Moshi has an annoying and costly (well, for me, anyway) habit of creating beautiful products for Apple devices that work really well. That's readily apparent in their newest case, the Codex for MacBook Air, a carrying case that lets you keep using your MacBook Air without removing it first.

The Codex is a stylish carrying case for the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air that has a clamshell design and a zipper that runs around three edges. The Codex is designed to let you use the MacBook Air without having to remove it from the case first - just the thing for travelers on the go who don't want to be burdened with an additional slip case or other cover to protect their MacBook Air from dings.

The outside of the Codex is something that Moshi cryptically refers to as "high-resilience polymeric hybrid material." I'm not sure what that means, but what I know is that it's water-repellant, so if you spill a drink on it, it rolls off instead of soiling or soaking the case.

Inside the case is lined with memory foam, so the MacBook has a decent amount of shock protection. The foam is lined with soft microfiber to keep the case from getting scratched. Four corner pads on the bottom part of the case line up with the MacBook Air's feet; they provide a little bit of lift so there can be air circulation in there, to prevent the MacBook Air from overheating.

The upper left and right corners of the inside of the case incorporate small plastic tabs that keep the MacBook Air's screen in place, so you can just unzip the case, flip open the top and start working without ever removing the laptop from the case. Closing the case secures the lid, so your MacBook Air goes right to sleep. Zip it up and you're done.

I tested out the 11-inch model, which is only available in "Steel Black" at the moment - it's a nice color that's very similar to the exterior of Moshi's black Concerti folio case for iPad - it has a bit of a brushed glint to it that resembles metal, but it's not a shiny metal surface. The overall effect is stylish and executive-looking.

The 13-inch model comes in Steel Black and "Brushed Titanium." The back edge of all three cases is reinforced with a stitched faux leather flap. (Made of something Moshi calls "vegan leather" - is that leather made from vegans?) The flap gives you a solid grippy surface to hold when you're carrying it. There's no handle or shoulder strap.

The Codex is slim - there's no room for a power supply or other accessories, so you'll need to be carrying another bag with you for that stuff, or have a Haswell-equipped MacBook Air that can run all day on a single charge. Moshi says the Codex is TSA checkpoint-approved - so you can just lay it on the x-ray belt in situ without needing to unzip anything or risk anything happen to your precious MacBook Air while you're going through security lines at the airport.

The Good

Water-repellant
Handsome colors and texture
TSA-approved
Makes the MacBook Air usable without being removed first.

The Bad

No room for accessories
No handle or strap

Bottom Line

The Codex for MacBook Air offers slender protection for the MacBook Air, making it an ideal companion for a backpack or oversized bag used the carry the laptop and other accessories. You may not need accessories if you're just walking around the office or have a newer MacBook Air, and for that, the Codex can be a perfect fit.