They do make awesome stuff. I’ve never had any durability issues.
Yup. And the extra mm or so in this case doesn’t quite provide enough I guess. The thickness doesn’t help either. The 12B is intended for the 2018 iPad Pro, which is 281x215mm, and only 6mm thick. So, extra room in all dimensions.
Too bad. I’ll inquire of the company about any chance of them producing a more suitable size, but I doubt they will. Guess I’ll have to look more closely at some of the other options folks here have found.
I do think there’s a good chance that the 13C cache would work just fine, despite the fact that it’s too narrow on paper (by 3 mm). I have one for another laptop, and the material does have a little stretch to it. The problem with the 12B seems to be that it was too tight on all sides, but the 13C gives you some extra thickness and length to work with.
Also, the new 14" Macbook Pro has similar dimensions to the Framework, which is good news for Framework owners (313 x 221 x 15.5, compared to the Framework’s 297 x 229 x 15.85). Any sleeves made for the MBP that are not skin-tight will probably fit the Framework too.
I wanted a hard shell carry bag with room for the AC adapter, a mouse, and expansion cards without worrying about them putting pressure and stress on the laptop, so I got this Smatree hard shell laptop shoulder bag on Amazon:
I haven’t taken it anywhere yet, but it seems to be sturdy.
Smatree Hard Shell Laptop Shoulder Bag Compatible for 12-13.3 inch MacBook Pro/MacBook Air 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017/12.9 inch iPad Pro 5th/4th with Keyboard/Surface Pro X/7/6/5/4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZXNTTVB
Another follow-up on the Tom Bihn caches, and not great news. I contacted them about the sizing and whether they’ll eventually produce one that fits, and this was their response:
Thanks for reaching out! I double checked and it looks like we don’t have any plans for a new Cache that would fit a laptop of that size at this time. We are planning for a new Cache for the 14" MacBook, though it does look like that size would also be a bit tight with the 14" MacBook being about 22.1 cm, compared to the Framework’s 22.8 cm, so it looks likely that you’d come across a similar fit as the 12B Cache, where it might just squeeze in but would be a bit tight.
So it looks like 15D (which is a few cm longer than needed) would be the only viable option in their lineup. Kind of a bummer. Maybe I’ll get it and cut some foam to take up the space in the bottom (I only use it in my backpack anyway). Or perhaps I’ll find another simple sleeve that will work in the bag, and find a way to add some nylon webbing rails to it (or just do without that feature).
I have used the Targus CitySmart EVA Pro for years of heavy road warrior use. If you are dealing with airport security, underseat carry on bag storage (even the A seat in an ERJ135!), etc, there is no better form factor / pocket set than this. And it looks good enough for professional settings as well. Looks like the main padded pocket will fit the frame work with a bit to spare on every edge.
I really like the fit of the LineSleeve when coupled with my Linedock 13. Gives me extra battery life when I’m really flogging things plus the LineSleeve has an ingenius flap that allows opening it to charge without removing the devices from the sleeve (and if they are sleeping heat shouldn’t be an issue).
I got an iColor 12 inch laptop case sleeve, and it fits the Framework almost perfectly, with just the slightest bit of wiggle room on the sides. I’m seriously impressed with it. Would recommend!
Thanks for that recommendation! I got one. It fits fine. I also got this Amazon Basics 13.3-Inch Laptop Sleeve, Protective Case with Zipper - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD8AF48, which has a little more room, allowing me to place a board from a clipboard on either side of the machine for extra protection. The iColor sleeve has somewhat firmer padding material than the Amazon Basics one. I’m keeping the iColor one for my Pixel Chromebook.
It fits like a glove and looks great. Has a nice protective lining along the inside to prevent the zipper from scratching the laptop. Ships from India, but with UPS Express shipping – arrived in 5 days for me.
I’m thinking of making my own laptop sleeve/bag (for both Framework and my Huion tablet), but I’m a little worried about making sure it’s protective enough, especially since I’m very clumsy.
Right now I’m looking into eco-friendly water resistant or repellent fabrics (most use a lot petroleum based synthetic material) but recycled options are available).
I might split the difference and get a good protective sleeve and make the bag, or upcycle an older bag of mine and steal the padding. If anyone has other ideas, suggestions, or know of eco-friendly manufacturers for laptop sleeves, feel free to let me know!
What I really want is a fitted sleeve with a printed image of the bottom chassis of the framework with the input cover removed, similar to the dbrands teardown skin.
Hey, Framework team, any way we can get some high res images in case we want to custom order something like this?
@ajgrf Can you clarify? Tom Bihn doesn’t make a 12C, as far as I know. Do you mean 12B? I was planning to get a 15D and fill the extra space with some foam (I’d pretty much only use it vertically, so that wouldn’t be a big deal), but if there’s one that fits perfectly, I’ll go for that one.
@mvw Sorry, I meant the 13C that I was talking about earlier in the thread. (I’ve edited my post with the correct model now.)
The dimensions on tombihn.com make it look like it might be slightly too small, but it’s fine and actually seems like it was made for the Framework. There’s a few spare millimeters on all sides, it’s easy to slide in and out, and it zips up easily too.
By contrast, the dimensions of the 12B looks like it should fit perfectly, but someone tried it earlier and it was too tight. It was designed for an iPad and they weren’t as generous with extra space.
@ajgrf Thanks for the clarification. I stayed away from the 12B due to @Jeremy_Schneider’s post above, as you mentioned. I’ll give the 13C a shot! Definitely happy to hear there’s a Tom Bihn solution.
When you lift the pelican vertical what is padding the sides of your framework? Looks super padded when flat on a table like that, but doesn’t looks like it will be doing anything to cushion it while vertical. Your framework’s lid and sides will be absorbing all of the impact movement.
Or am I missing something and there is a padding ring around it?
In theory I would really like something like this, but at it looks here, I don’t see how this is actually protecting the laptop while in transit.
