By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
People who use the 11-inch MacBook Air love its svelte size and portability and finding the right case for protection that doesn't add significant bulk is a big deal. Incipio's Feather slim case ($49.99) manages to protect the smallest MacBook while maintaining the notebook's thin and light profile.
Incipio's Feather slim case for the MacBook Air comes as two pieces of thin yet sturdy polycarbonate that snap to the top and bottom cases of the MacBook Air. The case is reasonably high quality, it is less than 1 mm thick and makes other snap-on cases look much thicker. The Incipio feather sports a matte finish with a satin treatment to the paint. We found that this added to the grippiness factor and made the usually slippery MacBook Air easier to carry.
Installation is a breeze, simply position the case in the right place and the small clips grab on to the aluminium surface of the MacBook Air.
The benefit of this type of protection is that you don't have to worry about placing the notebook on any surface as the top and bottom are well protected. In the event that you drop the notebook then you have a level of protection that should help dissipate the impact.
The Incipio Feather slim case allows access to all the ports but isn't very well designed to take on the MagSafe adapter
The Incipio Feather slim case also allows access to all the vital ports and the bottom case also features a number of vents to make it easier to cool the MacBook Air's CPU and GPU. We did find that the case makes it hard to use the MagSafe power adapter which barely connects to the MacBook Air because there isn't enough clearance.
We also noticed that the quality of the paint wasn't consistent as there were a few areas that seemed scuffed, not a big deal but we expect more from a $50 accessory. The matte surface of the case is also susceptible to tracking smudges and fingerprints but these are easily wiped away by a damp cloth.
Overall, the Incipio Feather slim case for the MacBook Air is a great option for protection. With this sort of case users can pop the MacBook Air in any sleeve or carrying bag without worrying that the case will get scratched or damaged. The Incipio Feather slim case is available in matte black, purple, red and indigo.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5