isn’t quite up to scratch for a product of this price – we would expect at least a high-quality cardboard box or decent plastic packaging.
After removing the plastic wallet, we are greeted by the sleek premium-quality leather finish of the sleeve. Our sample is finished in black leather but is also available in five other colours; pink, red, purple, dark chocolate and dark vintage.
Rather than just have a vast expanse of plain leather, Urbano have added flare to the design by creating a simple stitch pattern on the front and back of the sleeve. On the front there is also a small U-shaped logo in the corner and an “Urbano” logo pressed into the leather on the left. All of these factors make for a very sleek and attractive product overall.
Inside the sleeve there is a soft-finish padded liner which should provide some protection for the laptop inside. Urbano have surrounded this liner with a leather to prevent the laptop from being scratched by the zip when putting it in or taking it out. Compared to a full-size laptop bag the protection is quite limited, though, and is unlikely to prevent damage if you drop the laptop. This is a common failure between most sleeves, though.
Around the top edge of the sleeve is where the high-quality YKK zip resides. This has a very smooth action and feels very secure so it’s likely to last a good few years without issue.
It is clear from examining the Urbano Macbook Sleeve that it is a premium quality product that is sure to compliment both Macbooks and other compatible 13″ laptops. There are also sleeves available for 15″ and 17″ Macbook Pros in all six available colours with the same design.
The only drawback of this sleeve is the premium price that Urbano demand; despite the premium finish, £60 (at amazon.co.uk) is a lot to pay for any laptop sleeve and will only be justifiable by those with a large budget.
For those who can afford the steep price, however, this sleeve is a great option and I’m sure they won’t be disappointed with it’s quality or design on any level.
KitGuru says: The Urbano Leather Macbook Sleeve is a great product with a high price. But you really do get what you pay for!
Discuss in our forums over here or just leave a quick comment below.
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July 16, 2010
#1
I dont have a macintosh but the quality of leather looks beautiful. ill check out their site.
July 16, 2010
#2
Brilliant pictures. thats a quality product. shall look for a sony version
July 16, 2010
#3
Very pretty indeed. Never use a cover for my laptop, I just let it get bashed !
July 16, 2010
#4
@ Death Dealer, the Urbano case may well be suitable for your Sony machine depending on its size. The 13″ case we reviewed can take laptops of up to 32.5 x 22.7 x 2.41cm but unfortunately I don’t have information on the other two sizes as the sizes aren’t displayed on the Urbano website.
July 16, 2010
#5
Would you buy one yourself Henry if you had the option?
July 16, 2010
#6
Do they sell ones for alienware machines? 17 inches? their site wont open for me
July 16, 2010
#7
@ Brian, If I were in the market for a macbook sleeve and had the money I would definately buy it – but I would usually opt for a full-size laptop bag which has room for accessories and charger etc. and provides more protection than a sleeve.
@ Harry, they don’t make them specifically for Alienware machines as far as I know and I doubt that the sleeve would be big enough to accomodate the thickness of most recent alienware machines as even the 17″ macbooks are very thin.