CASETiFY Impact Case for MacBook Pro 14 Review: Four Months Later

This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.

Quick take

After three cheap MacBook Pro cases cracked at the corners within months, I switched to the CASETiFY Impact Case for my 14-inch MacBook Pro. I reviewed it when I bought it, then again after nearly four months of carrying it every day. It still has almost no visible scratches, fingerprints don’t show, and it actually slides into my backpack more easily than my old case did.

CASETiFY Impact Case on a MacBook Pro 14 — The clear version still shows the Apple logo from the front

What I tested

CASETiFY Impact Case for MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 to M5), clear
My previous case: a matte green hard case from Amazon Japan, roughly ¥1,000 to ¥2,000
Daily use for nearly four months, in and out of a Peak Design backpack two to three times a day

What I found

My cheap cases started cracking in about two months and chipped at the corners within about six, just from going in and out of a bag.
The CASETiFY corners are covered with a rubbery bumper about 5 mm thick, and the bottom has vents for heat.
Fitting it: line up the cutouts, then press each corner firmly until it clicks. If you skip that, it can sit slightly raised. Wipe the MacBook first, because dust gets inside easily.
It makes the MacBook only slightly bigger around the edges.
After about four months, I could barely see any scratches, just light scuffing.
The smooth surface slides into my Peak Design laptop sleeve more easily than my old plastic case, even though the sleeve fits a 14-inch MacBook Pro snugly.

MacBook Pro going into a Peak Design backpack — The cased MacBook goes into the laptop sleeve of my Peak Design backpack

Cheap case vs CASETiFY

	My old cheap case	CASETiFY Impact Case
Price in Japan	About ¥1,000 to ¥2,000	¥9,790 (sometimes about ¥8,000 on sale)
Durability	Cracked in 2 to 3 months; corners chipped	Almost no visible scratches after about 4 months
Fingerprints	Showed on the matte surface	Hardly visible
Into a snug backpack sleeve	Sticky, hard to slide in	Slides in easily

Who it’s for

If you carry your MacBook every day and keep replacing cracked budget cases, this is worth considering, especially as MacBooks keep getting more expensive. It isn’t for you if you dislike the CASETiFY branding, want to keep a case under about ¥2,000, or want to add no weight at all.

Watch the reviews

【早くこれにすべきだった】MacBook Proのケース、迷ったらCASETiFY。指紋も傷も気にならない最高のアクせサリー

Both videos are in Japanese. In the first-impressions video above, around 2:30 shows how my old case cracked, and around 6:00 how the CASETiFY case clicks into place. The four-month follow-up is below.

【長期レビュー】MacBook ProケースはCASETiFY一択!? 4ヶ月使ってわかった圧倒的な耐久性

Limitations

I haven’t dropped it, so I can’t speak to drop protection. It adds some weight, and I didn’t weigh it. Prices are from Amazon Japan at the time of recording; CASETiFY also sells custom designs on its own website.

Products

CASETiFY Impact Case for MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 to M5), clear black: on Amazon Japan

The Amazon Japan link above is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.

More reviews in English