NbC: ZeroShock III Netbook Case Review

Following on from our last netbook case review of the Cool Bananas ‘Bullet Proof’ case, Gearzap kindly sent over another protective netbook case for us to evaluate. Gearzap is a specialist retailer of netbook and laptop accessories. They have an extensive catalogue of products and deliver across Europe.

This time they sent over the ZeroShock III case. It is a very popular case in Japan and is said to be extremely shock resistant (hence the name!) Once again, our case impressively arrived in just a couple of days. The case is advertised to fit netbooks with display sizes ranging from 8.9 to 10.2-inches. The ZeroShock III is available in three different colours (Black, White & Orange) and costs £13.95. GearZap apply a small delivery charge on top of this depending on whether shipping is to the UK or mainland Europe.

The ZeroShock case is designed by Japanese manufacturer, Elecom. As you can see the case comes packaged in cellophane wrapping with information card.

The case is advertised for netbooks with 8.9-inches, but rest assured it is also designed to fit 10-inch netbooks too. This threw us when we first received it, but our fears were quickly squashed as soon as we threw one of our 10-inch netbooks inside.

The emphasis on the info card relates to the ZeroShock’s special features including super shock absorption, its lightweight and water repellent material along with a front pocket.

The exterior of the case is made from water-repellent polyurethane that helps to protect your netbook from the rain and any spill mishaps.

The ZeroShock III case has a fashionable white trim that surrounds both the front and back sides.

The case itself is both thin and lightweight and adds very little bulk to your netbook.

The dimensions of the case are 27.5cm (W) x 20.0cm (H) x 4.0cm (D). The case weighed 202g on our measurements, half that of the Cool Bananas Hard Cover case.

The zip mechanism feels secure enough when opening/closing and at no point did the zip ‘catch’. Strong stitching hopefully means it should last a long time too.

The case also comes with a front pocket that splits the front of the case in two. It’s only big enough for small accessories such as memory cards or small cables, dongles etc.

The zip is discretely hidden behind flaps to maintain the sleek front face.

A small carry handle is also available on the side, although I’m not too sure how many people would actually use this.

The inside is made from low-rebound polyurethane (memory foam) that has a wave-surface design. The tiny ‘bumps’ help protect the netbook from any knocks it might receive. On impact, the bumps take the brunt of the impact and slowly return to their normal state.

This protection is offered on both sides of the case for maximum protection. You will also notice a lip running around the perimeter of both sides of the internal case. This ensures that your netbook is not scratched by the zip.

The dual-zips allow you to full open the case like a book that gives you ease of use. Whilst the material used is fine against fingerprint marks, the same can’t be said of dust. It does attract dust quite easily.

Here we are testing the case with the Toshiba NB200 netbook. As this particular netbook has a 6-cell battery that juts out behind the netbook, it had to be removed before fitting comfortably in the case. The other netbooks we had to hand, including Samsung N120, MSI Wind U115 and Asus Eee PC 1005HA all fit without having to remove their batteries.

The zip closes comfortably round the netbook, giving you greater protection than you would have from your typical netbook sleeve included with most netbooks.

Overall, we enjoyed using the case. It is lightweight but offers good protection against bumps and knocks. As it’s made with water repellent material, you can rest with ease, if you want to place this in your rucksack or larger bag when on the move. The design is also nice and the zips are easy to open/close. However, for those of you looking for more secure protection, then we’d still recommend the Cool Bananas Hard Cover case that we reviewed previously.

Many thanks to GearZap for sending through this case for review! Gearzap is the sister-site of Mobile Fun, one of the largest mobile accessory sites in the UK.