A few months ago, I wrote about my new favorite laptop: the Google Pixelbook. Well, after I ordered mine, I needed a laptop sleeve to go along with it for traveling. I took an uncanny move in choosing mine, though.
My favorite tech YouTuber is Marques Brownlee (MKBHD as you might know him). I distinctly recall his “What’s in my Tech Bag” video in which he briefly showed and mentioned the type of laptop sleeve he uses for his 13-inch MacBook Pro.
I knew that I wanted a vertical sleeve similar to his as it would allow me to take the laptop out of my backpack without taking the whole sleeve out, making it much more convenient. However, the brand, Incase, only makes accessories for Apple products which was quite the bummer. I asked around Reddit and googled if there was anything similar, but I couldn’t find what I wanted.
After doing some research, I found that the dimensions for the Pixelbook and the second generation 12.9″ iPad Pro are nearly identical to each other, which got me thinking: Since Incase makes a vertical sleeve for that same iPad Pro, would I be able to use the same one for my Pixelbook? At nearly $70 for full price, I was a bit hesitant, but Incase was offering a 15% coupon code for signing up for their newsletter, so I decided to risk it and I bought their ICON Sleeve with TENSAERLITE for iPad Pro 12.9″.
Design and build
The design of this sleeve is quite minimal and the build is fairly lightweight, flexible, and durable. It comes in four colors—black, heather black, heather gray-black, and midnight blue aqua. I chose black for mine.
The actual outside of the sleeve is composed of a neoprene fabric material that’s slightly squishy but rugged to the touch. The edges and structure are a rubber-type material that Incase brands as “TENSAERLITE.” It’s molded and sewen into the edges of the neoprene fabric and provides some solid shock absorption and drop protection. The inside of the sleeve is lined with soft faux fur so your Pixelbook will be quite safe from any accidental scratches or scuffs.
The device slides in from the left vertical side and the sleeve uses a magnetic closure to secure it. I know what you’re probably thinking, though: Is it even safe compared to a zippered sleeve? Well, I’m going to go right off the bat and say yes. While the magnets don’t feel super strong when opening or closing the lip, I can confirm that they are quite strong and secure when it’s closed with the laptop inside. I flipped it upside down and tried shaking it several times, but it wouldn’t open. And if it did happen to open one time, it’d be a bit hard for the Pixelbook to accidentally slip out as there’s a slightly raised bumper just on the inside edge.
Another plus of the sleeve is the ability to charge your device while keeping it protected at the same time.
Fit
Alright, I’ll be honest: the fit isn’t exactly one-to-one. Fortunately, it’s pretty minuscule and almost a non-issue, in my opinion. There’s about a half-inch gap between the Pixelbook and the vertical edge of the sleeve. This does make the device slightly slide back-and-forth if you flip it around too much but it’s not drastic. The height and width of the Pixelbook are completely fine, though.
For those with a Pixelbook Pen or any other stylus, you may be wondering if you can squeeze the pen in the top gap. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Pixelbook Pen on hand, but I tried it with a Sharpie permanent marker to get an idea, and it fit perfectly and sits flush when the sleeve is closed.
I also have to mention that, occasionally, the laptop can get caught on the raised bumper of the sleeve due to the Pixelbook’s sharper, rounded corners (in comparison to the second-gen iPad Pro). You’ll end up having to wiggle it out in this situation. For the most part, however, it slips right in and out of the sleeve with ease.
Conclusion
Could this laptop sleeve be better? Sure. For one, there aren’t any pockets or anything on the exterior to store even a pair of headphones. It’s probably not much of an issue if you’re already transporting it in your backpack, but I can definitely see this as a slight annoyance to some. Also, with a magnetic enclosure, don’t count on this sleeve being water-resistant or waterproof; it’ll probably be able to handle a small splash at most.
Pricing-wise, it isn’t the cheapest laptop sleeve you’ll find out there. It’s a premium brand for Apple products after all. It retails for $69.95, but you can actually get it for $34.97 on Amazon in black, heather black, and midnight blue/aqua. If you want the heather gray-black color, you can get it on Incase’s website for 15% off with the coupon code “WELCOME15,” bringing the cost down to $59.46.
Disadvantages aside, this is still a really great laptop sleeve for the Pixelbook—my favorite, in fact. It’s a bit humorous, though, that it’s actually one made for an iPad.
Purchase Incase ICON Sleeve with TENSAERLITE for iPad Pro 12.9″ on Amazon (from $34.97)
