When it comes to being a travel writer and graphic designer, I carry a lot of tech gear when I’m on the go! Apple is my favourite, but their products are expensive. When you spend a lot of money on any tech product, you want something to protect it, so it lasts for the long-term (or until you upgrade and want to sell it online).
Recently, I purchased a MacBook Air (the perfect travelling Mac but that’s another article), and I was looking for a hard-shell case to cover it so that I can keep up its like-new condition.
Must haves:
- Strong/durable
- Openings for the plugs/ports
- Venting/heat displacement
- Fit perfectly
- Look good
I instantly thought of Speck Products because they are a well-known brand sold through the Apple store, and the price was reasonable compared to the price of the laptop itself.
I was truly smitten with the understated grey colour and the feel of the satin surface. I bought it, installed it and loved it. Looks gorgeous but then the problems started.
SeeThru SATIN for MacBook Air
- Polycarbonate plastic is thin and really transparent – I soon felt self-conscious that people were eyeing my laptop and plotting their take-over because you can clearly see the apple logo through the cover
- Matte soft-touch rubberized coating on the cover gets dusty really fast and the dust seems to stick. You can’t just brush it off. You actually have to take a wet cloth to it
- Shows finger-prints quickly
- Not sure how but dust actually got inside the case (between the laptop and the cover)
- Hair line cracks started to happen in the corners. Which leads me to think that it isn’t that durable and therefore won’t protect the laptop within
The search began a new…
I met with the guys at STM Bags at a travel bloggers event, and they sent me over this alternative case to try out and to see what I thought about it.
STM Grip for MacBook Air on Amazon
- Smooth slick feel to the surface
- Ridges act like a grip so that your fingers don’t slip (or in techie terms – moulded tactical plastic)
- Thick, not transparent
- Inside has a thin micro suede lining to protect the surface of the item encased inside (A really nice extra touch for obsessive tech owners)
- Perfect fit
- Weighs 0.7 lbs
I’m converted. The STM Grip is attractive and tough
It’s been about three weeks now, and I’ve taken it to see clients, worked in coffee shops and out in the back yard. The cover still looks exactly as when I took it out of the packaging.
I love that you can’t tell what it is – I’ve had clients ask if it was an iPad only to be surprised that it’s a laptop. PLUS, you can’t tell that it’s a Mac because even when the laptop is open, and the trademark Apple logo lights up, you can’t see the logo through the case.
It comes in fashionable colours like hot pink and of course for the not so flashy person – black. Speaking of the black grip, looking at the colour choices initially I probably would have chosen black for myself, but now that I have it I’m so glad I have the blue. The shade is extremely bright and eye-catching!
You can get the same Grip product sized for other brands/models of laptops, tablets, phones and depending on the product they come in all the colours of the rainbow. They all have the same exterior and microsuede lining but the tablets and phone cases have an added kickstand feature for hands-free viewing.
I love the STM Grip, and I have no problem whatsoever recommending it. I encourage you to check out STM Bags for your tech protect needs.
Are you like me and are concerned with protecting your technology? I would love to hear your experiences with either STM Bags or Speck Products.
The STM Grip was provided to me by STM Bags as a sample. This had no bearing on my review of this item. As always, all my opinions are my own.
Looking to read some other STM Bags product reviews?
– It’s Intentional. STM Bags – Impulse Laptop Backpack Review
– Goldilocks and the STM dux for iPad Case – A Review
