RedBubble Laptop Sleeve Purchase Review 2021

RedBubble 15" Laptop Sleeve Review 2021

1/17/2021

At the end of 2020 I decided to gift myself with a new laptop sleeve from my RedBubble shop! I like to order designs from my shop so I can showcase what my designs look like in print, and also test the quality of the items I'm selling for myself. Since my bad cats pattern became so popular in 2020, I decided this would be a good pattern to go with! This is not the first time I have ordered from RedBubble and not the first laptop sleeve - I ordered my first one back when I started my shops in 2015. I had been using that one for the past 5 years, and decided it was time for a change of design. So this isn't just a new laptop sleeve review, it's also a "check in" to show you how my old laptop sleeve has held up over the years!

Here is the original product image from RedBubble, for the 15" laptop sleeve in my bad cats knocking stuff over pattern. Click here to see it on RedBubble. These laptop sleeves only have the printed design on the front and the back is pure black.

Here is a photo of my bad cats laptop sleeve in person! The print turned out really great, comparing it to the RedBubble product image they got the sizing, small details and crispness spot on. The laptop sleeve looks how I would expect it to from the original image!

A bit of background image on RedBubble laptop sleeves! First, they are available in 3 standard sizes for MacBooks (or any kind of laptop that is around the same size of a MacBook - they have a sizing chart on the product page so you can check!) - MacBook 12", MacBook Air / Pro / Retina 13", and MacBook Pro / Retina 15". I purchased the 15" size. The sleeve is made of polyester, with foam padding on the inside to protect your laptop from scratches and minor impacts. The inside of the sleeve is super plush and soft too. The sleeve closes fully with a black zipper, and features high quality print on the front, and a black panel on the back. The outer stitching and sides is all black, and the plush padding on the inside is black too.

I tried to get a nice shot of the inside. The fabric is that super plush kind of softness that won't leave any kind of scratches on your laptop. The sleeve is very cushiony, as are the outer corners.

Here is a closer look at the zipper - you can see the black details and the "lip" of the sleeve. The inside lip of the sleeve is great because it gives a bit of a buffer between the zipper and your laptop, so you don't scratch your laptop putting it in and out of the sleeve.

I mentioned that I had purchased a laptop sleeve from RedBubble in 2015 too. You might be wondering - how did it hold up over time? How does it compare to the new 2020 one? I can tell you that over time my original sleeve has held up beautifully. The quality of my original sleeve matches the quality of the new one, so if you purchased one a while back and are unsure if a new one would be similar, rest assured that the quality has remained consistent over the years. I've brought it back and forth to work, with me on trips, and generally used it in the house to protect my laptop from any kinds of accidents. The print has not faded and remains crisp and vibrant through all this. The padding has slightly become more compressed over the years, and my new sleeve has much more of a cushion than my old sleeve. There are a couple of catches in the top design from cat claws, but other than that, no major rips or anything (my cat loves this sleeve lol). If it hadn't been for a want of a design change, I would go on using my original 2015 sleeve for many years to come!

Here's a new photo of the sleeve I purchased in 2015 so you can see it! The print is super vibrant, and it features the same construction as the sleeves RedBubble sells today.

A close up of the print & fabric - you can see the spots where my cats claws have caught (lol) but other than that it has held up beautifully these past 5 years.

The main draw of these laptop sleeves is being able to print completely unique designs on them. And the printing is top notch - despite being printed on fabric, the design is crisp and has minimal bleed. This means the smaller details that I added to my artwork are still visible in the printed product. My 2020 purchase features a simple black and white artwork, which printed as expected (the blacks were black thank goodness! :P ). My original 2015 laptop sleeve featured all the bright peacock blue tones that were in my original artwork, very accurate to the original!

A close up shot of the print - you can see that they got the details, down to the "stamped" look I gave to the cats, to the little bow on the vase of flowers and the lineart within the objects. Minimal bleed.

Here's both of my laptop sleeves together! As you can see they feature similar construction and both of the prints were very crisp. To this day my peacock blue leaves are still so vibrant!

Despite ordering over the Christmas rush, shipping was really quick. I got it within 12 days of ordering. It came via Canada Post too, so I was able to get it from my community mailbox instead of having to drive down to a depot because I missed a delivery.
Shipping is usually a pain point for me here in Canada. Some print on demand websites charge exuberant fees to deliver to Canada. Not only that but I've also been hit with duties and fees at the border - which is especially painful after paying large amounts of shipping. RedBubble is one of the only print on demand websites I have ordered from that have not resulted in me having to pay extra duties & taxes upon delivery, on any of my orders. RedBubble calculates their shipping costs based on the items that are being shipped, and where the order is being shipped to. They do not have a free shipping minimum or anything like that, so you will be paying shipping. I find the shipping costs are fair, and paired with the fact that I was not charged duties or taxes, I can't complain.
Rather than using USD they let you choose which currency you will be shopping with too. I like this because I was able to see what my purchase price will be in Canadian dollars. If any of my Canadian friends or family wants to purchase something from my shop, I always recommend they go through RedBubble because I find it more Canadian friendly for shipping (and I can stand behind the quality of their items).

Overall, I am incredibly pleased with my laptop sleeve purchase and am thrilled to have something in my bad cats knocking stuff over pattern! I've been using this sleeve for a month now, and I am confident that it will hold up as long as my original 2015 laptop sleeve has.
Have you purchased from RedBubble before? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below!