Best Ways Of Protecting Your MacBook Without Bulk Guide

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Many of us Mac users in the tech community often travel with Apple's aluminum MacBooks, primarily straight into a coffee shop like Starbucks or around our cozy home. There are so many options out there for carrying and protecting your investment using bulky bags and sleeves. MacBooks are already thin and very portable machines so why not stay true to the portability and use non-bulky means of protection? We are here to give you a few good examples on how you can stay protected without the bulky cost. Just got a new MacBook Air that's so thin and portable, it's the main reason why you got it in the first place? You can protect it with some great options including the MacBook Pro in any screen size. Jump past the break for some cool ways of staying protected without the unnecessary bulk at all time. 

There are three ways you can go about protecting your lovely MacBook at all times. One of the best methods is to use a hard shell cover for both the top and bottom parts of your MacBook. Hard shell covers are made from hard plastic and will keep your MacBook protected against any damage that may cause dents and scratches to the aluminum body or worse. This is also the most expensive way of protection. There are many choices out there of hard shell covers but here are some of the best choices hand picked:

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Speck has been in the game of making hard shell covers for MacBooks for the longest time and they've gotquite a bit of options for you. You can choose from Speck's SeeThru line which is semi-transparent hard shells that are available in 7 colors including clear. For those who prefer a matte finish with a soft touch coating opposed to the glossy SeeThru, the SeeThru Satin line is the way to go with less color options of just 4. Both the SeeThru and SeeThru Sating hard shell covers protect the top, bottom and sides of the MacBook and are available for all the current MacBook line for $49.95.

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Incase is also one of the top names in Mac accessories and their hard shell covers are only available in 7different matte colors with a soft-touch coating for all the MacBook line except for the MacBook Air for $49.95. In addition, Incase's Perforated hard shell stands apart from the crowd with its unique perforated design. It's available in black and white with a soft-touch coating for $59.95.

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Skins would be your second weapon of choice in the quest of protecting your MacBook. Skins are a much more affordable way of protection but at the same time they offer much less protection. Skins will only provide you with scratch protection and they are the best option of doing so. There are various skins on the market but here are some of the best options available.

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GelaSkins are probably the most known form of protective skins for many gadgets. GelaSkins are 3M skins with a wide variety of artistic designs to choose from other than the DIY custom process which allows you to upload your own image to create a custom skin for your MacBook. GelaSkins are available for every single MacBook currently on the market. The easy to remove and re-apply skins are one of my favorite forms of protection and they can be had for $29.95.

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The Lucky Labs' Teksure skins for the MacBook line is the go to place for those who are in love with the carbon fiber look. Unlike the GelaSkins skins, The Lucky Labs' skins are available to protect the top, bottom and even the hinge of your MacBook. The cool factor about these skins is that you're able to select a different colored Apple logo insert so that you can completely transform the way your MacBook looks to your liking. The top only skin runs for $24.99 and is available in various textures and colors while a bottom skin will set you back $24.99 as well. Pretty pricey is you're looking to completely protect your MacBook like a hard shell cover does.

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Wrapsol skins are a different kind of skin that requires a wet installation process to apply them. The advantage of using Wrapsol skins is that they are clear and matte leaving your MacBook looking exactly like it would naked yet it remains protected from scratches. For $49.95, a Wrapsol kit includes protection for both the top and bottom of your MacBook as well as the palm rest area. Wrapsol skins are available for all the current MacBook line and are one of the best ways to get a complete scratch protection system while retaining the look of the MacBook's aluminum finish and color.

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Last but certainly not least, ultra-thin sleeves might be another great option for a non-bulky protection solution. While sleeves are better for transport, they can go along very well when paired together with a skin to get the maximum scratch protection even while working. Here are some of the thinnest sleeves you and your MacBook will adore.

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RadTech's ultra-thin form-fitting sleeves made from their Optex screen cleaning fabric called the Sleevz, are available in 7 different colors for $24.95, and they are available for almost any MacBook. The one-piece design and flat seams construction looks clean and modern. Perfectly goes together with any MacBook.

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WaterField Designs also has a similar ultra-thin sleeve called the Suede Jacket Sleeve and it too is available for all the current MacBooks. The Suede Jacket Sleeve is made with the company's Ultrasuede material that is form-fitting. An embedded layer of neoprene inside the sleeve adds a bit more protection when you set your MacBook down compared to RadTech's Sleevz. Another advantage are pull-tabs on either side to help you insert your MacBook but take away the clean look that as of the Sleevz. The Suede Jacket Sleeve is available in top or side loading configurations in black only for $25 - $35, respectively.