Rugged Laptop Cases To Fit Your Needs

When you buy a laptop, it's important to have the right case for carrying your laptop and its accessories. If you travel frequently or take your laptop everywhere, you want more rugged features to ensure that your case will stand up to the wear and tear and adequately protect your laptop.  Whether you are choosing a laptop case for style or choosing one for durability or both, you can find everything you need in laptop case if you know what features you need.

First make sure you are buying the right size case.  If your laptop is  17" wide, you'll need a bag to accommodate a 17" wide laptop, but also a case of a thickness to fit your laptop. Some laptops ore very slender, some are thicker, so width of your case is a consideration.   

Choose a material that you prefer, whether leather, canvas or hard-molded.  Leather is very popular, so If you prefer leather you will find a variety of styles to choose from.  Remember that leather will become more "distressed" or scuffed with frequent use.  There are also synthetic leather materials that have the right look and feel but wear better.  Real and synthetic leather will also be slightly heavier than fabric.

Canvas and nylon laptop cases are more lightweight than leather, and are easier to care for, but these materials wear out faster.  Make sure the stitching and seams are reinforced sufficiently to keep shoulder straps and handles from ripping through the fabric.

Your third option is a hard case, made of molded metal, usually aluminum, or plastic.  These can be either heavy or light depending on the material, but with the right interior padding they offer significant protection from falls or other damage.

Regardless of your case material, padding for shock absorption is very important.  While there is probably no case that will protect your laptop from a serious fall, your case should at least minimal protection  of your laptop if falls off a chair or desk.  Look for padding along the bottom as well as on the sides, to protect the spine of your laptop where the ports are located.  Additional pockets either inside or outside the case can increase the shock-absorption.  Balance the need for protection with the weight and bulkiness of the laptop case overall.

Look to see how much space is available for carrying accessories for your laptop.  Super-thin cases seem to ignore the need to also carry a power cord, mouse, USB hub, or other accessories that you need to have with your computer.  Look for a case that has compartments for these items so that they aren't simply shoved into the main area of the bag where they cause bulk.  

How much interior or exterior storage space you need will be an individual decision.  Some people prefer to use their laptop case as a briefcase instead of carrying both while traveling, and need many pockets for paperwork, file folders, and more.  Make sure the case you're considering has enough storage.

Finally, style is probably as important as all of the above to most buyers. Choose a case that matches your sense of style, whether sleek and expensive for the executive, or casual canvas for the college student.  With both the right structural elements and appealing style, your laptop case will be not just a great accessory but a worthwhile investment to protect your computer.