The Laptop Case Drop Test

Methodology

1

We taped the egg inside a small plastic bag.
2

We taped the plastic bag to the bottom of the laptop case so the egg would stay in place and hit the floor (not bounce around.)
3

We held the bottom of the case 2’ off the floor and dropped it. Then we checked the egg!
4

For cases with eggs that didn’t break, we replaced the egg and dropped them again from 4’ – and checked the egg.

Why Eggs?

We used eggs to stand in for laptops because funnily enough, no one wanted to let us drop their functioning laptops. It’s also very easy to tell if an egg is damaged, although quite messy (hence the plastic bags.) Since laptops are somewhat sturdier than eggs, if a case can protect an egg, that’s a good endorsement of its ability to protect a laptop.

Why 2ft?

We decided to make our first drop from just 2’ above the ground, because based on three different people of different heights, that’s roughly the height the bottom of the laptop case reaches if you hold it by the handle. We chose 4’ for the second drop because we wanted to really see what the laptop cases could take.

Video

Results

A photo collage on a blue and pink background, showing four laptop cases. One is a backpack, one is a messenger back, and two are sleeves.

Four of Our 9 Laptop Cases Protected the Egg From 2ft

Almost half of our laptop cases were able to keep the egg from cracking from a 2’ drop. Two feet might not sound like far to fall, but imagine dropping your laptop from that height onto a hard surface. No thanks – this is why we had to use eggs in the first place. When ASUS did their Laptop Quality Test, they only dropped their laptops from about 4”!

A zoomed in photo showing a cracked egg in a clear plastic bag.

Zero Cases Protected the Egg From 4ft

When we moved the laptop cases that were successful at 2’ to 4’, none of them were able to protect the egg. We did think it was a tall order (ahem.) So if you were considering dropping your laptop in a case from the height of a Great Dane – don’t.

A photo of blue laptop sleeve with a black zip, against a pink and blue background.

The Sleeves Had a Higher Success Rate Than the Bags

Our highest hopes were for the laptop bags, all but one of which have a padded interior pocket specifically designed for a laptop. The sleeves are made of a type of foam that’s water-resistant (it’s the same fabric wetsuits and koozies are made from) but not thick enough to offer much padding. Or so we thought. However, two out of three of the sleeves we tested protected the egg from 2’, compared to two out of six of the bags. Seems like a little padding in the right place can help.

The Bottom Line

Just under half of our laptop cases managed to keep an egg intact from a 2’ drop onto a hard floor – but those four all failed the 4’ drop. Given that laptop cases are mainly cushioned on the sides, with the intention of protecting the laptop from being bashed in crowds, that 2’ is pretty significant. Even a laptop sleeve made a difference. A little padding goes a little way – somewhere between 2’ and 4’.

Q#	Product Name	Result From 2′	Result 4′	View Product
34260	Montana Laptop Bag	Pass	Fail	View Product
54183	Deluxe Laptop Sleeve	Pass	Fail	View Product
59268	Kappotto Sleeve for 13″ MacBook Pro	Fail	Fail	View Product
65863	Urban Computer Messenger Bag	Fail	Fail	View Product
71172	Laptop Messenger Bag	Fail	Fail	View Product
73298	Cutting Edge Laptop Messenger Bag	Fail	Fail	View Product
78531	Austin Nylon Laptop Backpack	Pass	Fail	View Product
78532	Austin Nylon Tote Bag	Fail	Fail	View Product
90482	Vila Recycled Computer Sleeve	Pass	Fail	View Product