GAMbIT Magazine Issue #18 February 20156 | Page 45

I have a real problem when it comes to cases. Doesn’t matter if it’s for a MacBook or for an iPhone. My issue is that you spend all this money on a fancy bit of tech only to buy a case that negates everything that makes it cool. Oh, you have a nice sleek iPhone, how about we slap on a big ugly case. Got a new MacBook that you took out a loan for, lets put on a case that makes it look like a generic laptop from the early 2000s. On top of all this, many cases are nothing more than plastic shells that couldn’t take the weight of five mosquitoes landing on it. When I bought my 13 inch MacBook Pro I also snagged a standard case from the Apple Store. I was never very happy spending $60 on plastic case, especially when I never trusted the protection it offered.

In the preceding time I have bumped my MacBook Pro and every time I’ve done so, I’ve freaked myself out thinking I broke the machine. As I travel a lot for work, I am always concerned for the safety of my MacBook, even while in that case and inside a bookbag. Recently a part of the case snapped off for whatever reason while in my travel bag (a stray mosquito no doubt) and I needed a new case. Urban Armor Gear was right up my alley as it offered up a seriously heavy-duty case while still keeping the sleek look of my MacBook Pro intact. The company sent me out a unit to review and after quickly and easily snapping it into place, I was good to go.

The case will cost you $79.99, but if you are going to spend over a thousand bucks on a MacBook Pro you will probably be okay spending a little extra to keep it safe. What makes the UAG special is that it comes as one single piece, instead of being broken up into two parts like most cases. The UAG uses a FrogSkin grip that connects both pieces on the back, while giving you a great grip when you carry your laptop around. The case is clear (The ICE model) so you can see your MacBook in all its glory, and the entire thing is incredibly light. The surrounding trim of the case is lined with impact resistant plastic that seems to do the job without adding a lot of bulk, and while it is military drop-tested, I’m not going to test that out for myself unless Apple wants to send me a new MacBook for “testing” purposes. The case touts that it meets military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6) which is pretty impressive, and I’m just going to take their word for it.

What I really like, and something that my other case don’t offer, are the cooling vents on the underside. Laptops get hot, regardless of brand, and having a case will only make this worse. This may not sound like a big deal to many, but heat is the silent killer when it comes to laptop components, which is why they sell those ridiculous laptop cooling devices. With the Urban Armor Gear case on you get better cooling that almost any other case without losing the strength in the process.

The Urban Armor Gear MacBook Pro case is a really solid buy that will protect your fancy lappy while still allowing it to look nice a sleek. While I’m not going to be dropping my MacBook all over the place, I no longer worry when it gets knocked around while on the go. One thing to remember is that UAG offers up a number of cases, but the MacBook Pro models are only compatible with the newer Retina Displays and not the older models. The packaging itself doesn’t mention this, but the website does, so just remember that when buying as I’ve seen some people complain about this online. Still, that minor gripe aside, the Urban Armor Gear case for the MacBook Pro 13 Inch is arguably the best case you can snag for your precious machine.

Urban Armor Gear – MacBook Pro 13″ Case