The Beyza Cases MacBook Air Thinvelope Leather Case Review
Posted on 23 May 2008, at 2:24 am, by Judie Lipsett
Back in April, when I first posted about the Beyza Cases MacBook Air Thinvelope Leather Case, I made the comment that if they created “this same style case, but with white stitching for the MacBook Pro 15, then I [would] have to put my order in immediately.” My contact Ali wrote to say that although they weren’t planning on making the Thinvelope for the MBP, the tan one did come in the color combination I wanted, and he would be sending it “ASAP, with your name. Maybe you’ll get a MacBook Air.”
Not very likely, I thought at the time; but in an almost prescient way, Ali turned out to be right. 
Available in flo tan – which looks like a pebbly textured leather, smooth tan, black, antique black, antique brown – which in the picture reminds me of bomber jacket leather, and flo red, the Thinvelope is a sumptuous leather wrap made to protect your Air without adding a lot of bulk. As promised, mine came in tan leather with white stitching, and it was embossed with my name…and yes, you’ve probably noticed that I am a sucker for personalization.
A round magnet keeps the Thinvelope’s cover shut
The Thinvelope comes in a silver on black embossed box which is suitable for gift giving.
The back side of the box lists the Thinvelope’s particulars, but it still won’t prepare you for what’s inside…
Just as designer bag’s will include a sleeper, the Thinvelope comes with a fabric storage bag. It reminds me of the old-school sleeper bags which used to come with Louis Vuittons; I would find that to be only one of several similarities…
Once free of its sleeper, the Thinvelope’s gorgeous tan leather is revealed. Contrasting white stitching is used to highlight the envelope shape, and all seams and edges are perfectly finished. The Thinvelope measures approximately 14″ wide x 10″ tall x 0.5″ thick.
The tan leather reminds me of Louis Vuitton’s Nomade line, and if the stitching were yellow, then I would seriously have to do a double-take. But instead of a discreetly embossed LV on the bottom right, there is an equally discreet embossed Beyza Cases’ logo on the envelope’s flap.
These pictures have not been enhanced, because I wanted them to show the true deep patina of the leather
On the middle bottom of the backside, there is another discreetly embossed log – this one says “beyzacases”.
Lifting the envelope’s flap reveals the last comparison which I will make to Louis Vuitton: the interior appears to be lined in a sueded fabric which is remarkably similar to the Alcantra linings that Louis uses; heck, I am going to go ahead and call it Alcantra because it nearly exactly matches a Vuitton’s interior. This is a good thing because Alcantra is extremely soft and it won’t scratch the item held within; it is also easy to clean, usually needing just a quick wipe with a moist sponge if dirt happens to get on it. Adding to the protection is the light padding between the layers of leather and Alcantra on each side.
The Air fits tightly inside the Thinvelope; there is no extra room for cables or accessories, this sleeve is all about the Air.
Once it’s been placed inside, the Air can be carried in the Thinvelope as a clutch; it can also be placed inside a larger bag without fear of the Air somehow getting dinged.
The Thinvelope is absolutely gorgeous, and it provides luxurious protection without the French designer’s obscene price tag; the fact that this one has my name on it makes it even better.
The Beyza Cases MacBook Air Thinvelope Leather Case is available directly from the manufacturer.
MSRP: $215
What I Like: Absolutely gorgeous; very well made; slim protection for the MacBook Air; can be carried on its own or placed in a larger bag; although the price may seem high at first, the quality is on par with items costing many times as much
What Needs Improvement: Nothing
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5 Comments For This Post
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MacBook Air - Beyza Case : Small Laptops and Notebooks Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:37 am[...] Read: Gear Diary [...]
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Otra funda más para la MacBook Air | Says:
May 25th, 2008 at 12:18 pm[...] Esta Thinvelope de lujo, de BeyzaCases combina cuero con un diseño muy elegante. La gente de Gear Diary les gusta mucho, pero puede que por $215 esté un poco cara. De todos modos se trata de un MacBook [...]
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Thinvelope for MacBook Air | Apple News Says:
May 25th, 2008 at 1:18 pm[...] with what looks like an extremely elegant design. by at Gear Diary Judie Lipsett has a rave review with plenty of pictures, comparing it favorably with designer leather goods costing much more. That [...]
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Thinvelope for MacBook Air Says:
May 25th, 2008 at 1:41 pm[...] with what looks like an extremely elegant design. Over at Gear Diary Judie Lipsett has a rave review with plenty of pictures, comparing it favorably with designer leather goods costing much more. That [...]
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Beyza Cases’ Thinvelope protects your Air in style | The-iBlog Says:
May 25th, 2008 at 4:45 pm[...] Lipsett over on GearDiar has posted a review of the case, and she certainly seems rather taken. Still, weighing in at $215 [...]
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Thinvelope for MacBook Air : Alien Spaces Says:
May 27th, 2008 at 6:03 am[...] with what looks like an extremely elegant design. Over at Gear Diary Judie Lipsett has a rave review with plenty of pictures, comparing it favorably with designer leather goods costing much more. That [...]
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Apple MacBook Air | Thinvelope for MacBook Air Says:
July 30th, 2008 at 10:55 am[...] with what looks like an extremely elegant design. Over at Gear Diary Judie Lipsett has a rave review with plenty of pictures, comparing it favorably with designer leather goods costing much more. That [...]
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:28 am
My laptop cases cost $115 and I thought that was high.
$215 for a case with no pockets, is well, high.
BTW, I have the Bezcase for my iPhone as my main case and love it. I just slip the iPhone into the sleeve and then can put it into my pocket without worries about scratching. The only thing I don’t like is that the top of my iPhone is exposed and, sure enough, when dropped it ALWAYS lands on the exposed side!
http://www.beyzacases.com/cat_....._cases.cfm
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 am
I just have a nice small sleeve made of neoprene for my MBP… How’s the MBP btw Judie? Any news?
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
@Wayne – I agree it’s not cheap; but if you like the look of Nomade and you don’t want to really pay crazy money for something that is made in a similar style (and that is just as nice), this case is a great option.
BTW: I think it is a law that if you are going to ever drop something that it will always be on the exposed side.
@raymond_u – it is back, and I am in the process of reconfiguring to my liking. Thanks for asking.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Very nice.. Love the quality! Now if I can just be convinced that I NEED an Air…
May 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
@Drew, honestly…when has “needing” something ever stopped you.
All teasing aside, It is a fantastic little laptop and I think I will get a lot of use out of it.
If you aren’t having fun with the Mac OS, talk to Mitchell about putting straight-up XP on it like he did for his dad. 