Urban Armor Gear (UAG) is renowned for their very rugged, lightweight, and drop-tested cases for phones, tablets and notebooks. Many people turn to UAG whenever they need some extra protection for their devices. I recently got the UAG case for the 4th generation (late-2016) MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Pro is quite robust on its own. I don’t worry about damaging it under normal circumstances. But it will likely get damaged from a table-height drop, or at perhaps suffer some dings from a nasty bump against a hard object.
UAG cases are designed for serious rugged protection. They have been designed to meet U.S. military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6). I wouldn’t try that myself, but the case can protect the MacBook Pro from a corner drop from table-height without it suffering even a blemish.
While the case is mostly made of strong but lightweight plastic, all the corners and edges are covered with substantial rubber material.
The top and bottom halves of the case are in two separate pieces, connected together by a rubber flap that serves like a hinge. This sounds like the two halves are not very securely attached. That’s not so. When the UAG case is fitted onto the MacBook Pro, and when the top cover is closed, a dual-lock closure secures the two halves together, and the entire assembly is extremely sturdy.
Opening the case is slightly more cumbersome. The two corners must be pulled apart to release the lock, before deftly manoeuvring to lift the cover off the base. On the other hand, you can be sure this case will not accidentally open.
When closed, the MacBook Pro’s USB ports are still exposed. This could be a good thing, since the ports are still accessible for, say, continuing to charge the notebook. While the ports are exposed, they aren’t really vulnerable, because they are recessed, and an extra rubber protrusion makes it not easy for the ports to be damaged. The MacBook Pro will be safe, unless you have a sharp, hard, object aimed directly at the ports.
The bottom of the case is covered with far more ventilation slots I’d think the MacBook Pro actually needs. The MacBook Pro only has vents on the back, as well as the side edges of the bottom panel. The UAG case, however, has gaps all over the bottom panel. I suppose this could still help the MacBook Pro dissipate heat through the aluminium panel.
Fitting on the UAG case is relatively easy. Instructions are provided, and they are simple to follow.
The challenge, however, is taking off the UAG case. The case fits onto the MacBook Pro so tightly that removing it is actually quite difficult. Even when following the instructions on UAG’s website and, thus, knowing that I’m doing it correctly, I still couldn’t help thinking if I might damage the notebook in the process. This is not a case that you want to put on and take off regularly.
This UAG case for the 4th generation (late-2016) MacBook Pro is available from UAG website at US$79.95, including free shipping. You’re likely to find discounted options elsewhere, such as on Lazada for S$79.99 (affiliate link).
Conclusion
The UAG case for 4th generation (late-2016) MacBook Pro provides very rugged, lightweight, drop-tested protection.
Pros:
- Very rugged protection
- Ports are accessible when case is closed
Cons:
- Very difficult to remove the case