Acme Made Skinny Sleeve MacBook Air Review

The Acme Made Skinny Sleeve protects Apple’s thinnest computers without adding much bulk. There are plenty of MacBook sleeves out there, but we like this one because of its smart design and extra layers of protection.

Too many MacBook Air users carry their machines naked or toss them into bags not meant for computers in the name of portability. It can be convenient to throw a MacBook Air into a purse, briefcase or a cavernous backpack, but it’s a recipe for scratches and dings.

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Acme Made, a company based in San Francisco, makes the Skinny Sleeve for the 11″ MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook Air. It also sells versions for the 13″ MacBook Pro and 15″ MacBook Pro. It doesn’t sell models specifically for the 13″ or 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, but the 13″ MacBook Air sleeve we reviewed fits the 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display just fine.

Available in five color combinations, the Skinny Sleeve is made of what the company calls StretchShell neoprene. It’s stretchy and soft just like any other sort of neoprene, but it’s stain and water resistant. That helps repel spills and keeps the sleeve looking new. It is very easily to clean the sleeve with a wet cloth.

The sleeve is well built and its detailed stitches add to its premium appearance. A one-inch wide elastic band keeps the MacBook Air securely in place.

The slim edge of the MacBook Air slides in first, with the rear edge facing the opening. There’s no zipper or other metal parts on the sleeve that can scratch the MacBook Air. Sliding the band off to the side allows the user to slide the computer in and out of the sleeve. This design makes it very easy to remove the computer, but the downside is that the back edge can be exposed to the elements. It also took some getting used to the open design before trusting it completely.

As you can see in the above photo, the sleeve is quite thin. However, Acme Made managed to fit a pair of plastic panels between the neoprene and the soft fabric liner that protect MacBook’s top and bottom.

Like the laptops it’s designed to protect, the Skinny Sleeve’s design is clean. Besides a small logo on one side, the sleeve is free of any branding or patterns.

At $39.99, it certainly isn’t the cheapest laptop sleeve out there, but we feel it’s a good value because of its appearance, build quality and durability.