11″ MacBook Air Accessory Review: Waterfield’s MacBook Air Wallet

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My wife Elana is not a gadget person, not in the least. She would prefer to read a physical magazine or book and spends as little time working on a computer as she can. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not averse to technology but she doesn’t get excited by it the way some *cough cough* do.

That noted, she has now had her 11″ MacBook Air for about 2 1/2 months, and she continues to gush about it. She loves it and describes it as “the best computer she has ever used”.

The 11″ MBA is an amazing computer, and it is a laptop that just SCREAMS “I’m portable!!! Take me with you!!!” Yes, this is one notebook that you can easily keep with you all the time. As such, it requires a good way to carry and protect it and a few key accessories. Waterfield has a great solution for that in the form of their MacBook Air Wallet for the 11″ MBA.

We’ve had one here for a while now, and while I don’t personally have an 11″ MBA any more, Elana has been kind enough to let me use hers so I could offer my thoughts.

Here’s a look …

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From Waterfield:

MacBook Air Wallet™

Productivity on the Go. The MacBook Air Wallet™ is your compact MacBook Air travel case for the 11″ & 13″ MacBook Air and accessories. Three scratch free, lightly padded internal pockets keep your MacBook Air, SuperDrive, power adapter, and accessories separate and safe. A stretchy back pocket provides all the storage you need for your complete mobile office. Impact-resistant inserts further protect the MacBook Air and other accessories.

The svelte and stylish MacBook Air case comes in a choice of six panel colors, each with distressed brown leather sides. YKK self-locking zippers seal the deal. Do yourself—and your gear—a favor and order a MacBook Air Wallet to keep your 11″ or 13″ MacBook Air and accessories safe, organized and secure…and look good doing it.

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The MBA Wallet comes in black, copper, flame, green, pearl and pine. It offers great protection and a plentiful amount of storage.

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The back of the MBA Wallet has a pocket made from a stretchable material. This is great for storing something to which you want quick, and/or frequent access.

The back panel of the Wallet has two layers of protection so that the MBA is truly protected when inside.

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As you can see, the Wallet is designed to JUST fit the MBA. This makes sure it is snug in its place when you are on the go.

The front has a layer of foam built-in as its method of protecting the MBA. The bottom of the Wallet (when held vertically) has extra material built-in so the MBA don’t get dented when set down on the ground or a table in the orientation.

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The heavy-duty zipper is “self-locking”. That means once the Wallet is closed and you drop the grip flat on the bag it is locked in place and won’t accidentally open.

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The inside sections of the Wallet are all made from soft material that not only won’t scratch the MBA but that all offer a bit more bump protection sue to their cushy feel.

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The main interior pocket is the perfect size for the 11″ MBA.

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The laptop slides in easily; the pocket is sized so that it is not only protected but so that it won’t (can’t) shift either.

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The laptop sits just below the top of the pocket snuggly protected inside.

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Because the MBA’s pocket is toward the back the computer literally sits on top of the two sheets of protective plastic that are hidden in the layers of material.

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The 11″ MBA gets good, but not great, battery life. That means you’ll want to bring your power adapter with you on the go. It is also likely that you will want to bring some other gear that might be handy for mobile productivity. Fortunately the MacBook Air Wallet isn’t a sleeve. Rather it is a Wallet-case that has plenty of storage space.

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Smaller pockets are perfect for smaller accessories like the power adapter…

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Or a MagicMouse…

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Or a MagicTrackpad.

In other words, whatever gear YOU need to bring along with you to get your work (or play) done on the go.

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The MacBook Air Wallet for 11″ MBA is “typical Waterfield” in the very best of ways. It is made from high quality materials and constructed with care so as to ensure that it will hold up for years to come. [I have a MacBook sleeve I bought from them years ago. It has been used and abused and is still in amazing condition!] The Wallet isn’t flashy and it doesn’t make a fashion statement. What it does do is protect your precious laptop and let you bring along everything you need to have during the day or on a trip.

Oh, and the Wallet has one more trick up its sleeve.

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For an additional few dollars you can add D-Rings and get a strap so that the Wallet can function like a mini-briefcase. It certainly makes a great “grab and go” kit for the MacBook that was built to travel.

Here’s a video of the Wallet so you can get a better idea what it offers.

The MacBook Air Wallet for 11″ MBA is available directly from Waterfield SF Bags. Information and ordering can be found here on their site.

MSRP: $89, add $5 for D-rings and either $9 or $19 for a shoulder strap (depends on which strap you order)

What I Like: Great materials and construction; Goldilocks-sized in that it is “not too big and not too small”; offers excellent protection without adding a tremendous amount of weight

What Needs Improvement: It is no fashion-statement but it does have a nice, understated look; They don’t have a MacBook Air Wallet for the 13″ MBA, and that’s what I’m using. Oh, wait… They have one coming?! Never mind. 😉

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

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