The best laptops are becoming thinner and lighter than ever, which is great for portability but not ideal for durability. As such, laptop cases fill the gap, providing style and protection for a variety of laptop models. There are some other factors to consider when deciding whether to put a laptop case on your computer or to daily drive it without one, though. A common concern among laptop users is that installing a hard shell case on their computer will make it overheat, reducing performance and adding strain on their hardware. However, is that just a myth or a real thing you should worry about when purchasing (or avoiding) laptop cases? Let's take a look at all the factors to consider.

Don't block the air vents

Cases that obstruct intakes or exhausts could cause overheating

Most laptops have active cooling systems that use one or more fans to pull cool air into the system and push hot air out. There are some exceptions to this rule, like the liquid-cooled Lenovo Legion 9i or the passive-cooled MacBook Air. But for the most part, laptops use fans to keep their internal components from overheating. There are a few natural places that laptops can use to move air in and out, like through the keyboard or hinge gap. However, laptops generally have vents specifically cut into the chassis to serve as fan intakes or exausts. You'll usually find these cutouts on the sides or bottom of your laptop.

The most important thing to look for when purchasing a laptop case is whether the case features cutouts for vents. More specifically, that these cutouts match the locations of the air vents on your laptop. A case doesn't need to have precision-cut air vents that match the intakes or exhausts on your laptop down to the exact millimeter, but any case that significantly obstructs airflow could cause your laptop to overheat. To make sure a case has the cutouts that your laptop specifically requires, you can check product images, customer reviews, and the specifications page. If you aren't sure, confirm that the case you buy has a good return policy, so you can send it back if the air vent cutouts aren't right.

Cases can affect passive cooling

Some laptops dissipate heat through the chassis, which gets covered by a case

The other thing to keep in mind is that air vents aren't the only way that laptops get rid of heat. They can also dissipate heat through the chassis itself, whether it is metal or plastic. If you've ever felt your laptop become warm or hot under heavy performance loads, that's an example of heat moving from the internal components of your laptop to its chassis. By putting a laptop case on your device, you're essentially adding another layer for heat to get through passively. For example, with a hard shell plastic case, heat could get trapped in the tight-fitting case and your laptop could run warm as a result.

However, most laptops use active cooling as the primary way to remain cool and run like normal. Passive cooling is only a miniscule part of the overall thermal threshold, so putting on a case probably won't cause your laptop to overheat. This is a greater consideration on a laptop like the MacBook Air, which doesn't use fans at all and only uses passive cooling. However, I've tested plenty of MacBook Air cases over the last few years, and haven't noticed any performance limitations as a result. You should remember that cases can affect passive cooling, especially if you think your laptop is overheating after using a case. But you shouldn't avoid laptop cases altogether for this reason.

Most laptop cases won't cause overheating

The best options feature vents that retain great thermal performance

Overall, laptop cases aren't likely to be a major cause of your computer overheating. Sure, if the case you pick out has no cutouts for laptop air vents, there may be thermal issues. The overwhelming majority of quality cases on the market, from companies like Casetify, Incase, and Supcase, do feature these cutouts. Most cases are designed with thermal performance in mind so that it's not an issue that the end user has to worry about. There are plenty of reasons why using a laptop case is good and bad during daily use, but thermal performance and potential overheating are not likely to be at the top of that list.

When in doubt, use a sleeve

Protection when you need it, uninterrupted thermal performance when you don't

Whenever someone is looking to use a case on their laptop but is concerned about the downsides, I always point them in the direction of a laptop sleeve. They're the best of both worlds, offering protection when your laptop is in transit or being stored without any compromises. After taking the laptop out of the sleeve, you can use it just like normal with zero chance of case-related overheating. Of course, people who need constant protection will prefer a hard shell case, but sleeves are great alternatives for a lot of people. If you're worried about overheating, a sleeve could be a good way to ensure that won't happen. However, the idea that laptop cases cause overheating is more of a myth than a real problem.