X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Vaja Messenger Slim Laptop Case review: Vaja Messenger Slim Laptop Case

Vaja Messenger Slim Laptop Case

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials
  • Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
See full bio
Dan Ackerman
2 min read
Even the humble laptop case is not immune from fashion envy. For many laptop users, the form of their machines is as important (if not more so) than the function, and there's no reason their carrying cases should be any different. When it comes to standing out from the corporate crowd, we've seen no better laptop case then the Vaja Messenger Slim. Vaja makes hand-crafted custom leather cases for a variety of products, from iPods to mobile phones. Like most of the company's products, the $230 Vaja Messenger Slim is available in dozens of color combinations and is made to order in Argentina, so expect it to take a couple of weeks if you order one.

Our biggest disappointment in the Vaja Messenger Slim is that it's made only for MacBooks. We tested the 13-inch case and found that a 13-inch MacBook fit snugly inside, but a slightly larger 13-inch Windows laptop wouldn't fit. A smaller ultraportable model would fit, but the bag is clearly designed for one specific system. Vaja also makes a case for the Sony VAIO TR series of laptops and has a few other styles that will work with 17-inch MacBooks.

8.0

Vaja Messenger Slim Laptop Case

The Good

High-quality hand-made leather case; over 50 color combinations.

The Bad

Shoulder strap not adjustable enough; little room for accessories; made specifically for one laptop model.

The Bottom Line

The Vaja Messenger Slim, specifically made for 13- and 15-inch MacBooks, is a beautifully constructed laptop bag, but leaves little room for accessories.

The bag measures 15 inches long by 11 inches wide by 2.5 inches deep. The main compartment is has a durable fabric lining embossed with a pattern of tiny Vaja logos. A front flap hangs over this, with no buttons, zippers, or clasps, similar to a messenger bag flap. With our MacBook inside, there's little room in the main compartment for papers or accessories. Additional pockets under the front flap and on the rear of the case are large enough for papers, magazines, or a MacBook power supply, but the pockets are not especially roomy, keeping with the case's slim profile.

The shoulder strap is narrow, but made of the same rich leather, giving a comfortably padded feel. Our only complaint about the strap is that it doesn't have enough holes for the belt-style clasp, and it feels too long, even at its shortest length. We'd hate to have to take an awl to the strap to make more holes.

Despite the space limitations, high price, and MacBook-only design, the Vaja Messenger Slim is the nicest laptop case we've seen to date, and it generated more than its share of envious stares.

8.0

Vaja Messenger Slim Laptop Case

Score Breakdown

Design 9Features 7Performance 0