Which Laptop Sleeve Fits Your MacBook? A Size Guide

Screen size tells you what a laptop is called, not how big it actually is. A sleeve labelled for a 14-inch machine may or may not take your 14-inch MacBook once bezels, thickness and the case around the screen are counted. This guide matches each current MacBook to the NEGOTIA sleeve that genuinely fits, using real measurements rather than the number in the name.

Here is the short version, then the reasoning underneath.

Quick answer: MacBook to sleeve

MacBook dimensions above are for the current M5 (2026) models. Earlier Apple silicon models are within a few millimetres of these, so the same matches hold, but if you own an older or larger machine, measure it and compare against the notes below.

Why screen size misleads

Two laptops with the same screen size can have different footprints, and Apple's own range shows it. The 15-inch MacBook Air is 34 cm wide. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is 35.6 cm wide, only about a centimetre and a half more, despite the larger name. Meanwhile a 13-inch Air and a 14-inch Pro are almost the same size on a desk. What matters for a sleeve is the width and depth of the closed laptop, not the diagonal of its screen.

This is why the honest way to size a sleeve is to group machines by their real footprint. NEGOTIA sleeves come in two footprints, and every current MacBook falls cleanly into one of them.

The two NEGOTIA sleeve sizes

The smaller size has a padded compartment rated for laptops up to 14 inches, in an outer format of 35 × 25 cm. It suits the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro, both of which sit comfortably inside with a snug, protective fit. Two products share this size: the Mantle Sleeve 14 inch, a pared-back sleeve with room for a notebook, chargers and a Magic Keyboard, and the Notion Folio 14 inch, which adds more organisation: a document pocket, phone pocket, pen holders and an AirTag compartment.

The larger size measures 40 × 28 cm. It takes the 15-inch MacBook Air and, in the versions rated to 16 inches, the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Here the distinction matters: the Mantle Sleeve 15.6 inch is rated to 15.6 inches and is the right choice for the 15-inch Air, while the Notion Folio 15.6 inch and the Plenum Folio have compartments rated up to 16 inches, which makes them the ones to choose for the larger 16-inch Pro.

Sleeve, folio, or something with a strap

A sleeve protects the laptop and little else, which is the point when it travels inside another bag or under your arm for a short walk. A folio does the same but adds structured pockets for the things you carry alongside the machine, so it can work as a slim standalone carry. If you would rather your MacBook travel inside a bag with a padded compartment and room for the rest of your day, the bags collection covers briefcases and backpacks that already fit laptops up to 16 inches.

A note on fit

A good sleeve should be snug. A little resistance as the laptop slides in is what keeps it from shifting and knocking against the seams. If a sleeve swallows the machine with room to spare, it is too big, and the protection suffers for it. When you are between two sizes, size down to the one your laptop's real width and depth still fit, rather than up.

Match the footprint, not the label, and your MacBook ends up in a sleeve that protects it properly and stays that way for years.