If you’re a fan of Nomad’s Horween Leather products for iPad and iPhone, then you may be interested to know that the Santa Barbara, California-based company just launched new Apple-centric leather goods — a 13- and 16-inch MacBook sleeve, and mousepad. Check out our brief impressions for the details.
Nomad’s leather mousepad is made to correspond to the size of the 13- or 16-inch MacBooks, which allows them to easily fit inside a laptop bag or case. For those that like to use a mouse while on the go, this allows the Nomad mousepad to travel along with you.
Made from leather sourced from the Chicago-based Horween Leather Company, the surface of the mousepad develops a unique, rugged patina over time. The underside of the mousepad features a non-slip micro texture rubber base to keep it firmly planted on your working surface.
Mousepad specifications
- Horween leather from the USA
- Heat-pressed surface
- Compatible with optical and laser sensors
- Micro-textured rubber base to provide grip on any desk surface
- Microfiber travel bag
- 2.5mm thick
- Available in rustic brown or black colors
- Available in 13-inch or 16-inch versions
- Price $59.95
I’ve been able to take both products for a brief test drive, and they are just as advertised. Both are comprised primarily of high quality Horween Leather, and your nose will become keenly aware of this as soon as you pull either product out of their boxes and microfiber travel bags.
I don’t normally use mousepads with my Magic Mouse, but I’ve decided to take the Nomad mousepad for a test drive for the next week or so to see how I like it. I mean, it’s a mousepad so there’s not that much to it, but it feels nice to the touch with the leather surface, and the non-slip bottom material ensures it stays firmly planted on my desktop.
Leather Sleeve specifications
- Brown Horween leather from the USA
- Develops a rugged patina
- Secure magnetic closure
- Compression Molded EVA Interior
- USB-C port access for charging
- Available in 13-inch or 16-inch versions
- Starting at $229.95
I was much more interested in the leather sleeve, which will fit either my 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro or 13-inch M1 MacBook Air. Inserting the MacBook inside the sleeve was easy, you just have to open the magnetic closure, insert the laptop, and allow the magnets to reconnect. Thanks to the compressed molded EVA interior, the sleeve feels well-built and will no doubt protect a MacBook from dings, scratches, and perhaps even drops.
There’s a little cutout on the side of the leather sleeve that’s meant to make it easy to connect to your MacBook’s USB-C port for charging. I wouldn’t recommend keeping your MacBook inside the sleeve while connected to an external display, due to the lack of ventilation, but recharging it this way is probably fine.
One of the most interesting properties of leather, how it develops a patina over time, isn’t really something I can talk about at this early stage. Not everyone is a fan of the weathered look that naturally occurs with leather, but I enjoy it. Judging from other Horween Leather products produce by Nomad, both the mousepad and sleeve will look better as they age.
These products aren’t cheap, but they are high quality, and feel like they will last for a long time — especially the leather sleeve. What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite sleeve or protection apparatus for your MacBook? Do you use a mousepad? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts.
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