Brenthaven’s current portfolio includes many different notebook sleeves, cases and bags. The Elite Sleeve series has two different models: the Elite Sleeve I and the Elite Sleeve II. Today, we reviewed the Elite Sleeve II, a 15.4” notebook sleeve.

Throughout testing, I was easily impressed by the overall durability of the Elite Sleeve II. The workmanship is superb and the quality of the materials used is top-notch. Also, the water-resistant properties of the Elite Sleeve II are excellent thanks to its external fabric made of 500D Cordura. As for padding, Brenthaven’s “High Density Foam Protection System” offered a good amount of protection for the notebook without adding bulk and weight.

Furthermore, the Elite Sleeve II’s Black/Green color scheme is very attractive. For those that do not like the colors, the Elite Sleeve II is also offered in Brown/Pink and Gray/Orange.



The magnetic flap of the Elite Sleeve II was fairly handy because it allowed for quick opening and closing of the case. Unfortunately, it was also the product’s main weakness. The flap is secured by two magnets. Because these magnets need to be well aligned to work properly, they narrow down the list of notebooks compatible with the sleeve. If your 15.4” laptop is just a bit too big for the case, then the flap will not properly close. Note that the Elite Sleeve II was designed for 15.4” MacBook Pros, which should fit quite nicely in the notebook sleeve. There is also the risk of damaging magnetic sensitive objects, such as magnetic stripe cards, when using the Elite Sleeve II.

Elsewhere, because the flap, by design, does not sit perfectly flush with the rest of the sleeve, it might get in the way when inserting the Elite Sleeve II into a backpack or when placing books next to it in a bag. Depending on how careful you are when using the sleeve, you can avoid these annoyances. Also, the flap adds thickness to the Elite Sleeve II and this makes the sleeve bulkier than a non-flap notebook sleeve.

In terms of price, the Brenthaven Elite Sleeve II is sold at € 34.96 / US$ 34.95 from the company’s website. This puts Brenthaven’s product as one of the more expensive notebook sleeves. However, given the overall quality and durability of the Elite Sleeve II, the extra cost is justifiable. I only wish that a simple zipper was used instead of the magnetic flap because the annoyances of the Elite Sleeve stem from the flap design.

With all of this in mind, Vortez awards the Brenthaven Elite Sleeve II the Vortez Silver Award.