Bellroy 13-inch Laptop Sleeve Extra review

Like you, I have a sizable investment in my gear so I am always on the lookout for anything that helps me protect that investment.  And I choose bags and sleeves like I choose my clothes – smart, stylish and functional always attracts my attention.  Bellroy – a company I have known more for their wallets than any other type of product – has a laptop sleeve that satisfies my first two requirements, but how well does it do with my third – functional?  Read on to find out. 

Fit and Function

The first thing to catch my eye with the 13-inch Laptop Sleeve Extra is the color and material combination.  I personally think the combination of leather and a canvas-type material can be very business-like and on this sleeve the combination is stunning.  The sleeve I received to review is the Warm Grey Woven version, a tan leather with a medium gray body.  This color combination nicely accents the black leather Tumi bag I carry my laptop in.  The sleeve also comes in a Charcoal Woven (black leather accent with a darker gray body) and Teal Woven (medium gray leather with a teal body) in case you are a taste hipper (or not) on the color scale.

The sleeve is well made.  The stitching is tight and no loose threads.  There is a very small and subtle stamp of the company name on the top flap so you don’t feel like a walking billboard.  On the back of the leather accent, there is an imprint of the owl logo for the company.  Personally, I would like that in reverse, but if the name is going to be front and center at least it was done nicely and with style.  There is a magnetic catch to hold the case closed and under the top flap there is a very small pocket.  More on that in a minute.  The interior of the sleeve is lined with a microfiber and the bottom of the sleeve has about a 1.5-inch opening.

Depending on the task and the client, I switch frequently between an early 2015 13 inch MacBook Pro Retina, a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (12.3-inch screen) and Microsoft Surface Book (13.5-inch screen).  According to the information on the front of the package, the sleeve “Fits MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and other 13 inch models”.  Going in, my expectations were that the MacBook and the Surface Pro would fit nicely and the Surface Book would be questionable.  I started with the first on the list, the MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro Retina

I would have thought that having been called out specifically on the packaging this would have been without question the one that worked.  And I was wrong.  No matter what I did, I could not get my MacBook in the sleeve and get the flap to lock in place with the magnet.  When inserting the laptop I could get it about a third of the way in reasonably easily, but the remainder took quite a bit of effort as did removing the laptop from the sleeve.  To be fair, I would hope that over time this would become easier, but I tried this 10 times and each time it was just as difficult as the time before.  I have a decal on the front of my MacBook and a few times the friction from removing the laptop caused a part of the decal to come off.

The bigger problem, though, is that when fully inserted the protective flap just can’t close over the top let alone get to a place where the magnet can engage.  As you can see in the second picture above, it looks like it should close, but the laptop is just too thick for the sleeve to handle.  And that is where the second problem comes in – the front pocket.  There is a pocket on the front of the sleeve that is just below the leather trim (where the other part of the magnet is located).  At just 6 inches deep, I am not entirely sure what you can store in there – it is too small for an Apple power supply or most mice, and it definitely will not hold papers or writing tools.  Plus, when a thick laptop like the MacBook Pro is in the sleeve, anything in the pocket will protrude from the front of the sleeve.  There will also be a gap at the opening of the pocket that will serve as a scoop to collect anything rattling around inside a larger bag.

So, on to the Surface Pro 4…

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

My Surface Pro 4 is slightly thinner and smaller than the MacBook Pro, and it is better suited for this sleeve.  The tablet hybrid fits snugly all the way in the case and the flap locks nicely in place.  When secured, the Surface is protected all the way around except, as expected, at the opening at the bottom.

The tablet is easy to put in and remove from the sleeve, so in this case, the sleeve passes my third test.

The unique hinge on the Surface Book simply laughed at the sleeve and suggested the ridges on the hinge would rip the stitching out of the sleeve.  Since it wasn’t really made for this device, I passed on the attempt.

