iMore Verdict
Bottom line: Cover-Up uses genuine wood or stone to craft unique MacBook skins by hand.
Pros
- +
Stands out from the crowd
- +
Genuine wood or stone
- +
Wide variety of colors and styles
- +
Protects the top from scratches
- +
Hand-crafted
Cons
- -
Bottom skin for some varieties sold separately
- -
One use only
- -
Pricey
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You're not one to settle for "the usual" look for your MacBook. Cover-Up has you covered, with a wood or stone MacBook skin. Cover-Up is a small Welsh company based in Bridgend, South Wales and inspired by nature. The hand-crafted skins are not plastic printed to look like stone or wood, they are thin slivers of the real thing.
Natural cover
Cover-Up MacBook Skin: Features
If you're tired of the everyday MacBook covers, Cover-Up offers something different. Inspired by the lush, natural landscape of Wales, Cover-Up hand-crafts MacBook skins and other products from the natural materials around them. Cover-Up covers 13 different MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models ranging from 2009 through the current models. Choose from dozens of different kinds of stone and wood. The stone cover in my photos is Gunmetal slate; the wood is Purpleheart. Because these skins are crafted from the real deal, no two will look exactly alike.
I was worried the stone skin would be heavy, but it's not. It's quite thin, measuring just 0.7 millimeters in thickness. This is ever-so-slightly thicker than a typical decal skin. Weighing in at less than 80 grams, it doesn't add any noticeable weight or bulk to my MacBook Pro. The stone skin doesn't feel quite like anything I've felt before. Since it is so thin, it doesn't feel like a rock, or a granite/stone kitchen countertop, or anything like that. The wood skin, on the other hand, just feels like wood. Both are quite pleasant to the touch.
The back of the skin has flexible fabric backing and utilizes 3M adhesive technology. The skin wasn't difficult to apply, but it does take some focus to be sure to get it on straight. Note that this is not the kind of skin that is meant to be removed and reapplied over and over again. Once you take it off, it's off. The adhesive does not leave any residue behind.
I get a kick out of the juxtaposition of ancient stone or wood with the ultra-modern MacBook.
The corners of the skin are split to accommodate the rounded corners of the MacBook Pro. There is an Apple logo cutout in the middle of the skin because goodness knows we MacBook users like our logos showing! It all fits very nicely and doesn't interfere with the functionality of the laptop at all.
I'm not really sure how much protection the Cover-Up MacBook Skin offers. Certainly, it's not intended for drop protection, and there is no protection for the bottom of the laptop at all. There is no bottom skin available for the stone skin, but there is a bottom skin sold separately for the wood varieties. The top of the MacBook is protected from scratches, except for the Apple logo which remains bare. I would say the purpose of this skin is more to give your MacBook a striking look than for protection.
Natural beauty
Cover-Up MacBook Skin: What I like
I always appreciate companies that endeavor to do something different than the run-of-the-mill. I also enjoy accessories made from natural materials. I love the look and the feel of these uncommon covers. Both the wood and the stone are lightweight, slim, gorgeous, and a pleasure to touch. I get a kick out of the juxtaposition of ancient stone or wood with the ultra-modern MacBook.
Not full protection
Cover-Up MacBook Skin: What I don't like
If you're at all prone to dropping, this isn't the cover for you. It offers little-to-no drop protection. You'll get some scratch protection on the top (except for the Apple logo). This makes me a little nervous. It's also pretty pricey for a cover that can only be used once.
Hand-crafted for you
Cover-Up MacBook Skin: Bottom line
If you want to give your MacBook a unique style and you love nature, the Cover-Up MacBook Skin could be your perfect fit. The skin is hand-crafted from a large variety of genuine wood species and stone types. The flexible 3M adhesive backing is secure, but not intended to removed and replaced. While it may not offer a lot of protection, it does add a stunning and sophisticated aesthetic to your MacBook.
Uncommon beauty
This sophisticated and unique MacBook skin is hand-crafted from natural materials such as stone and wood.
