CalypsoCase MacBook Pro sleeve case review

Over Christmas, I finally jumped into the MacBook scene and picked up a 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina display. The first thing I thought when I bought it was, “I need to find some sort of case for this expensive laptop!” For the first few months, I carried the laptop in two hands always, and needed a case badly to stop worrying. Thankfully, CalypsoCase came out with a limited edition sleeve for the MacBook Pro and I jumped at the opportunity to review it. I knew how good their products were from a previous case review, so I was very eager to try this one out!

The sleeve comes in black, orange, green, and tan. I chose the bold orange color, so it would make it difficult to lose my MacBook in the clutter of my coffee table. Just as the picture above shows, the color was very true to the pictures shown on the website. All four colors are offered for the MacBook Pro 13″ and 15″ models and MacBook Air 11″ and 13″ models.

My case, which was made for the MacBook Pro 13″, had the dimensions of 10 5/8″ x 13 3/4″. The inside of the case is lined with very soft, black microfiber. As with the CalypsoCase Cabrio that I reviewed for the iPhone 5, the stitching is top notch and well done. Each case is hand crafted over the span of a few days. They are not mass produced in a factory. Overall, the build of the case is sturdy and very well made.

One thing that makes this different from a standard sleeve is a pull-tab on the front that, when pulled, will eject the MacBook partially out. This worked really, really well, and made removing the MacBook so much easier than a standard sleeve.

It took a little bit of effort the first few tries to get the MacBook fully into the sleeve. Once it was worn in, it fit like a glove. Because of the tight fit, the laptop stays snugly inside even when held upside down. I could reach my fingers inside if necessary and pull out the MacBook without using the pull-tab, but it was difficult to grip, so the pull-tab is almost a necessity. When pulled, the laptop comes out about an inch. Enough to get a solid grip on the MacBook.

Since all of my backpacks are made for 14 inch laptops and up, the case fit just fine in all of them. With the case on, it no longer felt like my MacBook was swimming in the backpack. If you have a backpack that fits your MacBook snugly without a case, most likely this will not fit inside of that pocket.

The case isn’t the lightest, and will add some heft to your laptop. This shouldn’t be shocking, since leather is not lightweight; especially if it is thick enough to protect your valuables in case of a drop. If you are someone who likes things as light as can be, this probably isn’t the case for you.

Overall, I really liked the case and plan to continue using it daily to protect my MacBook. I feel so much more at ease when carrying it around. Yes, the price is a little steep for some, but the quality is top notch, it looks amazing, and it will protect my expensive MacBook for years to come.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by CalypsoCrystal. Visit their site for more information.