Brain Cell or Soft Cell

[Climb14er]

I'm a recent arrival at Tom Bihn so...

Looking for a protective case for my Dell Latitude and I basically at the moment need the protective sleeve for the laptop in the center compartment of my Air Boss.

I also measured the inside of my Tumi Briefcase and the Brain Cell appears to be too high to fit properly in it... replacing the foam case that came with the briefcase.

So I'm thinking for now, to get the Soft Cell that will fit in both of the above bags.

Is the Soft Cell protective enough... or should I get the Brain Cell for use in the Air Boss?

Your experience and comments are welcomed.

[maverick]

hi there!

without a doubt, the brain cell provides unparalleled protection for your laptop.

i think the product page for the brain cell says it best:

"Inside the Horizontal Brain Cell, your laptop hangs suspended, cradled in a sling of 8mm thick soft foam padding inside a 4mm hard corrugated plastic shell that protects from the front, back, and bottom.

"Below the padded sling, fixed to the bottom of the corrugated plastic shell, is a 12mm thick strip of memory foam (manufactured to our specifications in U.S.A.) The memory foam acts as an extra layer of cushion as well as an effective shock absorber. The sides of the Horizontal Brain Cell are protected by dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam."

also take a look at the egg drop test

the soft cell is a padded case that also provides protection for your laptop that sits inside, but in a different way. in exchange for a lesser degree of protection, you get a smaller package.

having said all of that, you have to ask yourself whether you want the protection of the brain cell, accepting the bulk that accompanies it. or whether you want the smaller soft cell, accepting the lesser protection that accompanies it.

i've used both the brain cell (and monolith before that), as well as the soft cell, to protect my laptops. while i like the idea of the protection afforded by the brain cell (and it's saved me when my smart alec backpack fell once), i am satisfied with using a soft cell. but that's me. you have to ask yourself what you want for the protection of your laptop.

both the brain cell and the soft cell are very well made. in terms of quality of construction, functionality and looks, you can't go wrong either way.

good luck. let us know what you end up choosing.

-m

[Climb14er]

I went ahead and ordered the Brain Cell. Reason being, if I take the laptop in the center section of the Air Boss or the upcoming Tristar, and 'have' to check it in for some TSA reason or directive, the Brain Cell will afford me the protection I need so the laptop won't take a direct or indirect 'hit'.

I'm sure I could have 'gotten by' with the Soft Cell but the laptop is 'very' important and taking any risk with it while traveling on the road and especially by plane, it's imperative to have the added protection.

[MikeL]

The Brain Cell was a good choice; but I don't suggest checking your laptop with your Air Boss. The TSA can open your bag in the baggage handling area, and confiscate (read: steal) your laptop. You will never see it again. One of my colleagues checked her laptop, and of course her bag went missing. Odd since her other 2 pieces showed up. The airline of course told her to make a claim with her insurance, but the damage was done. Her data was lost (good thing we encrypt our hard drives).

Anyway, the Brain Cell has a couple of handles, and hooks for a shoulder strap, so pull it out when you check in.