What’s the Consensus on Protective Shells?

[Neil J. Squillante]

Protective shells don't seem popular in this forum given the dearth of messages. The argument in favor is obvious. But do these shells damage a MacBook Pro over time because of the extra weight on the hinge or the pressure on the display from the plastic fasteners? Are soft shells safer than hard shells?

 

[dborja]

I used to use a skin on my MBAirs. When I went to an MBPro, I switched to a clear shell. It is quite thin and light and the fastener tabs are not putting pressure on the display.

 

[MBAir2010]

My MacBook Air 2010 has a hard shell since 2018 without any damage to the case.
The Macbook pro from 2012 i now own was a university computer that had a pink hard shell
that caused damage on the lower case while the keypad cover left 2 marks on the screen.
i'm looking into purchasing a protective cover case (navy or a nice blue) for the MacBook Air M1 2020
since i am getting a tad careless and my fluffy cat sleeps on the keyboard now
that can cause a knock or move, she just started that trend today!

any advice or recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[ignatius345]

I would never do it, personally. I'm already wanting as thin and light of a laptop as I can get my hands on, and to me adding a chunky plastic cover just looks nasty -- reminds me of old people who buy furniture and then keep it covered in a clear plastic cover 100% of the time. I'm also fine with it picking up a few little scratches here and there and generally treat my MacBooks carefully enough they wind up in good cosmetic shape for resale when I'm done with them.

I did splurge on a very nice leather sleeve (Woolnut) with a wool liner inside, but that just lives in my bag. I've managed to carry it forward for several MacBooks now and will probably keep doing so unless I somehow get a dramatically larger laptop that doesn't fit -- not likely.

 

[ISKOTB]

My MacBook Air 2010 has a hard shell since 2018 without any damage to the case.
The Macbook pro from 2012 i now own was a university computer that had a pink hard shell
that caused damage on the lower case while the keypad cover left 2 marks on the screen.
i'm looking into purchasing a protective cover case (navy or a nice blue) for the MacBook Air M1 2020
since i am getting a tad careless and my fluffy cat sleeps on the keyboard now
that can cause a knock or move, she just started that trend today!

any advice or recommendations would be appreciated!

Amazon

 

[Realityck]

Protective shells don't seem popular in this forum given the dearth of messages. The argument in favor is obvious. But do these shells damage a MacBook Pro over time because of the extra weight on the hinge or the pressure on the display from the plastic fasteners? Are soft shells safer than hard shells?

I use only a soft shell case that can be used standalone or placed inside backpack or luggage. Yeah bought it for preventing avoidable roughness or impacts in the latter. I see no benefits with hard shells like iPhones utilized.

 

[Alameda]

Protective shells don't seem popular in this forum given the dearth of messages. The argument in favor is obvious. But do these shells damage a MacBook Pro over time because of the extra weight on the hinge or the pressure on the display from the plastic fasteners? Are soft shells safer than hard shells?

I've had hard shell covers on my MacBooks in the past, and what happens is that dust and grit get in-between the cover and the aluminum and scratch it. So you have to take the shell off and wipe it and the laptop off if you want to avoid that.

With the iPhone cases, you protect the phone against drops. With a laptop case, you're protecting against scratches... and when you get the scratches anyway, it doesn't make sense to me.

 

[MBAir2010]

MY MBA m1 hit the floor yesterday
the culprit, a stand with the rubber slide off and fell.
oh well!

that is hardy noticeable but has dropped in resale $ value tho!

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I guess I’ve always assumed the main reason people use iPhone cases is to keep the glass and camera lenses from being destroyed if you drop it.
Same with the iPad, given that an entire side of it is a massive sheet of glass, but also with the functional benefit of different viewing angles.
With a Mac, even a laptop is usually semi stationary, and when it’s being moved from one place to another it’s folded in such a way where all of the very breakable stuff is protected and the outside is just aluminum.
Plastic over the aluminum seems completely redundant to me, a sleeve will be much more protective against the drops and if you’re trying to avoid scratches, the shell could actually do the opposite and introduce more.

 

[TechRunner]

Never saw the need for one as I handle my laptops with care and carry them in a nice padded case when taking them elsewhere. But everyone's needs and personal philosophies differ, so do what works for you.