Pelican 1490 Deluxe Waterproof Notebook Case and Organizer Review

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by Kevin O'Brien

Your boss just called you, and gave you some free time off at some beach resort. Only problem is now you are required to have your laptop and cell phone with you at all times to be able to connect back into the office if something comes up. Your current cloth laptop case is no match for the sand and water, but lucky for you, you have Pelican's 1490cc1 laptop case. Water, sand, cars, children, and even possibly sharks are no match for this case. Once the latches firmly click shut, you know your laptop is going to be protected no matter what happens around you.

Real World Testing (or at least real world testing according to college life)

During the first night of testing this case, we had a decent snowfall here in southern Wisconsin. What might a college student do with a new rugged case and 3-4&quot; of snow on the ground? Go sledding of course! I decided to load my laptop inside the new case, stand on the top to make sure it was going to support me (~215lbs), tied off a rope to the front handle, and sat on the top while I had a friend pull me down the driveway. The results probably weren't as successful as round saucer slicked with cooking oil, but it worked. Since that didn't seem to phase it, I switched to slightly more aggressive testing. I threw it over my garage onto my back patio, played a little soccer with it, and then retreated to my warm home after I knocked most of the snow off the outside of the case. The laptop and accessories were a bit cold, but everything was just as it was when I loaded it in. Everything stayed in its proper spots and even the fragile LCD screen was still intact (please don't go too wild with these cases, even if the laptop survives a big impact, the glass display might not enjoy the high G's and crack).

Pelican 1490cc1 deluxe notebook case out in the wilds of a backyard (view large image)

Simulated rain storm (view large image)

 

Case Specifications:

• Pelican 1490CC1 Laptop Case
• Interior Dimensions: 17.75&quot; x 11.37&quot; x 4.12&quot; (45.1 x 28.9 x 10.5 cm)
• Empty Weight: 8lbs 1oz
• Watertight, crushproof, and dust proof
• Open cell core with solid wall design - strong, light weight
• O-ring seal
• Automatic Pressure Equalization Valve
• Stainless steel hardware and padlock protectors
• Comfortable rubber over-molded handle
• Personalized nameplate service available
• Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence
• Fits notebook computers up to 14.0&quot; L x 10.8&quot; W x 2.5&quot; D
• Lid organizer, fitted shock absorbing tray, shoulder strap
• Double safety locking latches with keys

Design and Build

Strong latches for keeping the case closed (view large image)

The Pelican laptop case is designed to protect your laptop in almost every worst case scenario, but without being too bulky. It's a molded plastic case, with a pressure valve and o-ring seal to keep water out, and all your items stored inside perfectly safe from outside conditions. The case itself, once closed, can be stood on top of, sat on, or thrown down the driveway with little or no case deflection that would compress or damage items stored inside of it. The inside is also lined with a rubber divider with straps, to safely hold your laptop and absorb any vibrations from the case moving around.

Tough handle (view large image)

The bottom divider comes with pre-cut foam sections that allow for easy customization to hold various accessories you might have, and still keep them protected from any vibrations. Removing these blocks is very simple, and can be done with your fingers, or a razor blade for more precise cuts. Inside my case, I have a section cutout for the 9 cell IBM T60 battery, and the other side I have my own custom piece of foam that allowed me to make slightly more unique cutouts. I have some cutouts for a stack of SD memory cards, a slot for a mini Mag-Lite, and my iPod in the back. With the laptop secured, everything stays in place even when being tossed around the yard.

It's easy to customize the dividers to fit your specific devices in (view large image)

On the upper lid is an organizer to hold items like a cell phone, pens, PDA, folders, cables, or other miscellaneous things you might need to have with you. Three of the pockets have a Velcro flap, to make sure smaller items stay in place, even if the case is spun around. I like to carry an assortment of cables and tools I use with during onsite computer repairs, and the organizer was very helpful in keeping things in order as the case was jostled about.

A pouch is provided in the upper area for organizing cables (view large image)

A pouch is also available for organizing pens and such (view large image)

Conclusion

(view large image)

Some reading this review might think this sort of case might not have daily applications outside of the commercial or industrial sector, but it fits very well into the consumer market. For travelers, the plastic case doesn't weigh much more than a large fabric laptop bag. It provides impact resistant covers to prevent any damage from rough baggage handling where large suitcases might get stacked up on it as they are being loaded into the belly of an aircraft. If it's pouring with rain as you are walking to your rental car, it won't get soaked down with water like a fabric bag might.

