Twelve South BookBook V2 MacBook Case Review

We purchased the Twelve South BookBook V2 MacBook Case so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

When looking for a laptop case or a sleeve, functionality is key. Are you the accident-prone type, in need of a protective case? Or are you the forgetful type, in need of an inconspicuous case that won’t attract attention when you leave your laptop on the seat of your car? If it’s something like the latter, the Twelve South BookBook V2 case might be the product for you.

We tested this case to evaluate the quality of the materials, checked on all the promised features, and considered for whom this product is best suited.

Design: Practical, vintage chic

An interesting hybrid of a laptop sleeve and shell case, the Twelve South BookBook V2 is designed to look like a gently-used vintage book. It’s available for 12-inch MacBooks, 13-inch MacBooks (which was the model we tested), and 15-inch MacBooks.

The product has a genuine leather exterior and soft microfiber interior, which helps shield your laptop from scratches. You can zip the BookBook closed to secure it between the two hardback book covers and transport it anywhere. It’s a little large to fit in a standard backpack, but it is arguably lightweight enough to carry by hand on the go.

The case has two elastic bands attached to the interior corners that you can slip over the corners of your screen if you’d like to use the BookBook as a shell cover and keep it on while you work on your laptop. The plush fabric interior keeps the computer insulated, and the reinforced corners absorb impact from bumps and jams.

Inside the BookBook, there’s a discreet extra pocket for paperwork. Lift up the tab labeled “BookBook” and you’ll find a hidden document pocket.

From an aesthetic perspective, we didn’t love the faux-vintage book look. But that’s a matter of taste, and perhaps practicality wins the battle here — the design does make for a clever disguise. We think it might just be convincing enough to save your car windows if you accidentally left this on your passenger seat.

Setup Process: As simple as can be

This product requires little to no setup. Once you’ve unpackaged the product, it’s ready to use. And luckily enough, this product will fit almost any MacBook Pro model of the correct size, recent or otherwise.

Price: Very expensive for a laptop sleeve

For as many unique qualities as the Twelve South BookBook offers, the hefty price tag is hard for us to overlook. This case retails for $79.99, which definitely makes it one of the higher-end laptop sleeves out there. Even though the real leather has a very premium feel, we still think the price tag is too high for the product you get.

But if your main objective is to find a case that successfully conceals your laptop from thieves, then perhaps this price point is reasonable. After all, $80 is a drop in the bucket compared to what you’d spend to replace a stolen computer.

Competition: Twelve South BookBook V2 vs. MOSISO PU Leather Sleeve

The BookBook is a quality, high-end case that can protect your MacBook from superficial abrasions and provide a clever disguise for your expensive electronics. However, for a $79.99 price tag, you can find a case with much more protection than this product offers (we’d recommend looking at plastic shells with drop protection on the corners).

That being said, if you’re considering the BookBook V2, it’s probably because you want the aesthetic more than you want heavy-duty protection. If that’s the case, you might consider the MOSISO PU Leather Sleeve, which offers a similar vintage book design for a mere $22.99. We haven’t actually tested this product to do a side-by-side comparison, but the main difference is that the BookBook is made of genuine leather and the MOSIS is PU leather (leathery-looking plastic) — it’s much less expensive, but you can also expect a sharp downgrade in materials.

Check out our other reviews of the best MacBook Pro cases on the market today.

Similar Products We've Reviewed:

• ProCase MacBook Pro 13 Case
• Urban Armor Gear MacBook Pro 13-inch Laptop Case
• Fintie Protective Case for MacBook Pro 13