ProCase for MacBook Pro: You Will Probably Hate It and Love It

If you have an iPhone, there is a good chance you have some kind of case on it for a little extra protection. Even if your case is just a fashion statement, chances are it provides some level of scratch protection. And every little bit helps when it comes to drops.

The calculus is that we paid several hundred dollars for that phone. It makes no sense to leave it completely unprotected. So shouldn’t the math work out the same for your laptop? After all, you likely paid even more for your laptop. It will be even harder and more expensive to repair your laptop. And there is a good chance your expensive laptop is mission critical. Why not also put a case one it?

While the math works, the cases often don’t. Enter the ProCase Toughshell Hardcase for MacBook Pro. You will have a love/hate relationship with it from the very beginning. Here are some of the things you will definitely not love:

Things to hate

Installation and removal

This is not the first hard case I have had for my laptop. But to my best recollection, this one has been the hardest to install and uninstall. Once on, these things are never intended to come off. That is true of most protective shells for any device. There are several clips that grab onto the edges of your Mac. There are two parts: one for the top and one for the base.

The one for the top worries me the most because it significantly changes the weight of the display. You can easily demonstrate this. When shutting the MacBook Pro, your lid stays in the position you leave it even when it is almost closed. It doesn’t close unless you push it down all the way.

With the case, the lid is too heavy for the hinge so it closes with a thunk even when you have not pushed it down all the way. It is not a deal-breaker. Just know that all such cases will have an adverse effect on the hinging mechanism. It is more weight than they were designed to handle by just a little.

The name

Let’s start with the name. You can look at the product packaging and find nothing that looks much like a product name. One presumes ProCase is a brand. The plastic bag which makes up the packaging has a few descriptive words like toughshell and hardcase. It sounds like a cop comedy buddy movie. Needless to say, it is made in China.

I could provide an Amazon link but I am not getting paid for this writeup and it isn’t my job to sell it. One of the most basic things a company needs is an identifiable product name that is easily searchable. I suspect this product was made at the same Chinese factory that craps out most of the other nameless, copycat products pedaled on Amazon.

Ugly

Apple puts a lot of effort into making their products beautiful. Companies like ProCase seem to put an equal amount of effort into making Apple’s notebooks look ugly. This case uglifies your Mac to the point that it looks and feels like a cheap PC. In the words of Steve Jobs, Yuck!

Bulky

One of the best things ab out Mac laptops is the amount of power and utility Apple crams into a package so thin and light. This is true of every Mac laptop. With few exceptions, PC makers don’t even bother to try. Slap this ProCase on your MacBook Pro and all that goes away. The best way to describe it is bulky.

Hard shell cases feel terrible. They are plasticky, and not in the good way. The rubberized corners don’t even feel much like rubber. They feel like plastic, slightly softer plastic. Your giant laptop suddenly looks and feels like a giant laptop. You are absolutely going to hate that. Even so, there are a few things to love.

Things to love

Protection

There is only one reason you should buy this case. That is for the added protection the company promises. They say it has been drop tested up to 3’. That should be more than sufficient for most desks, couches, and even fumbles when being carried.

I have no reason to doubt the claim. I have personally lost a 15” MacBook Pro off a table onto a hard floor. It dented the floor and left the computer in tact without a scratch. These things are built like tanks. But you only need one of the bad kind of fall to loose a multi-thousand dollar investment. The peace of mind is priceless. You should have no more worries about scratches or hard landings or just putting it on the wrong kind of surface.

Legs

If there is a second reason to buy this particular case, it is the fold-out legs in the back. They are out of the way when not in use. But when you get ready for along session of writing, flip out the legs and your notebook os propped up in the back for easier typing. It also helps encourage better airflow. No worry, though. The case is fully vented. You won’t have to worry about overheating.

Price

You might be unpleasantly surprised at how expensive MacBook cases are. They can easily run into the three-figures territory. This one was right at $30. That seems like a fair price for what you get.

Buying advice

Confession time, I never purchase Apple Care for Macs. I have never needed it and hopefully, never will. That said, I worry about the health and safety of my laptops. I am uneasy about seeing them down on tables that are dirty, or metal, or wood, or any surface that might scuff, scratch, or dent my precious notebook.

I it insane that I don’t buy one of these types of covers every time. But I don’t. This time is different. The investment is too high and the computer is much to valuable to me to go without any protection.

This case is a cheap and nasty solution that has already given me the peace of mind I crave. There are no guarantees in the life of an expensive notebook. The closes thing to a guarantee is Apple Care. Beyond that, get a case, almost any case will do the job.

David Johnson