With the exorbitant prices of laptops these days, it is absolutely imperative to have some sort of protection for your laptop. There are many ways to protect your laptop: hardshell cases, skins, or just a sleeve. I recently bought a new Dell XPS laptop and the first thing I did was look for a sleeve to protect my laptop from scratches. I prefer sleeves because I don’t like to add bulk to my laptop when I am using it. A sleeve helps to prevent scratches that can come from dirt and debris that make its way into your backpack. I wanted a simple sleeve that didn’t cost an arm and a leg so I decided on the AmazonBasics Felt Laptop Sleeve.
Design
The AmazonBasics Felt Laptop Sleeve is about as basic as it gets. It resembles a giant envelope that is securely closed with a Velcro fastener. There are only two color options: charcoal grey and light grey. The outer material is made of felt that is similar to the coarse, scratchy material of a peacoat. The outer felt is relatively thick, which gives me comfort that my laptop won’t be damaged moving around in my backpack. The main inner compartment is made of a soft suede material to prevent your laptop from being scratched.
There are additional pockets to carry your accessories such as phone, pens, calculator, etc. The largest accessory pocket is located right in front of the main compartment. This pocket is big enough to be able to carry a 7-inch tablet at the max. The smaller two pockets located in the back can fit much smaller items such as a calculator or notecards.
Impressions
I love products that are simple and get the job done. I’ve been using the AmazonBasics for the past couple of weeks and it has earned the right to be the only thing protecting my laptop in my backpack. I love the ease of quickly sliding my laptop in the sleeve after I am done using it. The Velcro fastener isn’t the most secure closure so I would refrain from holding the sleeve upside-down. However, the Velcro fastener makes it really easy to access your laptop, which is a huge plus in my book. I’ve had zippered sleeves where the zipper would either break or make small scratches on my laptop.
The Dell XPS is a tiny laptop. The infinity bezels allow XPS to have a 13-inch screen on an 11-inch body. I chose the 11-inch laptop sleeve and it fits like a glove. I would order a size up if you have a hardshell case on your laptop because it adds extra bulk. My laptop inside the AmazonBasics sleeve isn’t too bulky and fits in my backpack’s laptop compartment with room to spare. The only downside to having a tight fit around your laptop is that it is difficult to fit bigger accessories into the additional pockets. I can’t fit my charger into any of the pockets without it feeling like I am stretching the pocket. The only items that I feel comfortable keeping in the sleeve are small office supplies like pens and scratch paper.
Overall
The AmazonBasics Felt Laptop Sleeve is easily one of the best purchases I’ve made this year. I feel confident that my laptop is protected from scratches. I also love the ease of storing my laptop back into the sleeve after I’m done using it. Did I mention that it’s only $9.99 for the 11-inch and $11.99 for the 13-inch sleeve on Amazon. Do yourself a favor and order one now. You’ll have it in two days with Amazon Prime shipping. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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Design
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Price
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Protection
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Portability