The Lowdown
The Nomad Horween leather sleeve is a thing of beauty. Available for both the 13” and the 16” MacBook Pro, it offers refined protection… for a price. They’ve also announced a new leather mousepad; it’s the MacBook accessory you didn’t know you needed.
Overall
Pros
- Both products are the result of thoughtful, minimalist design
- Both are made from beautiful, tanned leather that will gain personality over time
- The mousepads are sightly smaller than the laptops and can be stored with them
- The sleeve has magnetic closures and a cutout so you can charge your laptop while protecting it
Cons
- Luxury pricing may be a disincentive to people who might otherwise purchase them
With just a few days left before 2020 ends, Nomad is releasing not one but two new products. Their Horween leather sleeve is a thing of beauty. Available for both the 13” and the 16” MacBook Pro, it offers refined protection… for a price. They’ve also announced a new leather mousepad; it’s the MacBook accessory you didn’t know you needed.
The Nomad Mousepad
The new Nomad Mousepad comes in two sizes. Both are made from Nomad’s signature Horween leather and are available in your choice of Rustic Brown or Black.
As the company explains, the mousepads are.
Designed to be the touchstone item that brings together your office space, study, or travel kit, Mousepad was built for extended use anywhere and anytime.
The Mousepads are made from minimally treated, vegetable-tanned leather. The heat-pressed surface gives it a clean, finished look and helps with the mousepads’ ability to work with almost every mouse, whether it has an optical or a laser sensor. The micro-textures rubber base helps keep the mousepads from slipping and adds just a bit of give for added comfort.
A simple rectangle of leather, the 13” model is slightly smaller than a 13” MacBook Pro. The 16” model is, as you might expect, slightly smaller than the 16” MacBook Pro. This is intentional and means you can easily slip the mousepad in the same bag or sleeve as the computer when traveling.
The 13” model measures 10.62 x 8.18 inches and offers 86.8 square inches of clickable space. The 16” model measures 12.59 x 9.48 inches and offers 119.3” of clickable space. Both are just 2.5mm (0.098”) thick. And both ship in an elegant presentation box and include a microfiber carrying bag.
Features Include:
- Gorgeous Leather: Made from minimally treated, vegetable-tanned leather from one of America’s oldest tanneries. This simply elegant mousepad pairs as the perfect travel companion for your 13-inch MacBook Pro and easily fits in the same carrying case your MacBook does, keeping all your essentials in one place.
- Premium Materials: Designed to be the only mousepad you will ever need. Featuring a rich, American-made, Horween leather surface and a no-slip micro-textured rubber base. The mousepad is a synthesis of the ultimate in functionality and style.
- Work From Anywhere: We made Mousepad just smaller than most 16-inch laptops for easy storage in any standard laptop bag or case, perfect for taking with you wherever your laptop goes. A rigid inner core and grippy rubber backing allow you to use Mousepad on almost any surface.
- Made for MacBook: Precise sizing to pair perfectly with 16-inch and 13-inch MacBooks. Available in our signature Rustic Brown and Black Horween Leather.
If you use a mouse with your laptop, these mouse pads will help turn any surface into a workspace. I’m spending most of my days in front of my desktop, and I’m finding the mousepad helps make my mouse far more responsive AND a bit more comfortable. With so many of us doing all of our work and communicating through our computers while this pandemic rages, don’t you owe it to yourself to create the most comfortable and efficient workspace you can? These $59.99 mousepads are a relatively easy way to do just that. Check them out here.
MacBook Pro Sleeve
The mousepads were a nice surprise, but today’s big announcement was the announcement of Nomad’s first sleeves for MacBook Pros.
Nomad is releasing the new sleeves in two sizes. The version for the 13” MacBook Pro is $229.95, while the version for the 16” MacBook Pro is $249.95. (I reached out to the company and was pleased to learn the model for the 13” MacBook Pro will also fit the new MacBook Air I’m ordering soon.) I’ll be honest; when we first heard about these sleeves, I was a bit taken aback by the price tag. $229.95 for a laptop sleeve puts these well into “luxury item’ territory, and yet, after spending some time with the review sample I was sent, I have to report the pricing doesn’t seem quite as exorbitant as it initially did. These sleeves are gorgeous.
The sleeves are made from Nomad’s signature Horween leather, which, over time, develops a beautiful, unique patina. A compression-molded EVA interior gives the sleeves some rigidity and offers significant protection for your pricey Apple laptop. But as beautiful as the leather is, and it is, and as protective as the compression model EVA interior is, and it is protective, it is the details that make these sleeves special.
Such details include the small magnets sewn into the sleeve’s opening, so your laptop is safe and secured once inside, and the small cutout so you can charge your laptop while it is in the sleeve.
And of course, the workmanship is as good as you will find anywhere. As you can see from this closeup showing the clean edge alignment and tight, straight stitching, the attention to detail is remarkable.
Designed as a slim, protective sleeve for everyday use with your MacBook. Leather Sleeve’s high-density EVA shell offers the protection needed for wherever your work takes you. We designed a strong magnetic closure and reinforced stitching to keep your laptop securely inside no matter what your travels involve.
Back of the Nomad MacBook Pro Sleeve
I love Nomad’s leather goods. I have one of their Horween leather cases on my iPad Pro, and the surface of my Nomad wireless chargers (there are many around the house) is covered in the same beautiful leather. The sleeve for my 13” laptop is no exception. The leather is so beautiful that I was initially concerned about using it. Then again, protecting the thing that is designed to protect your laptop seems a bit silly. Thankfully, while the pristine leather will get scratches and marks over time, Nomad’s Horween leather actually takes on more personality as it wears in.
Features:
- EVA Protection: Leather Sleeve’s compression-molded EVA shell precisely follows the contours of your MacBook to create a snug form-fit. Using a high-density EVA gives Leather Sleeve the durability needed to keep its shape over time and provide long term protection for your MacBook.
- Secure Magnet Closure: This hands-free closure relies on 48 precisely positioned magnets to snap shut as soon as your MacBook is safely inside. The strong N42 grade magnets ensure your MacBook stays tucked away whether Leather Sleeve is carried inside a bag or on its own.
- Details Matter: A clever cutout allows USB-C port access for charging without having to remove your MacBook, and the soft microfiber liner allows your MacBook to slide in and out easily without worrying about scratches.
If you are looking for a truly luxurious way to protect your MacBook Pro (or MacBook Air) and you feel like splurging a bit, these sleeves are worth checking out. Availability may be a bit limited at first, but even the promise of a Nomad MacBook sleeve will make a great gift these last nights go Hannukah or with Christmas coming soon. Check it out here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review samples
What I Like: Both products are the result of thoughtful, minimalist design; Both are made from beautiful, tanned leather that will gain personality over time; The mousepads are sightly smaller than the laptops and can be stored with them; The sleeve has magnetic closures and a cutout so you can charge your laptop while protecting it
What Needs Improvement: Luxury pricing may be a disincentive to people who might otherwise purchase them