Final Thoughts

So the Laptop Sleeve Extra is smart, stylish and in the case of the Surface Pro, functional.  Is it a value for the money, though?  At $139.95 retail for the 13″ version, it certainly is pricey.  It is made from quality materials and feels well made, but in my opinion not actually worth the price tag especially since it fails at the thing it tells you it does best – fit the MacBook Pro.  It protects my Surface Pro in my daily carry bag, but I am not willing to pay the “style tax” that goes along with owning this.  At a more reasonable $99.95, I would be an enthusiastic customer.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Bellroy.  For more info visit their site and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: 12 inch: $129.95; 13 inch: $139.95; 15 inch: $149.95
Manufacturer: Bellroy
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Stylish
  • Well-made
Cons:
  • Pricey
  • Fails at its primary mission – the MacBook Pro

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Bellroy 13-inch Laptop Sleeve Extra review originally appeared on on February 27, 2017 at 8:30 am.

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Gadgeteer team EDC update – Steve Holt

I use many gadgets on a daily basis, but these gadgets are the ones that I couldn’t live without.  I use them literally every day and they are an important part of my life.  If I lost one of them (which has happened) I would be like a small child who drops their ice cream cone on the pavement.  It’s not pretty, believe me. 

  1.  SpotCam HD Eva security camera – The SpotCam is what gives me a piece of mind when I am away from home.  It has motion detection built-in, it allows me to transmit my audio so that people within earshot of the camera can hear me, and I can control it from my phone.  It also records 24-hrs of video in the cloud so I can go back to review the footage.
  2. Plantronics Voyager Edge Bluetooth headset – Aside from my cell phone, the Voyager Edge Bluetooth headset is on my person 24 hrs a day.  I talk so much on my phone and need to use my hands at the same time that the idea of holding the phone to my head to talk is painful.  And because of its small size, I have accidentally left it many different places.  It announces in my ear who is calling and I can tell it to answer the call or push to voicemail.  And the portable charge enables me to get a quick charge when I need it.
  3. Plantronics Voyager Edge headset charger – The portable charger is good for about 2-3 charges for the Voyager Edge.  It charges using a standard micro-USB cable.
  4. Choetech Qi fast wireless charging pad – The Choetech sits beside my bed at home and I use it every night to charge my phone.  I also use it to grab a quick charge when I need to charge my phone up to go out for the evening, and it truly is a quick charge!  I love that it is small and it never gets hot like some of my other wireless charging gadgets.
  5. Kenu Airframe+ leather edition – I have tried many cell phone mounts in my car over the years, but I stopped looking once I found the Kenu Airframe.  Easy to use, ultra-portable, and sturdy.  I will never use another mount in my car.
  6. Nonda Zus USB car charger and smart car finder – I have gotten to the point in my life that when I go into a store or restaurant, I often forget where I parked when I come out of the store.  Don’t judge.  The Nonda will not only guide you to your car using their smartphone app, it has a parking meter alert, car battery health meter, and built-in dual USB charging ports.  It stays plugged up in my car daily. I don’t use the USB charging ports daily (see #7 below) but I use it to find my car all the time.  Unfortunately.
  7. Choetech 15,600 mAh dual USB battery pack – If your car is like mine, your lighter charging port in your car just doesn’t cut it.  I think the last time I tried it, my phone said it was going to take like 4 hours to charge my phone.  So I use the Choetech battery pack daily in my car because it charges my phone just as if it was plugged up to the wall.  I get probably 4 charges for my phone which is great.  It also has 2 USB ports so my wife can charge her phone at the same time.
  8. Nexus 7 Android tablet – I am pretty pumped about the new Nexus 7 tablet supposedly coming out this year.  In the meantime, my Nexus 7 tablet that I got back in 2013 will have to suffice.  I use it daily.  I use it to read news and social media posts at night before falling asleep.  It is my alarm clock.  I check the weather first thing in the morning.  It tells me about the traffic in the morning and tells me when I need to leave for my first appointment.  Just like my cellphone, I couldn’t live without my Nexus 7.  But it is showing age, so I can’t wait for the new version to come out.
  9. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ – One of the worst names for a cell phone, but a great phone nonetheless!  I love the big screen, the camera is the best one I have ever seen, and it has built-in wireless charging and quick-charge.  The battery isn’t the greatest, and I don’t actually use the curved edges like I thought I would.  But it’s fast and looks beautiful.  I might walk out of the house without shoes on, but I would never go anywhere without my Edge+.

