Waterfield Sleevecase for Lenovo X60 Tablet (8-cell battery) Review

What does a bulletproof vest and a sleevecase for my notebook have in common? This question, I will answer in the following article, where I will review the Waterfield Design Sleevecase for Lenovo X60 tablet with 8-cell battery.

It’s very hard to find a suitable case for the Lenovo X60 tablet due to the 8-cell battery, which stands out of the back of the machine. Waterfield ended my case journey with their “custom made” Sleevecase, build from highly durable and strong materials.

Design and used materials

Without directly rushing into the functional design I want to provide some background information about the development of the Waterfield Sleevecase.  So here is the history:

“Gary Waterfield, originally owner and chief designer, is a long-time cyclist, a former Boston bike messenger, and an admitted bagophile.” [ref01]

“The SleeveCase was developed in response to a request from the director of the MIT media lab. “The members of his lab wanted something they could use separately or in another bag that would provide good protection while remaining light weight and easy to access.  They didn’t want zippers to slow them down or to potentially scratch their laptops. [ref04]

With both the background of the designer as well as some of the design idea’s and history in mind, it’s easier to understand the design of the Waterfield Sleeve case. With a history as bike messenger the choice of durable and strong materials might not be very surprising:

• “Custom-made, domestically produced ballistic nylon exterior.
• 6 mm high-grade neoprene interior.  (We use the neoprene because it is very dense and has much better shock-absorbing qualities than foam.)
• Lead colored Indium trim at the bottom.
• One-inch nylon webbing loop at bottom for users to hold while removing laptop.” [ref04]

After using the Waterfield Sleevecase for quite some weeks now on a daily basis, I think I’m able to share my field experience. At first the used materials make the Waterfield Sleevecase (one of) the best notebook cases avaiable on the market today. The exterior nylon is really strong and durable, while the high grade neoprene interior is at least as twice as thick as the cheap neoprene cases you can get on eBay.

These materials combined with a clever design really make the difference, resulting in a high quality product. One of the things that I like is the easy acces / way of opening the front flap by adding a short webbing loop to it for easy grabbing. Furthermore the webbing loop at the bottom of the case is some you really start to use, and love on the long run. It’s really a simple solution, but it makes a world of a difference of easily removing your notbook from the case.

Finally a really clever feature is the compartiment on the back of the Waterfield Sleevecase, which is shown in the picture below. When you just take your notebook with you to a meeting or on the road, this compartiment is very usefull to put your papers in and clip you pencil on.

While I have highlighted some of the main design features I like, one of the huge advantages of the Waterfield Sleevecase is the possibility to customize it to your personal needs.

Customization options to personalize the Waterfield Sleevecase

“WaterField Designs produces over 40 custom-sized laptop cases for just about every Apple and PC laptop on the market.” [ref04]

So the first main and very important customization option is the size of the Waterfield Sleevecase, which will be perfectly optimized to fit your device of choice. And yes the design is really optimized, because the fit of my Lenovo X60 tablet with 8-cell battery is really great. And believe me it’s really hard to find a “standard” case that would fit the exterior measurements of this machine. But customers can personalize their sleeve in a number of ways:

• “Horizontal or vertical orientation for insertion into briefcases or backpacks.
• Front flap – $15.00 additional.
• Simple Shoulder Strap and added D-rings – $12.00.
• Suspension Shoulder Strap and added D-rings – $18.00.
• “The Piggyback” – an accessories pouch that hooks onto the D-rings – $22.00. ” [ref04]

As you might notice on the pictures of the Waterfield Sleevecase for the Lenovo X60 tablet, the orientation is horizontal, and they have added a frontflap to the Sleevecase. I think that this gives the full protection for the devices, althought it might add a little weight. Furthermore Waterfield was so kind to add just the D-Rings to the Sleevecase. If you need to just take your notebook with you, you can attach a schoulder strap to it. However I must admit that most of the times I put the Lenovo X60 tablet in my Crumpler Beancounter L messenger bag.

Final Conclusions

Remember the opening question: “What does a bulletproof vest and a sleevecase for my notebook have in common?” It is the strong and durable exterioir balistic nylon. And honestly if this material is good enough to protect human lives, it certainly protects the most important piece of equipment in todays business:  A notebook or netbook !

With a background as a mechanical design engineer, I might have a feeling for solid designs. I can only that Gary Waterfield did a great job designing this sleevecase, and with his background as a bike messenger he added some powerfull and clever tweaks. The custom-sized-fit to YOUR device of choice is a very important aspect, since it was the main driver in my Sleevcase quest.

If you have a look at highly durable and strong used materials, combined with a clever design and good fit with your notebook, you simply can’t go wrong with a Waterfield Sleevecase.

Some of you might oppose the question and what does this all cost, I can get a cheaper sleevecase over at eBay for example ?? What you pay for is what your get, and if I simply look at the thickness of the interioir neoprene or the quality and durability of the balistic nylon, or the custom fit, I can only speak up loudly: “The Waterfield Sleevecase is worth every single penny !!”

Your device is well protected and the Waterfield Sleevecase becomes a part of the equipment you use every day to keep you going ! If you are interested in a Waterfield Sleevecase, but you would like to read some additional reviews of other devices have a look over @ the gadgeteer and @ just another mobile monday !!

Finally special thanks to Julie Strietelmeier from the-gadgeteer.com for the Watefield Sleevecase tip, and to Heidi Marzke from Waterfield Design for the exellent help and fast communication !! Go ahead and find your personalized Waterfield Sleevecase over here !

About Waterfield Design

“In a nutshell, WaterField products are ridiculously well-made, fastidiously designed, have more personality than you can shake a stick at, and are so “user-friendly”, that you can actually operate them with one arm tied behind your back. This turns out to be a huge benefit for high-frequency travelers; the busy, laptop-carrying, cell phone-obsessed commuting types; or the dual diaper/carrying bag parents.”

Sound too good to be true? Don’t take our word for it; check out what our customers say. See testimonials.

Reference List

1. HOME: Waterfield Laptop Sleeves
2. HOME: Waterfield Netbook Sleeves
3. NEW: Lenovo X60 tablet as primary “notebook”
4. INFO: The Waterfield Designs Sleevecase