Review: Twelve South’s chic new leather Journal is the MacBook of MacBook cases

Premium Apple accessory maker Twelve South yesterday launched a create novel identify unit of measurement of luxury cases for Mac notebooks, including the latest MacBook Air, which construct on the successful Journal for iPhone series. Much similar Twelve South’s BookBook series, these novel notebook sleeves are made from the same rich full-grain leather sourced from New Zealand.

As you lot tin post away imagine, it looks but similar a mag consummate alongside spine as well as the zippers.

We briefly played alongside the novel Journal for MacBook ahead of its launch as well as desire to part our hands-on impressions alongside you lot guys, but start lookout Twelve South’s video embedded below that’ll give you lot a practiced thought of their production process.

Yes, these are handmade cases.

Now, this novel Journal illustration sure looks abrupt as well as polished without taking whatever of the functionality you’re used to from Twelve South. They were sort plenty to post both xiii as well as 15-inch sizes as well as nosotros had a conduct chances to bear a quick test of the novel Journal sleeve.

Matches your elevated sense of style

It’s swell that the 13-inch edition perfectly fits both Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the novel MacBook Air model for 2018 alongside the Retina display. However, it was but a tad equally good skinny for the previous-generation MacBook Air that I nevertheless own.

As person who comes from their hardback BookBook leather cases, I directly roughshod inwards honey alongside the Journal. On the outside, it’s all a minimalist design. Contrast this to the BookBook serial looks similar a Harry Potter spell book, which may attract unwanted attention.

These novel Journals await abrupt as well as business. They’re totally unassuming, yet real stylish. This is truly swell intelligence because you lot don’t desire people to know there’s a pricey laptop inside.

The solely hints are the give-and-take “Journal” printed on spine as well as Twelve South’s logo embossed on the back. The contemporary backstitching gives the production a professional person await as well as feel. You also convey your dual leather zipper pulls to avoid scratching the notebook’s enclosure.

The micro-suede lining as well as reinforced corners on the within drib dead on the notebook condom as well as secure. Like alongside BookBooks, the Journal makes it slowly to usage your computer, type on it comfortably, access the USB-C ports as well as to a greater extent than spell it remains safely wrapped inwards leather.

It beingness made of the impeccable full-grain leather (each unit of measurement undergoes a six-step semi vegetable tanning treatment) agency your Journal volition educate a unique patina adding to its character. The illustration is H2O as well as UV resistant thank you lot to crude oil as well as wax treatment.

Aside from practiced looks, you’re going to similar a hidden compartment underneath your notebook. This is where you lot tin post away shop documents, contracts, proposals, a difficult re-create of your Keynote presentation or whatever other of import paperwork.

Twelve South’s representative has informed me they’re planning on creating an entire identify unit of measurement of Journal products that are “not solely beautiful but functional for your MacBook needs.” In the meantime, check out the entire Journal identify unit of measurement on the Twelve South website.

Conclusion

If you lot already ain a BookBook case, upgrading to the novel Journal is a no-brainer. If you lot don’t convey a illustration for your notebook, you’re wholeheartedly recommended to depository fiscal establishment check these novel Journal options fifty-fifty if you’re unfamiliar alongside Twelve South products.

Notebook cases similar this are sure non for everyone given their price, textile as well as construct quality, but neither are Apple’s notebooks. As person who has paid through the olfactory organ for Apple’s ain leather MacBook sleeve, that await boring, I run into a lot of value inwards these novel Journals.

In fact, I’ve owned Twelve South’s BookBook cases for years as well as tin post away attest to their sturdiness as well as longevity. The novel Journal doesn’t await similar it’ll autumn apart later on a few months of heavy plain use—quite the contrary, construct lineament is top notch as well as seems to hap fifty-fifty the BookBooks.

Summing up, you lot don’t convey to hold out a fashionista, a technology scientific discipline influencer, a cool hipster or a busy digital nomad  to tote this illustration roughly similar a pro—they’ve created the novel Journal for people from all walks of life who run into value inwards thoughtful design.

Pros as well as cons

Here’s what nosotros liked as well as disliked nearly the novel Journal.

Pros

• Its built-in bag conceals of import documents


• The complete matches Twelve South’s AirSnap inwards Cognac


• Water as well as UV resistant

Cons

• Price could hold out a fleck lower (they’re pricing against Apple)


• Like all leather, you lot volition non desire to send it roughly when it’s raining because pelting tin post away drive stains on the illustration as well as if you lot effort to create clean them alongside lather you’ll solely launder out the dye used to coloring the leather.

The Journal was designed for all MacBook models, the novel MacBook Air (2018) as well as MacBook Pros that convey USB-C ports (late 2016-current).

Pricing as well as availability

The Journal illustration is available in ii variants: i is for the 2018 MacBook Air model or the 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the other is designed for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

You tin post away buy the novel Journal directly from the Twelve South webstore. The 13-inch version goes for $150 a popular spell the 15-inch edition retails for $170. It’s solely available inwards the stately Cognac coloring which matches their leather AirPods illustration inwards Cognac perfectly.

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