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Gadgeteer team EDC update – Steve Holt originally appeared on on February 27, 2017 at 7:30 am.

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Amazon gives the world over one million reasons to smile

Three things I love – Amazon, smiling and shopping!  (:  If you love to shop and you have an account at Amazon, you can do some good while you shop by helping to support a charitable organization of your choice.  It’s absolutely free to you.  The most difficult part will be deciding which of the almost 1 million 501(c)(3) charities you’d like to support.  You just need to visit smile.amazon.com, pick a charity, and make sure you are at the AmazonSmile page each time you buy so that $0.5 of your eligible purchases goes to your charity.  You are free to switch your charity each time you purchase if you’d like so you can spread the wealth around a little bit.  Every time you log in to shop, you will see your impact on the Amazon homepage which makes you feel good about being the informed consumer that you are!  That oughta make you smile.  For more information visit AmazonSmile.  (If you’re having trouble picking a group to support, there is a cat and dog foster care network called Up-Cycled Pets you could choose which is the one I support.)

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Amazon gives the world over one million reasons to smile originally appeared on on February 27, 2017 at 6:24 am.

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Become a doodling wizard with these How to Draw Cool Stuff books

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to draw but thought you had no talent, you can forget about that. You don’t need talent, you just need to exercise your drawing muscles and these books from Library Tales Publishing by art teacher and professional artist Catherine V. Holmes will help you do just that. There are three How to Draw Cool Stuff books which include Holidays Seasons and Events, Shading Texture Pattern Optical Illusions, and A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students. Each softbound book includes easy step by step instructions like you see in the image above, that will walk you through roughing out the object’s shape, adding details and then shading the final product.

Catherine makes drawing fun and easy. You’ll learn to draw buildings, basic anime characters, animals, and pretty much anything else you can think of. With the tutorials included in her books, you’ll learn skills that you can use to create your own original artwork.

The books are priced at $18.99 – $19.99. Find out more at howtodrawcoolstuff.com and purchase Catherine’s books on Amazon.

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Become a doodling wizard with these How to Draw Cool Stuff books originally appeared on on February 26, 2017 at 5:51 pm.

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This supersized digital photo frame puts real artwork on your walls

A few years ago digital photo frames were really popular. I always liked the idea of photo frames, but their size was never big enough in my opinion. Enter the Digital Art Museum from Hammacher Schlemmer. This huge 32 x 21 inch 1080P digital frame can be mounted on your wall to display famous works of art that can be changed with a swipe of your hand or via a connected mobile app.

The frame has 8GB of built-in memory that is capable of storing about 2000 images. Where do the images come from? You have to create a free account on the manufacturer’s website where you can download and even upload your own images to display on the frame. I know what you’re thinking… What happens if that manufacturer goes out of business and their website shuts down? Well, I asked Hammacher Schlemmer that very question and this is the answer I received:

Thank you for your email. There is no monthly charge to download the images. You would not be able to add your own art without going through the manufacturer’s website. If the manufacturer would go out of business you would still have the images on the memory card. You would not be able to add or remove images. You would also have the option of returning the item to us for a refund through our lifetime guarantee.

If you would like to display famous works of art or even your child’s last drawing on your wall, the Digital Art Museum is priced at $595 and is available from Hammacher Schlemmer. Visit their site for more info.

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This supersized digital photo frame puts real artwork on your walls originally appeared on on February 26, 2017 at 10:45 am.

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