Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
is the air m1 pretty durable??
- Thread starter Ratsaremyfreinds
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It feels durable but im not about to drop mine and find out
It is durable in the sense that it is more or less a slab of metal without points of weaknesses. However, the recycled-aluminium that they have been using has not been the hardest material out there, and is subject to dent / chip upon normal daily life abuse. But you can say such damages are just cosmetic, the actual structure is pretty sound, the hinge and keyboard are sturdy as bricks.
My old Air is 9 years old and looks like new, I was never that careful with it - it got thrown in a bag.
The new Air seems just as well built, if not better. I have no worries at all about it not being durable - more so as there isn't even a moving fan - 0 moving parts.
The new Air seems just as well built, if not better. I have no worries at all about it not being durable - more so as there isn't even a moving fan - 0 moving parts.
Depends on what you mean by "durable". Its made of metal, so it's fairly sturdy. But then again, it is unlikely to survive a drop, it scratches easily, and if you sit on it you'll probably damage the display. It's not a rugged machine by any means.
Don't put anything heavy on your laptop, don't poor liquids on it, don't leave it open when it's not in use (invites accidents), don't drop it, use protective padding — and you'll be fine.
Don't put anything heavy on your laptop, don't poor liquids on it, don't leave it open when it's not in use (invites accidents), don't drop it, use protective padding — and you'll be fine.
My Air has a tiny indentation above the headphone port, which I only spotted when applying the skin and can't see in normal use. I bought it as refurbished - not from Apple - with a hefty discount so it doesn't bother me. It only had one charge cycle so it's possible it was caused during the manufacturing process.
use my M1 on a tv tray in front of my chair while watching/listening to tv, had it charging while using it, lid open, dog ran by, got tangled in the cord, pulled the laptop off the tv tray on to the carpeted floor. my heart skipped a beat as i gently picked it up and checked it over. no apparent damage, no change in it's operation......WHEW !!
I've been in gun shops where they checked for rings, metal watch bands etc before letting people handle the goods. If you observe similar precautions with a MacBook - they're easily scratched - and if you also protect it from shocks, impacts, dropping, wet spills, caustic substances, noxious vapours, abrasive contacts, torsion or bending forces, intense magnetic fields, extreme temperatures, pressure on the lid or anywhere else, then yes, they're very durable. Practically bullet-proof. Oh, it's best to wear white cotton gloves to prevent finger smudges 
Seriously, I like my MacBooks to be absolutely pristine and can't bear to see so much as a speck of dust.
Seriously, I like my MacBooks to be absolutely pristine and can't bear to see so much as a speck of dust.
Do you mean recycled aluminium is softer than "new" aluminium?
From specifications it looks that MBA is using recycled aluminium but MBP is "new" aluminium. I have been always wondering if there should be any meaningful difference between the two in this regard because from my understanding/assuming they are using the carvings/shavings left from their own production rather than old beer cans and such...? I mean does it really matter if they just melt again shavings left our from MBP casing? Of course if they mean they just mix together all different series aluminum they use, I guess it is not so good then?
Does anyone know this and especially durability and hardness between recycled and new aluminium?
Last edited:
Same experience as both of you. I had my late 2011 MBA for 9 years and had zero complaints about it. When Apple ended software support for it, it still ran very well. The body is well built and still looked like new when I sold it.
I have the M1 now, since October, and still runs and looks like new. Software wise, best I’ve ever seen and experienced. They did a great job designing this powerful machine.
I just got my m1 MacBook Air last Friday, and have to wipe fingerprints off the lid and anywhere else they appear. it is such an awesome computer I want it showroom new as long as possible. wonder if there is any polish I can use like you do on a car to keep the finish nice. it is so awesome it deserves it.
Macs are sturdy. Use common sense when handling.
Friendly piece of advice you need to take heed of is never, ever have food and drinks around your Macs. Too many forum members have found out the hard way that that is not a good practice.
Friendly piece of advice you need to take heed of is never, ever have food and drinks around your Macs. Too many forum members have found out the hard way that that is not a good practice.
Depends. MacBooks can take some serious abuse and keep working. But I have noticed some dings over the years in the Al. This is especially true for the anodized colors. If you want to keep it looking brand new, I'd consider a case.
And since it's the Air, there are virtually no moving parts, so it should last for quite a while
And since it's the Air, there are virtually no moving parts, so it should last for quite a while
My personal opinion is that, while Macs are very well built, I'd never really consider them durable. While they'll still work fine if they take a whack, the thin aluminum can dent pretty easily.
I happen to have used a 2018 13" Pro prior to replacing it with the M1 Air as a daily carry machine. While this is nothing scientific, I do feel that the material in the Pro is slightly harder, or that the corners and edges of it feel less prone to shape-changing damages. I do not abuse my machines but I also don't babysit them either, your milage may vary, but overall it seems it is true that the higher tier models tend to equip with better structures and/or material. My father uses a 16" and it feels like it is indestructible unless dropped.
Too soon to tell if the M1 is pretty durable. We will know in a couple of years.
If this first week is any indication of how the new m1 MacBook air's will be.... they should be perfect. I got mine last Friday with the stimulus payment, charged the battery that night and again on Sunday night, and then used it from Monday thru yesterday without charging it and it still had 40% battery remaining.... kinda wanted to run it down more but didn't want to stress the new battery too much. It also feels very well built, in fact the only complaint I have about it, if you want to call it a complaint is how tightly the magnets hold it closed.
I also had MBP 13" 2019 before I got my MBA M1 but I'm still not sure about whether this is due to difference between recycled vs new aluminium hardness(?). IMHO MBA feels in many ways much more solid than MBP did probably due to "tighter" packed internals in MBA (so MBA does not have hollow sounding trackpad and keyboard, and also knocking the bottom case in different locations sounds much more solid in MBA compared to MBP). Also I could not tell any difference between display lids, they both feel equally solid to me when slightly pressing or twisting them (is it actually identical / interchangeable part between MBA and MBP besides the LCD-panel itself?). Most difference IMHO is in the bottom part while MBA more solid, it is also more flexible especially towards front but I think it could be mostly due to wedge shape, so slimmer and much more round shaped bottom part of the front makes is more vulnerable.
But it would be interesting to know how much recycled vs new aluminium makes difference in durability and hardness of the material? Based on what I read on Apple web site telling about recycled aluminium it sounded like there should not be any. But I still could not see any mentions whether recycled aluminum still is considered 6000 or 7000 series aluminium?
But how many hours you actually used the machine during that (not 72 hours I think)? I mean my point here is that I could have 3-4 weeks between charges with my MBP 13" 2019 if I did not use it much...
I don't care about cosmetics. a scratch here or there I'm ok with .I just don't want the screen to crack. im babying this thing. as said before I grew up very poor. so I tend to worry a bit more about my stuff id be so sad if I broke this wonderful laptop
The top lid is thin and the display glass is right underneath. A sharp impact to the top outer case could crack the glass. But this is not unique to the MacBook -- any thin laptop can suffer the same fate. If you're not going to baby it, consider a hardshell case or transport it in a padded case.
And while I don't know what country you're in, consider AppleCare if it's available to you.