Pros:

• Tough as nails
• Waterproof
• Does not compress when stood on (no fear of damaging laptop even if ~200lbs or more is on top of it)
• Only plastic and stainless steel, nothing to rust

Cons:

• Weight may be a concern for very light travelers
• Perhaps not as soft and cuddly as a teddy bear

 

You know, I've been looking for the longest time to find a notebook case I could also use for sledding. It's just so ironic that Spring is now here and I find the answer to my dreams

Well, kidding and fun aside, this case does look awesome and while it'd never work for me due to the extra weight and fact I don't go off-roading too much, I can definitely see how this is a necessity for anyone that has to be outdoors a lot and carrying a notebook.

 

I have been waiting to read this review for so long...great job! Definitely useful for those who need the ultimate form of protection for their notebook, and very creative methods for testing the claims of indestructibility.

 

btw, while I applaud your efforts to test it being batterproof and crushproof, I'd like to know if it can stand up to be running over by a car. Ben tested this with the Otterbox review he did:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2981

And it was not car proof (see attached pics for the pics not included in the review at that time).

If you actually want to use this case, I'd recommend you don't actually run over it though.

 

For goodness sake, he threw it over his home! If I read that article correctly, he threw it with his laptop inside!

Something tells me a car hit-and-run would definitely be to his liking...just don't put the laptop in unless you want to make yourself an excuse to purchase a new computer.

 

College Tuition: $20,000 annually
Brand New Laptop: $1500
Waterproof Laptop Case: $140

Going sledding and playing soccer with your laptop in college.......priceless!!

 

From the amount of deflection of standing and jumping on the case when shut, I am guessing somewhere around 600-800lbs would be the crushing range where the top would start to cave in. Going dead center would definitely bust the case, but perhaps going along the side might not. Either way the case would probably not live through it.

Car hit and run would probably work out well with the case launching out in front of you or to the side, but god help you if it goes under the car and jams between the road/underbody.

 

I would have like this case for deployment. When I had my lappy I was afraid of sand and dust getting in everything. And it did got in everything, including my camera. This would have been perfect.

 

Thanks for the review, nice job.

I was wondering about the style/configuration of the hinge? (a weak point in some designs IMHO)

I see in one of the pics that there's a "flap" over the hinge area, so actual hinge doesn't show in that shot.

---Zip

 

http://www.t3flange.com/IMG_4156a.JPG

Whoops... image was a little too big for embedding in the page, link now.

Has those on each side. They are shaped in such a way that also allows you to test the case up vertically on its own. For reference, each "bar" is about 9mm wide. VERY beefy design. Slider between all the pieces is a polished stainless steel pin pressed through the entire length.

 

Thanks...I see the hinge style and configuration clearly....

---Zip

 

I want to know more about the foam you can cut to custom fits- I see a couple of different types of foam involved. The actual notebook compartment dimensions 14.0" L x 10.8" W x 2.5" D; the compartments look so oddly shaped. The notebook actually sits atop those cutouts in the pic w/white foam block in there?

 

Regarding the foam, check out the non deluxe 1490 below (lacks the compartment for accessories and organizer in the lid). Just a single block of foam filling the entire case, and notebook just gets sandwiched (or I assume, since it looks like a lower grade, spongier foam you wouldn't cut vs the shiny dense foam in the deluxe). EDIT- WRONG! Pick and pull!

But it'd be great if you could get one block like that just for the left side of the 1490cc1, or two solid blocks of the hard foam (and cut the top one) to custom fit your notebook.

 

LOL! Ok now I understand the concept of "pick and pull" foam, and wtf you were doing with a razor.

I just got to fondle some of these- they had the 1500 in fry's, which looks just like the above generic 1490 but bigger (and yellow!), and the foam bed in it is comprised of individual columns that you "pick and pull" out to make the shapes that fit your gear. They are still barely connected, so I see where the razor comes in.

You are right though, these cases are hard core. I cannot get over the hinges and how positively those clasps snick, the seal, more sturdy than you'd beleive knowing it's plastic. Understand why they have a "you break it, we replace it... forever" policy. Incredible. Really wish I could justify one of these. General quality is far beyond the other similar industrial cases they had.

Thanks for sharing this one with us Kevin. I want one now.