We’re all familiar with neoprene laptop cases, phone slipcases, etc. The slightly rubbery feeling material is pretty much a permanent part of any self respecting geek’s arsenal. And anyone who has spent time around neoprene knows that it has a distinct chemical odor – kind of like new car smell for your computer.
What you may not know is that neoprene has been known to cause problems for many people. You may be allergic to neoprene and not even realize it!
Enter Neogreene, a new material that has many of the properties and feel of neoprene, with signicantly less chemicals. What this means is not only do you not get greeted with the smell of chemicals in the morning, but the workers who make Neogreene are not exposed to high levels of toxicity.
Neogreene is used to make several products, and today we’ll be looking at two: a laptop sleeve and a water bottle sleeve.
The laptop sleeve looks identical to the Incase one I use for my 13″ macbook. If it wasn’t for the green trim and the writing on the sleeve it would be virtually identical. The fit is excellent, and the build quality is very high. It fits a 13″ computer nice and snugly, but with enough padding that I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it in a non-laptop compartment in a messenger bag. Just don’t toss your messenger bag like a football! Best of all, it isn’t any more expensive than a neoprene one, so you get the benefit of helping the environment, supporting a healthier product, AND protect your computer. Which, face it, is the reason you’re reading about this sleeve at all.
And when you are out and about with your computer, safely ensconced in its sleeve, you’re probably carrying your trusty refillable water bottle. But how do you carry it? If it’s one of the new metal or BPA free bottles, it’s probably too thick or top-heavy to comfortably ride in the water bottle slot of a bag, and it can be awkward to juggle alongside your phone, ipod, keys, other ipod, etc. Neogreene makes a bottle carrier that holds and insulates your bottle, complete with a handy clip so you can easily attach it to your bag if you so desire. I’ll be honest: I am weirdly picky about my water. If it tastes too metallic, or has a funny aftertaste, or the bottle smells weird, I won’t drink it. I wouldn’t have any problem drinking from a bottle in this carrier; there’s no odor, it keeps things cool, and it does not add much bulk to the bottle it is carrying.
But wait, there’s more (assuming you read this far!) We are giving away the Neogreene laptop sleeve and the bottle holder. All you need to do to enter is post below, sharing your favorite “green” gadget or strategy, along with which you’d like (laptop sleeve or bottle tote). Next week I will share everyone’s suggestions and pick the winner at random. You have until Midnight on September 24th to enter, so good luck!
What I liked:
-Fits a 13″ laptop nicely. [Laptop sleeve] ($25-$40, depending on size)
-No chemical odor
-Handy clip for easy carrying [water bottle] ($13-$15, depending on size)
What I didn’t like:
-Green accents and graphics on the sleeve make it look less professional.
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