Protection

The Brenthaven Elite Sleeve II is made of 100% nylon. The external shell is made of 500D Cordura. Cordura is a brand-name for fabrics designed for durability and resistance to various insults. In this situation, the Cordura fabric gives the Elite Sleeve excellent water-resistant properties. Even after letting water set on top of the Elite Sleeve II for ten minutes, the water only mildly penetrated the shell. Still, the water did not reach the inside of the notebook sleeve.



In addition to the water-resistant properties, the Elite Sleeve II features Brenthaven’s Elite High Density Foam Protection System:



Although I did not throw or drop the sleeve against a hard surface, I would not be surprised if the Elite Sleeve II could cushion those accidental minor falls and protect the notebook from damage. For a € 34.96 / US$ 34.95 notebook sleeve, the padding is much greater than those found on cheaper notebook sleeves.

Convenience

The biggest selling point of the Elite Sleeve II is perhaps its magnetic flap. These magnets make closing and opening the notebook sleeve quickly. The magnets are fairly strong as well, and they will secure the notebook well. Although many people will be uncomfortable with putting magnets near a notebook, the chances of damaging the computer components are unlikely. The magnets are likely not strong enough to do such a thing. Even after inserting, removing and carrying the Dell Inspiron 1525 for three weeks, there was no apparent damage to the hard drive’s data.



It is worth noting that the magnetic will most likely damage magnetic stripe cards, such as a typical credit card. This is very undesirable. Although the magnets add a nice amount of convenience, I feel that they offer little advantage over a Velcro strap or a zipper. Unlike the magnets, these two latter systems offer a good amount of convenience and security without the risk of damaging magnetic sensitive components.

Furthermore, in order to properly use the magnet flap, the magnet on the sleeve and the flap must be properly aligned. This narrows the compatibility the list of the Elite Sleeve II because it makes the sleeve incompatible with any notebook that is too thick or long. This problem would not be seen with a large Velcro strap.

General Usage

Although I did not use a notebook that perfectly fitted the Elite Sleeve II, I did notice a few annoyances. The largest annoyance has to do with the flap-over design itself. Seeing as the Elite Sleeve II has no handles or a carrying strap, it was designed to be placed inside another bag, such as a backpack. Because the flap does not cover the sleeve in its entirety, it sometimes folded over itself when I inserted the notebook case into my backpack. Also, unless you are careful, inserting textbooks on the same side as the sleeve’s flap might hook the leather corner of the flap. Furthermore, the flap adds thickness of the sleeve, making the Elite Sleeve take more space in a backpack than a non-flap notebook sleeve.

I feel that a flap design such as the one seen on the Elite Sleeve II should be reserved for messenger bags and not notebook sleeves.



Asides from this annoyance, the Elite Sleeve II was durable and reliable. The Dell Inspiron 1525 and the HP EliteBook 6930p did not suffer any damage during their usage with the Elite Sleeve II. Even after three weeks of usage, the Elite Sleeve II looked brand-new.