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Accessory review: ZeroShock III laptop case

ZeroShock 1 - for some reason we don't have an alt tag here

Our friends at GearZap felt sorry for me picking out a case that just didn’t fit my Samsung Chromebook, so they decided to let me pick out another case to review. And this time, I decided to go bigger: I wanted a laptop case that would protect my 11.6-inch Chromebook, but was also big enough to recycle and reuse in case I decided to upgrade to something a little bigger down the road. After glancing through the various laptop cases available from GearZap, I decided to settle on the reasonably-priced ZeroShock III laptop case.

The ZeroShock lineup purports to be super shock absorbent, lightweight, and water resistant – and in my experience, all of these claims are true. The inner material is made from a “low-rebound” memory foam, which simply means that it reacts to pressure very slowly, and also returns to its original shape very slowly. The idea is to offer maximum protection against sudden shocks, and the concept does seem to work in practice. It’s also got a very interesting wave-shaped design, and while I’m not well-versed in the laws of physics, I’m sure this only adds to its shock absorption value. In other words, the casual bumps that your laptop will experience in your backpack, or just in everyday use, hopefully won’t end up causing too much damage, or any at all.

ZeroShock 2 - for some reason we don't have an alt tag here

The outer layer of the case is made from water-resistant polyurethane, and let’s face it: I’m a sucker for white. As an early adopter of every HTC EVO since the original, I’ve often missed out on white smartphones, and while I like the grey body of my current Chromebook, I’d much prefer it to be white. So a white laptop case will just have to do, and so far, it’s survived about a week of moderate use without showing any signs of losing its vibrancy. Granted, it probably won’t look so white a year from now, but I still fundamentally enjoy the clean and bright look of a white case. (As a side note, a user review on GearZap’s site stated that it is very easy to wipe scuff marks off this case.)

Additionally, the ZeroShock III case has a zippered front pocket, which is actually big enough to store the power brick, along with a few other accessories such as a USB cord and a thumb drive. This case is also incredibly thin and light weight, which is important while I’m stuffing all of my books into a bag as I head off to teach. I’m told that the wave design I mentioned earlier helps keep this case light, and I also appreciate the double zipper – not only does this allow me to open the case like a book if I want, but it gives me added piece of mind that if I break one of the zippers (which I often do), then I’ll still have another to fall back on.

All four corners of the case seem to be reinforced for extra protection, and even though this particular one is designed for laptops between 12.1 and 13.3 inches, it works great for my slightly smaller Chromebook. In fact, I definitely do not feel like my Chromebook is any less protected, even though there’s some extra wiggle room in there. Like I said before, obtaining a slightly larger case ensures not only that I won’t run into the same issue I did as before, but I’ll also have something to use if I decide to get a slightly larger Chromebook soon.

ZeroShock 3 - for some reason we don't have an alt tag here

Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised at the quality of this case, and recommend it for anyone who needs to protect their notebook computers while out and about – even if they are slightly smaller than 12.1 inches. (In case you do like a slightly tighter fit, GearZap also offers a smaller version of this case.)

The ZeroShock III laptop case is available in both white or black for £19.95 or £20.95, respectively (around $30).

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John F

John was the editor-in-chief at Pocketables. His articles generally focus on all things Google, including Chrome and Android, although his love of new gadgets and technology doesn't stop there. His current arsenal includes the Nexus 6 by Motorola, the 2013 Nexus 7 by ASUS, the Nexus 9 by HTC, the LG G Watch, and the Chromebook Pixel, among others.

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