Level8 15″ Macbook / Laptop Case Review

We’ve been here before with Level8 products, and this time they’ve shipped us out a not disimilar one to last time in the form of a 15″ protective case designed for Apple’s Macbook but also suitable for all 13 – 15″ Laptops. Level8 products are pretty well renowned for their good durable build quality as well as premium materials, so we were pretty excited to find out how good this case was in the real world, although. Read on to see if this is the Macbook / Laptop case for you.

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The design, finish

Oh my word another black laptop case, who would have thought! These are the exact words that sprung to my mind immediately as I lifted this case from it’s shipping box and removed it from it’s plastic packaging, however upon close inspection I could only admire the overall finish this case came with. The stitching on the case is very well done indeed with no splits or mis alignment, and the materials used feel very rugged and durable which is great for public transport. The case itself is made from durable neoprene (you’ll know this best from wearing a wetsuit) and also polyester. The case features Level8′s very own three dimensional EVA foam on the inside to protect your Macbook or Laptop from bumps, and features a tear resistant shoulder strap as well as comfortable carrying handles which are padded towards the top.

There are two zippers on the case and the first zipper opens up to reveal room for magazines, newspapers, pens and any other office / pass time type stuff you’ll want to carry around with you. The second zipper opens up to reveal where your Macbook or Laptop will be staying during transport, and another compartment for what I presume to be cables (we’ll move on to this in the next section of this review). The compartment to where your Macbook or Laptop will stay is branded as “checkpoint friendly” which Level 8 is trying to sell as convenient as you won’t have to remove your laptop through customs. When it boils down to it though all checkpoint friendly really means is that you have a velcro strap on the top of the laptop compartment which you can undo to reveal what’s inside. Is this really that much more convenient than just unzipping your case? Maybe, by about 1 and half seconds. Overall the Level8 15″ case looks very professional and of a very high quality which would match even the most prestigious of branded electronics.

In use, usability

Okay so moving on from design how is this case to carry around for business meetings? Well pretty good actually. The tear resistant strap is as per usual on laptop bags and not dissimilar to a seat belt weave, and the strap itself is of a reasonable thickness allowing it to be on your shoulder for a considerable amount of time without discomfort. In addition to this, the strap also has shoulder padding.

The handles on the case are there for anybody who prefers to transport their laptop or Macbook the briefcase style way, and they are padded and extremely confortable to hold. Loading up the case with cables, magazines and a 14″ Acer TimeLineX 4820T for example proved no problem. If you prefer to carry your case, then you can tuck the shoulder strap in to the case and zip it for later.

Protection wise I have no complaints for the case. As noted in the design part of this review the Level8 15″ protective sleeve makes use of  three dimensional EVA foam which allows the product to be gripped sufficiently in the bag and I found this method of protection extremely good in tests. I risked it all when I decided to give the laptop a small hip drop in this case and it proved its worth, with the laptop staying both put and also fully protected.

In the first zipper compartment to this case there is room for magazines and any documents you may want to take with you, and as noted the second zipper compartment is reserved for your tech. The only real gripe usability wise I had with this laptop case was that there isn’t any real place to put your laptop cables, meaning adding them to the case will result in some bulge towards the bottom rear or front of the bag. This isn’t a big problem if i’m honest and it shouldn’t trouble 99% of people, though.

Pricing, value for money

This particular Level8 case retails at around £59.99 or $69.95 in the US.

Verdict

Overall I like this case. It’s dual compartments and checkpoint friendly design make for key selling points, whilst the fit and finish the case provides are enough for an instant purchase. Level8′s use of three dimensional EVA foam might sound like some marketing talk to most people, but in the real world it actually works and will leave your Macbook or laptop in good nick if dropped.

Rating: (9/10)

Thank you to Level8 for shipping us out another one of their products. Check out their Macbook cases if you like what you see.