If you’re in the market for a stylish and protective sleeve for your MacBook Pro, Woolnut’s premium leather sleeve is definitely worth considering. Our review covers everything from the quality of the leather to the stitching and overall design, so you can make an informed decision before investing in this high-end accessory.
For me, accessories for my Apple devices need to be as premium as the devices themselves. We are all paying top dollar for our iPhones, iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks. Often, these machines cost hundreds of dollars more than the nearest competitor. Yet, we pay the price anyway.
Consequently, I think this premium experience should extend to any accessories that I pair with my Apple gadgets. Woolnut has become that consistent accessory maker for me.
Let’s take a look at their 14″ MacBook Pro leather sleeve.
Woolnut leather sleeve for 14″Â MacBook Pro
I’ve been using a Woolnut sleeve for my MacBook Pro “Escape” for almost two years. That’s definitely considered a long term review. Every day, I pull my MacBook Pro in and out of that sleeve, jam it in and out of my backpack, and slide it around at home. It is my MacBook placemat if I am working while traveling. It’s just as great as the day I opened it — perhaps a little more patina’ed, given the leather breaks in over time.
Woolnut was kind enough to send me an updated 14″ model for the all new MacBook Pro 14″ form factor.
The first thing I noticed was the leather smell, even before opening the package. Back to this idea of premium experiences, the Woolnut package is fitting for the product. It’s an Apple-like experience. There is an outer box, then holds in inner box, almost like a nice boxed book set. Pull out the inner box, open that box, and you will find the sleeve carefully placed inside a reusable cloth bag. The overall packaging itself is impressive to hold. I’m hanging words on the packaging because it is a leading indicator the company is also obsessed with the details of their actual product.
At this point, the smell of their “signature” full-grain Scandinavian leather is not missable. Paired with 100% natural wool felt, the precision stitching holds everything together in a tight package.
When first sliding the 14-inch MacBook Pro into the sleeve, it is a very satisfyingly tight fit. It fits, no doubt, but it is obvious where the leather will begin breaking-in around the edges, just like my previous generation. The pebbled texture ages over time and becomes even smoother.
Of note, there is a reinforcement stitch on the edge of each side, where the sleeve opens. This ensures the constant push and pull of the MacBook Pro does not separate the top and bottom layers.
Nitpicks
The leather and wool is sandwiched and pulled together with an edge-style stitch. Consequently, this leaves about a 1 or 2 millimeter leather margin around the sleeve’s parameter.
As predicted, on my previous version, the bottom parameter edge is smushed slightly from holding the weigh of my laptop for two years while resting upright in my backpack. However, it has not degraded my experience and does not look unsightly — I’m only drawing attention here because it would be interesting to see what an inside stitched might offer from looks and functionality.
Essentially, the sleeve is stitched and then pulled inside out, so the stitch remains inside, leaving no margin. This does however, cause a thicker edge. I’ve seen this done on other sleeves to success, but I digress.
There are some competing solutions that offer different colored wool interiors to match their larger setup. Woolnut only offers the chance to customize the outer leather color, but not their traditional gray wool felt. It would be playful to customize both.
When paying a premium price for a premium product, I’m never really a fan of branding. There is a subtle Woolnut logo debossed on one side of the sleeve. It is small, tasteful, and only on the bottom of the back. Fine. But, there is also a very nice cloth tag sewn into the inside, that still reminds people where they got the product.
In whole, none of these are a real concern of mine, but for the sake of a review, they are worth noting.
Conlusion
Having used Apple leather products in the past, I can certainly say that I prefer Woolnut products much better. I have a little fleet of Woolnut products at this point and I’ll share my opinions on their AirPods Pro case in a future post.
All of the accessories I have are in their Cognac color and all of them perfectly match. They go great with my black and brown leather Alpha Bravo Tumi backpack. I travel a lot on business and meet often with clients. Having a professional set of accessories adds to my professional image, which is important in my line of work.
You could accuse me of being a Woolnut fanboy. If it seems like I’ve been Woolnut-heavy in my recent reviews, you’d be correct. Currently, outside of Wallpapers of the Week, I am only spending time reviewing products that I am predisposed to like. Why spend time elsewhere?
Get yourself a Woolnut sleeve for any of several MacBook sizes. This particular model is fit specifically for MacBook Pro 14″ and comes in Black, Cognac, Green, and Grey. They can be optioned in Leather or Matte PU. The cost is $119, which given the above commentary, it is no surprise I believe to be a reasonable price for the quality product.