Laptop Hard Case: Waterproof Protection for Laptops and Tablets on the Move

A laptop hard case is a sealed, rigid shell with foam cut to the laptop's footprint, so rain, dust, drops and crushing never reach the screen or the hinge. For laptops up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, the Vantage 335S fits with foam on every side: it is 465 x 335 x 125 mm inside, IP67 rated, and weighs 2.6 kg empty. Smaller laptops and tablets fit smaller cases. Below: how to size one, verified laptop dimensions, and which case fits which machine.

When a laptop needs a hard case

A padded sleeve or backpack is fine for a laptop that goes from home to office. A hard case earns its place when the laptop works where things go wrong:

• On set or on location, where the laptop sits beside stands, cables and rain.
• In a vehicle with other cases stacked on top. A soft bag passes that weight straight to the screen.
• On field work: survey sites, plant rooms, construction, rural outreach, anywhere with dust and no clean table.
• In shipping, when a laptop goes to a client, a crew member or a service centre by courier.

In India the monsoon adds months of risk for anyone who works outdoors. A sealed case means a sudden downpour between the car and the venue costs you nothing.

What a waterproof laptop case needs

• A real rating. Look for IP67: under IEC 60529, dust-tight and protected against immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes. "Water resistant" on a sleeve promises nothing measurable.
• A wide, shallow shape. A laptop is flat. A deep, narrow case wastes space and adds weight.
• A pressure valve. After a flight or a drive up to a hill station, a sealed case without one can vacuum-lock. Every Vantage case has an automatic pressure equalisation valve.
• Foam that holds it flat. The laptop should sit in a pocket cut to its outline, with foam under it and convoluted foam pressing gently on top.

How to size a laptop protective case

Take the laptop's width, depth and thickness from the maker's specification page, or measure it closed with a steel rule. Then add 20 mm of foam on every side:

1. Width plus 40 mm (20 mm each side).
2. Depth plus 40 mm.
3. Thickness plus 40 mm (20 mm under, 20 mm over).
4. Compare all three with the case's inner dimensions, never the outer size.

If you also carry the charger, a mouse or a drive, lay those out beside the laptop and add 20 mm between each item. The Hard Case Size Finder does this maths for you.

Verified laptop and tablet sizes

These are Apple's published figures for the current models, width x depth x thickness:

• MacBook Air 13-inch (M5): 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm, 1.23 kg.
• MacBook Air 15-inch (M5): 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm, 1.51 kg.
• MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 family): 312.6 x 221.2 x 15.5 mm, 1.55 to 1.62 kg depending on chip.
• MacBook Pro 16-inch (M5 Pro and M5 Max): 355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm, 2.14 to 2.15 kg.
• iPad Pro 11-inch (M5): 249.7 x 177.5 x 5.3 mm.
• iPad Pro 13-inch (M5): 281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1 mm.

Windows laptops vary widely even within one screen size, so for those, measure your own machine. A 15.6-inch gaming laptop can be much thicker and deeper than a slim 14-inch ultrabook.

Which case fits which laptop

All figures use the maker's dimensions and 20 mm of foam on every side. Inner case sizes are width x length x depth in millimetres.

Two notes. The MacBook Pro 14-inch fits the 270S with only 8.8 mm spare across, so there is no room for a charger in that case. And the 16-inch technically clears the 290S, but with 1.9 mm to spare across; the 335S is the sensible choice. See every size in our waterproof hard cases collection.

Why the Vantage 335S suits laptops

The Vantage 335S is wide and shallow: 465 x 335 mm of floor and only 125 mm deep, which is the shape a laptop needs.

• Inner size 465 x 335 x 125 mm, 19.4 litres. Outer size 502 x 415 x 141 mm.
• 2.6 kg empty.
• IP67, plus ATA 300, STANAG 4280, DEF-STAN 81-41 and MIL-STD-810H.
• Automatic pressure equalisation valve.
• Rated from minus 30 °C to 90 °C. That is the case, not the laptop. Do not leave a laptop in a closed car in summer, however good the case is.
• 5 year warranty.

The 125 mm of depth also gives you room for a second layer. A 16-inch MacBook Pro and a 13-inch iPad Pro stacked, with 20 mm of foam under, between and over them, need 16.8 + 5.1 + 60 = 81.9 mm. That fits with space to spare.

Laptop plus camera kit

If the laptop travels with a camera, you have two options. Use two cases, which spreads the weight and keeps each layout simple. Or use a deeper case with the camera kit in the base and the laptop in a flat foam layer on top:

• Vantage 335D-TR: the same 465 x 335 mm footprint as the 335S, but 220 mm deep, with wheels and a telescopic pull handle. Note it carries MIL-STD-810G rather than H.
• Vantage 350: 500 x 350 x 194 mm inside, enough for a 16-inch laptop layer over a two-body camera kit.

Our guide to protective cases for tools, instruments and electronics covers other mixed kits.

Cutting the foam

Every Vantage case ships with solid foam sheets, a snap-off foam cutter and convoluted foam in the lid. For a laptop:

1. Trace the closed laptop onto the top sheet, then cut straight down so the walls are vertical.
2. Cut a finger slot on one long side so you lift the laptop by its edge, not by prising the lid.
3. Cut the charger its own pocket. A loose power brick is the heaviest thing in the case and the likeliest to crack a screen.
4. Let the lid foam touch the laptop lightly so it cannot lift out of its pocket.

For the full method, see how to cut foam for a case.

Flying with a laptop in a hard case

Keep the laptop with you in the cabin where you can. If it must go in the hold, IATA guidance says a device in checked baggage must be switched off completely and protected from damage, and airlines can set stricter rules of their own, so check with yours. For cabin use, compare the airline's limit with the case's outer size. Spare power banks and batteries always go in the cabin, never in a checked case.

Frequently asked questions

Will a 16-inch MacBook Pro fit the Vantage 335S?
Yes. Apple lists it at 355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm. With 20 mm of foam around it, it needs 395.7 x 288.1 x 56.8 mm, and the 335S is 465 x 335 x 125 mm inside.

Is a laptop hard case waterproof?
An IP67 case is dust-tight and protected against immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes, with the lid closed, latches locked and a clean seal.

Can I carry two laptops in one case?
In the 335S, yes, stacked in two foam layers, as long as the combined thickness plus 60 mm of foam stays under 125 mm.

Does a hard case stop condensation?
No. It keeps outside moisture out and inside moisture in. Pack the laptop dry and add a silica gel pack.

For the full guide to choosing a case, read the hard case buying guide.