I've hunted out the best 13-inch MacBook Air cases and bags to keep your new laptop protected

Got a new 13-inch MacBook Air on its way? Great choice! In our MacBook Air 13-inch M5 review, my teammate Lance awarded it a near-perfect 4.5 stars, concluding that it delivered "the best mix of winning design, near-pro-level performance, and battery life you can find in an ultraportable".

Unless you're the kind of maniac who's happy to just shove a MacBook into your bag as-is, you'll want to get a case sorted before you start taking it out and about. Below, I've rounded up the best MacBook Air 13-inch cases I've found.

My collection includes a bunch of different options to suit different lifestyles and computing habits. There are functional soft cases, smart leather sleeves, and options with additional or integrated cable storage pockets so you can keep everything organized. There are also a few hard shells that snap straight onto the machine and protect it from scratches and fingerprints.

You're not short of options, and unless you're going to take a gamble on a cheap Amazon option from a brand whose name looks like someone just punched a keyboard, there are a few more established case-makers to look out for. tomtoc is a go-to for well-designed, protective soft cases. Bellroy is similarly excellent — and especially when it comes to integrating peripherals storage — but generally a step up in price.

Another jump in price and you can get yourself a chic leather wallet or folio. Check out Woolnut in the US or Harber London in the UK. At the other end of the price spectrum, Mosiso MacBook cases tend to come in at a very budget-friendly price, but achieve solid review scores on Amazon.

US — 13-inch MacBook Air cases

UK — 13in MacBook Air cases

MacBook Air 13-inch cases: useful information

Want to make doubly sure your chosen case will fit? Here are the exact proportions of the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 (H x W x D): 0.45 x 13.4 x 9.35 inches / 1.15 x 34.04 x 23.76cm.

There are two different sizes of MacBook Air M5 — a 13-inch (which I'm focusing on here) and a 15-inch. Do make sure you have the right option selected when choosing your case.

To confuse things, the 13-inch version's screen is actually 13.6 inches, and the 15-inch version's screen is 15.3 inches. Most manufacturers will refer to the compatible cases as 13-inch / 15-inch, though, in line with Apple's own wording.