Incase is one of my favorite companies. Their minimalistic approach to their products is both eye pleasing and functional, two major buying points for most consumers. Incase makes Apple-centric accessories that range from iPhone cases to MacBook sleeves to headphones. When I purchased my MacBook Air 11″ in August, I also picked up the Nylon Sling Sleeve to carry it around campus. Through six weeks of use, it’s still my go-to bag for carry my MacBook Air. Read on after the break for my thoughts.
The Nylon Sling Sleeve is a messenger-esque bag for your MacBook Air 11″. The bag is a steel grey color with green accents, and is very eye pleasing. Furthermore, it’s made out of weather resistant nylon that’s sure to hold up in the rain and other inclement weather. The front of the bag possesses two separate pockets lined with Topo print that can be opened with a single zipper. The left pocket is an organizational pocket of sorts with places for pens or pencils and business cards. The right pocket, however, has no slots and can be used for things like flash drives or other accessories. Also on the front of the bag is the Incase logo, which has always been one of my favorites.
The back of the Nylon Sling Sleeve possesses a sole pocket which operates via velcro. Moreover, the pocket runs the entire length of the bag, which is good to use with your MacBook charger or other larger items like folders or magazines. One setback I did notice is that, because the bag is for such a small computer, most papers will not be completely covered, but exposed to the elements. However, I don’t feel as if Incase could have done anything different with the pocket because of the bag’s size limitations.
Moving to the top of the bag, Incase has included both a high quality shoulder strap and handles for a bimodal way of carrying the Nylon Sling Sleeve. What’s more is that if you opt not to use the handles, they can be easily hidden away via two pockets from which the handles originate. The shoulder strap is removable if you should decide to use the handles exclusively. Both the d-rings and the clips on the shoulder strap are of high quality, as they are made of hard plastic and aluminum alloy respectively.
The inside of the Nylon Sling Sleeve is lined with a faux fur material that is extremely soft to the touch. That is, you won’t have to worry about your MacBook Air getting scratched while it’s being carried around. The zipper that opens the main compartment is also of high quality and weather resistant to not allow water in during transportation.
The Incase Nylon Sling Sleeve is, without a doubt, the best laptop bag I’ve ever used. While it does have a few setbacks, such as the pockets being rather small, they are easily forgiven taking into consideration the quality of construction of the bag. Being a college student, I’m able to easily carry my Air from class to class without having to worry about inclement weather or other numerous papers, as I keep most of my school work stored digitally. At $59.95, the Nylon Sling Sleeve may seem a bit pricey, but the cost is justified with the quality of the bag. You can check out the Incase Nylon Sling Sleeve on Incase’s website.
MSRP: $59.95
PROS: Great construction and quality, comfortable to carry, ample pocket room considering the bag’s size.
CONS: The pockets are a bit small, but this is a limitation of the size of the bag.
Original Author: Roger Ogden
