Thule Gauntlet 3.0 MacBook Sleeve

Every international trip has its ups and downs. Mishaps are inevitable, mistakes bound to happen. After one of our tester’s first nights in Indonesia, he woke up to find a small puddle of water on the surface of the Thule Gauntlet 3.0 MacBook Sleeve. Luckily, the Polyurethane exterior of the sleeve kept his MacBook perfectly dry. For a digital nomad, a traveler who can’t leave their laptop at home, or even a city slicker commuting by bike, the third rendition of the Thule Gauntlet is a smart choice, and it is available for a variety of MacBooks and screen sizes.

Pros: The padded interior and weatherproof, tough exterior are a match made in—well, Sweden—and they successfully combat the everyday jostling a laptop is sure to receive in any backpack. Of note are the raised edges—many laptop sleeves possess a weakness around the perimeter, but this Thule laptop bag sidesteps that misstep with pronounced, padded trim around the zipper.

Cons: The Gauntlet’s clamshell design has its pros and cons. On the plus side, you can operate your laptop while it’s still armored by the case. The main con is that, because the case essentially opens at all three sides, you need to be careful to unzip the sleeve on a flat surface—the laptop can slip out of the slick fabric if you aren’t vigilant.

Tester Comment: “The sleek case doesn’t add much size to my pack, but it does offer me a certain amount of reassurance. I’m traveling constantly, and rely on this sleeve daily. So far, 6 states and 3 countries later, my laptop is still in functioning order. And that’s pretty neat.”

Bottom Line: A clamshell sleeve that offers considerable padding in a sleek body

Best for: Digital nomads, international travelers, and everyday commuters