There are only a few MacBook Air colors available, and they don't have a lot of character to them. That's why people turn to great MacBook Air cases to add some extra protection and show some of their personal style on their laptop. But there's a lot to consider when buying a MacBook case, especially since some poorly made ones can actually damage your laptop. So, why not consider Otterbox? The brand has been in the mobile protection game for basically as long as smartphones have been around, and it has a great reputation. With the Lumen Series for the MacBook Air, Otterbox is breaking into the laptop case market.

Like the company's mobile cases, there's a lot to love about the Lumen Series. It looks really great, seems to provide good protection, and is more scratch resistant than some competing options. But regardless of how good the case is, it's hard to recommend due to the exorbitant price tag. The Lumen Series retails for $100, which puts at the very high end of the laptop case market. Unless you're particularly captivated by the gradient design, you'll probably find a cheaper alternative that will save you a fair bit of cash.

About this review: This review was written after a week of testing a Lumen Series Case provided by Otterbox. The company had no input in this review, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Pricing and availability

Otterbox's Lumen Series case is a hard plastic case designed for the 13-inch MacBook Air, released in 2022. It comes in four colors: clear, black, purple, and blue. Each of the colors have a slight sparkle to them, and have a gradient that eventually becomes clear at the top of the case. The Otterbox case retails for $100, and is available at Apple and Otterbox's website. However, it isn't available at major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon for now.

What I like

The design is good-looking and has some clear benefits

I've tried quite a few MacBook cases, most recently the UAG Lucent Series case. While it might seem simple, there are a lot of key design choices for laptop cases that can make or break the experience. Otterbox made a lot of the right choices, including a thick and sturdy plastic with a glossy finish. That results in the Lumen Series case being one of the best-looking MacBook cases I've seen. The quality of the color is a big factor here, as it appears more solid and crisp than designs that are just printed atop a clear plastic case.

The gradient looks excellent, and there are sparkly or metallic accents mixed in with the plastic. You'll either love this choice or hate it, and it's nearly impossible to see these accents in the images on Otterbox's store. Personally, I think the accents blend in nicely with the stock metallic aluminum finish of your MacBook. The color, finish, and gradient aren't necessarily reasons to buy the Otterbox case over alternatives, but they do add more character to it than the average clear plastic case.

Otterbox's case is one of the most durable I've tried

As soon as I felt the Lumen Series case in my hand — before even installing it on my laptop — I knew it would be a cut above the market in terms of durability. There's a certain heft to it that you won't find in cheaper cases, and Otterbox's option weighs over a pound by itself. Otterbox also says that the case meets the MIL-STD-810G 516.6 spec, which is a military shock resistance standard. I certainly wasn't drop testing my MacBook to find out how durable it is, but I have a lot of confidence in the Lumen Series' durability over time.

The thing I can attest to is that the Lumen Series has excellent scratch resistance. Typically, I'll notice a bunch of scratches on my clear plastic laptop cases during my week-long review period. There weren't any scratches on the Otterbox case that stood out, and it passed a synthetic light scratch test with my car keys. You might attribute this to the colored plastic material or the sparkly finish. Either way, it creates a case that will look much better after three months, six months, or a year than other plastic cases.

What I don't like

There is too much clamping force on the display for my liking

The sturdy build quality does come with a downside, though. The Lumen Series case fits so tightly on my MacBook Air that I initially wasn't sure it was going to snap on. I had to apply way too much force — more than I'm comfortable with — to secure the Otterbox case on my MacBook, especially on the display side. Considering we've seen guidance from Apple that suggests even crumbs or dust can break a MacBook display, I'm wary of anything that can stress the glass or screen.

The flip side of this is that you won't have to worry about the case coming off your MacBook accidentally. This is a key trade-off for any laptop case, but I'm inclined to go for the looser case that has a lower risk of damaging the screen. It's more of a personal preference, though. I've yet to damage a display while testing cases, and I take them on and off frequently.

Fingerprints are visible often

Although the case is very scratch-resistant, it's also prone to collecting fingerprints. You'll spot them most on the top part of the case that has a translucent appearance. They're not as visible near the bottom, since the colored plastic material hides any fingerprints well. Keeping in mind how prone to fingerprints the MacBook Air's own aluminum finish is, it's hard to knock the Otterbox too much for this flaw.

Should you buy the Otterbox Lumen Series case for MacBook Air?

You should buy the Otterbox Lumen Series case for MacBook Air if:

• You have a 13-inch, M2 MacBook Air
• You're willing to pay any price for a quality case
• You need a sturdy and durable case

You should NOT buy the Otterbox Lumen Series case for MacBook Air if:

• You aren't willing to spend $100 for a laptop case
• You don't like the design, or don't need the protection

The M2 MacBook Air is an expensive laptop, and can be costly to repair, just like all the best Macs today. If money is no object, the Otterbox Lumen Series case is pretty easy to recommend. The only major downside to this case is the clamping force applied to the display, which might not be an issue for everyone. The problem is, money is a factor for the majority of people buying a laptop case. It might even be one of the biggest factors in choosing one case over another. At $100, I know the Otterbox case is outside the budget I'd be willing to spend on a laptop case. If you're like me, I'd see if there is another case that meets your needs at a lower price point before dropping triple-digits on the Lumen Series.