You don’t need a sleeve for your ’Book - and many bags make using a sleeve totally unnecessary. But for those bags that have extra room in the laptop compartment, or don’t offer enough padding, a sleeve is the answer. And if you just want a way to shield your MacBook or MacBook Pro from the atmosphere on quick walks between home and, say, Starbucks, a sleeve can offer that too.

For our money, cushier is better when it comes to sleeves. Which is why we fell for Built’s 15" Laptop Sleeve. It’s made of thick neoprene and sports a durable, easily maneuverable double zipper on one of the short ends. The top-loading design makes it perfect as a go-with for a vertically oriented messenger bag, or any backpack. Equally well padded and easy to get into and even more affordable at $24.95 is the Case Logic Reversible Laptop Shuttle, which ditches the zipper and instead uses a pillowcase-style fold-over closure.

The be.ez LArobe Color pads your laptop in a less squishy material - the company describes it as low-resilience polyurethane. The oddly entertaining thing about it is that when you press it with a finger, it holds the shape for about 10 minutes, eventually popping back out as if nothing had ever touched it.

Huzzk’s Sleevie is made from a rubberized material that’ll make any gearhead or street-style maven jealous. Available in a variety of patterns, colors, and textures for 13-inch MacBooks and 15-inch MacBook Pros, the Sleevie is a bit heavier than most sleeves - but it’s also heavy on individual style. For a more sophisticated yet totally mod look, consider toffee’s Leather Sleeve. It encases your laptop in soft, supple leather with reverse-stitching detail. The durable but delicate-looking zipper doesn’t go around full three sides like the Sleevie’s does, but it makes loading from a briefcase or messenger bag a cinch.

In the lower price range, you’ve got two solid options. Marware’s Sportfolio Sleeve has the same wetsuit-like appearance as Marware’s shoulder bag, and fits your ’Book snugly. Finally, for an ultra-lightweight option, check out Case-Mate Glovez.

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