The Netbook Glove is a neoprene cover for a netbook or small computing device of 11" dimensions. It has a zipper along the short end with a narrow length of neoprene to prevent the zipper from scratching the device.
Overall construction is excellent and the zipper feels durable and sturdy. The neoprene is soft but feels like it could take a solid hit or cut and still survive. It's quite slippery on the inside so inserting or removing a device is very smooth and easy. It has a slight memory effect so leaving it on a sharp edge will indent the surface, and any feet of protrusions on the device itself will indent the interior (which turns out to be a good thing).
The cover only weighs a few hundred grams or so it won't stop you carrying your device. The only issue you might have is if you previously carried the device in a snug pocket, and it may not fit anymore with the glove on.
The glove is specified as 11" so most 10" netbooks and tablets will find there is a bit of play when the glove is on. As the interior is so soft, you shouldn't notice any scratching due to the movement. Still, it definitely isn't a snug fit for most 10" devices. I don't have any 11" devices to test, but I assume an 11" Macbook Air would be too slim to fit properly either.
The good:
- Protective. The thickness, smoothess, and padding all combine to protect the device extremely well. The neoprene should also absorb any liquid that doesn't run off it's surface so spills don't pool and end up in the device.
- Flexible. Due to the stretch, it's able to form around most shapes and stretch to most devices within the 10"-11" class.
- Cheap. At less than AU$10, it's not the cheapest cover and probably still more than the constituent parts and labour combined, but relatively cheap compared to other covers available which can run upwards of $60.
- Colours. The glove comes in a variety of colours and if you find older models you can get access to the old colours such as blue like i did.
The Bad:
- 11". There are a lot more 10" devices than 11" and STM do not make a generic 10" cover. Most are targeted at particular device (which makes sense from a marketing perspective). As such, the cover never feels quite snug when covering any of the 10" netbooks I own, but it does fit all of them, regardless of the shape and battery size.
- Not waterproof (?). I haven't tested it, but it never says anything about being waterproof on any of the accompanying literature.
- Thick. It does add a bit of bulk to the standard size of a device when covered making it harder to fit into other carriers such as pockets and carrying satchels.
- No handle. The glove doesn't have a handle or strap so you will have to put it into another container or bag to carry it hands free. In saying that, with the cover on, I'm less likely to worry about it crashing around in my backpack with other things like cameras and power packs/plugs.
- No extra pockets. If your device has a power adapter/brick, it will not fit into the glove or anywhere else on it. It would have been nice if STM added an elastic strap or loops along one of the edges where you could hook the brick and cords of a power adapter. More loops on the outside could hold SD cards, CD's, or disks. This would help keep all the related accessories together and make the glove a lot more useful.
Conclusion:
Not the most complete implementation of a cover, and could have been made much better with a few small additions, but overall a solid performing and protective cover.
Score:
8.5/10
Update: STM have changed their webpage to target the 11" glove at a Macbook toting audience. As such they have updated their colour range and also the internal lining. Functionally, they should prove better, but the colours apart from black look gross to me and rather pretentious. Perfect for all you MBA owners. ;P
Next up: Flexi-pod SLR camera tripod.
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