A laptop sleeve, also known as a pouch, is a cover that slips over your laptop. These are often made with nylon or a thin plastic material. The good thing about sleeves is the protection offered to your computer, mainly from dust and dirt. These pouches can also help prevent scratches to an extent. If you want to add some degree of protection to your laptop, a laptop sleeve is suitable. However, it won’t protect from water immersion and drops.
Will a Laptop Sleeve Protect My Laptop?
Laptops are expensive and are sometimes needed daily. These devices are complex equipment, so you need to look after them as much as possible. If you look after your laptop, it will last you a long time. Some sleeves offer a small degree of waterproofing protection in the form of accidental exposure to water on the table or light rain.
It is important to remember that sleeves only protect your machine to a certain degree. The sleeves offer water and bump protection; however, most cannot handle being submerged in the pouring rain or dropped. Furthermore, laptop sleeves are thin and don’t offer much protection as a laptop backpack would. Yet, they might still provide the right amount of protection you need.
How Do Sleeves Protect My Laptop?
So let’s look at how the laptop sleeve can protect your computer.
Scratch Protection
Have you thought about how much stuff you carry around with your laptop? You might have chargers, cords, a lunch box, and pens all randomly floating around your bag. These are things that can scratch your laptop that you might not think about.
A laptop sleeve can cover the computer so it is protected somewhat when you put it in with other items. Yet, it may not offer protection from a knife in your bag. For basic things in a bag, you should get protection.
Water Protection
Laptop sleeves are deemed somewhat water-resistant. Most types can repel liquid when it comes to direct contact. However, there is no protection for complete immersion in water or liquid. Some materials can absorb water, so if you spill liquid, it is best to take the computer out of the sleeve right away to avoid damaging the laptop. Such materials like leather offer more water protection than neoprene.
Which Laptop Sleeve Do I Choose?
When shopping for a sleeve, you need to first think about a few things. How often are you using the sleeve? Does it go in a bag with other items? Is waterproofing important? Do you want custom colors and designs? Take note of all the things you want the sleeve to have and those not so important.
Now you have a starting point for your search. Some websites have a filter where you can type in features you want the laptop sleeve to have, which can help narrow the choices down. You don’t want to search through thousands of unsuitable search results.
Leather or Pleather
Leather and pleather are strong types of cover. These sleeves are made of high-quality leather and offer more of a cushioned support. Adding cloth lining around that area is recommended for leather bags with zips. This avoids any damage to the laptop.
Synthetic Sleeves
Synthetic sleeves are decorative covers with a wide range of styles and designs. Unfortunately, these covers don’t have very high quality. They offer a more aesthetic appearance than actual protection. Sleeves can help protect against scratches, but there is no real water protection.
Vinyl Sleeves
This is a sleeve that is not designed for long-term use. It provides dirt and dust protection and extra cushioning to help with minor impacts. They are more for appearance, as the sleeves can be customized with artwork or photos. They provide slight water protection.
You should buy a sleeve made of high-quality materials that will last. You don’t want to be purchasing new sleeves all the time because they are just not lasting as long as they should. Try and look for metal zips instead of plastic zips that tend to break easily with little pressure. The seams are a tell-tale sign of whether the workmanship is good. The stitches need to be firm and compact. If they are loose and the stitching can be easily seen, do not buy.
Conclusion
It can be expensive to maintain a laptop, but one easy and affordable way is with a laptop sleeve. You can extend the look and life of your laptop with a little extra protection. Laptops do come with a warranty, but this won’t last long. Most don’t cover scratches and imperfections. Your laptop can never have enough protection. The truth is, your computer needs a sleeve, and after reading this, you know all the reasons why.