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When netbooks were first introduced, they were intended to be somewhat rough and tumble, harem scarum sorts of devices…the Little Rascals of the computing world. Cheap and small, with Solid State Drives in place of traditional, somewhat finicky hard drives and sporting no fragile optical drives at all, netbooks were designed to be tossed in your backpack and taken places where large, expensive notebooks just didn’t want to go.

As netbooks have been become more complex and advanced, they have lost a bit of that devil may care durability. We worry more about them and need to take more care not to damage them accidently. Therefore, a quality case to protect your netbook investment has become more and more important. However, it makes sense that you should look for something that doesn’t multiple a netbook’s size and weight the way a traditional notebook case would. Therefore sleek, easy sleeves are the perfect choice, giving you a reasonable amount of durability but not too much added bulk..but are all sleeves created equal? I recently got a hold of a netbook sleeve made by one of the leading new companies in gadget protection today, BUILT NY. What did I think of it? Read on for the full review.

The case in question is Built’s Netbook Sleeve 9-10”. As the name suggests it was designed to fit netbooks with screen sizes between 9 and 10 inches. That size range is a bit deceptive, since if you prefer the sleeve to be snug fitting (as I do) it can be used for netbooks up to around 12 inches or if you don;lt mind it being loose you can go down to around 8 inches. I tested it on an 11.6 inch Compaq Mini 311 as well as on an 8.9 inch Gigabyte M912.

The case itself is made of high quality neoprene,and feels a bit like a heavy duty wetsuit. It is light but gives an overall feeling of durability. The neoprene in supple, highly flexible, and has indentations along each side to improve grip. The Built sleeves have a distinctive hourglass shape, which helps them to fit a wide range of netbook sizes.

For me, a netbook case has to be light, durable and extremely protective….and the Built sleeve managed all three admirably. Weight wise it didn’t seem to add any heft at all to the netbook. In fact it seemed to make the device much easier to tote around, as if it made it feel more compact. I have tried both leather and clear plastic cases for netbooks in the past and always ended up abandoning them as too heavy and cumbersome. They made me less willing to add the netbook to my daily gear due to added weight and bother, but I have the exact opposite reaction to the Built sleeve. It makes packing my netbook and bringing it along a snap.

In terms of durability the neoprene fabric seems like it could go through a few small wars and come out unscathed. The zipper along the top edge is made of good quality plastic and metal, with wide, well spaced teeth making it unlikely to jam. All seams are double stitched for additional survivability. I spent a good deal of time stetching this case as far as I could and didn’t so much as pop a thread. In addition, the elastic quality of the neoprene is first class. I left the case on my 11.6 inch netbook for a full day stretched to it’s maximum, but it still snapped back to it’s original size immediately once I removed the device from the case.

As far as the sleeve’s ability to protect my precious netbook, it really took a load off my mind. In just the week I have been using the Compaq Mini 311, the glossy top has already gotten one annoying scratch across it’s surface from going in my gear bag (more about that next week in my review of the Mini 311) and I was none to happy about it. This sleeve however perfectly protects the netbook’s chassis, making it much easier for me to slip the netbook into the forward pocket of my gear bag without worrying about what it may rub up against. This simple fact really enhanced my pleasure from the device…since if you are as worried about harming a netbook as you are a full sized notebook, what is the point of it?

With most cases, the devil is in the details. As far as this case is concerned, all the little details are well though out and executed.The zipper is well designed with a large, heavy fabric border and plastic teeth and won’t scratch or mar your netbook in any way. The inside of the neoprene shell has a soft blue fleece lining to offer even further protection. I didn’t test the cases protective ability against shocks and impacts, but feel it would certainly provide at least a modicum of protection against falls or shaking. I wouldn’t go dropping it off any balconies, but the sleeve certainly seems capable of protecting the netbook from everyday bumps and bruises.

Two nice features of the Built sleeves are that they are machine washable, and also designed to go through airport security with ease. Those two facts alone should please the road warriors out there.

Netbooks are becoming increasingly capable, and therefore increasingly expensive. Available for $22 from Built’s website (as well as many major retailers) in a myriad of colors, this product is a sound investment in the life of your netbook. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to all netbook users.