Catalyst Apple Pencil Case

Pros

Fully protects Apple Pencil
Included carabiner
Hypoallergenic silicone
Included Lightning adapter case

Cons

May be too long for some pencil pockets/admin pockets

Ease of Use

Design/Construction

Price

Packaging

Catalyst is more than a brand, they are a lifestyle. Protect your Apple Pencil from environmental perils with the Apple Pencil Case.

Steve Jobs would have been furious had Apple released the Apple Pencil while he was alive. In fact, one of the first things that he did when rejoining Apple in 1997 was to kill the Newton PDA/Tablet. We all know that we can never find a Stylus when we need them. My children’s Nintendo 3DS XL, for example, has embarrassingly had more styluses than I care to admit. Jobs knew this, and a well-known quote of his remains: “You have to get ‘em, put ‘em away, you lose ‘em. Yuck! Nobody wants a stylus. So let’s not use a stylus.” Furthermore, he stated that “God gave us ten styluses. Let’s not invent another.” Having purchased an Apple Pencil, I experienced this first hand. Before I had the convenience of an Apple Pencil holder across the top of my Zagg iPad Pro 10.5” Slim Book Case, I usually placed it into an administrative pocket of my Veho T-1 bag. However, I would often forget to put it back into my bag after using it. I wanted a case for my pencil, and I wanted one that could attach to a bag if needed. Catalyst recently released their Apple Pencil Case, which serves the role of keeping track of your pencil and keeping it safe. Perhaps, we can finally stop adding to the mountain of styluses that may be hiding with all of those missing socks from our dryers?

The Apple Pencil Case arrived in a 1 5/8 inches wide by 9 1/4 inches tall by 3/4 inches thick piece of Catalyst retail art. Known for their waterproof cases and their stunning packaging design, Catalyst products have been my go-to device protectors, for the past few years. This week, they journeyed into new territory with offerings for the Apple Pencil and Impact cases/Sport Bands for the Apple Watch. The packaging covers demonstrated a classy top-down, dark-to-light color gradient, which was extremity eye-catching. Their bright white title and Orange “Apple Pencil” subtitle told me exactly what I wanted to know: Catalyst Quality + Apple Pencil = Yes Please. The lifelike image of the Apple Pencil case vibrantly shone against the light background. The pristine matte black color of the pencil case was disrupted only by the etched “catalyst” name towards the tip of the case. The case packaging promised 9.9-foot drop protection and according to the right side of the box (your left), also comes with a carabiner to reduce the chances of needing drop protection. The back of the packaging provided two educational diagrams, with insight into the installation of the Pencil and the lighting Adaptor. After looking at their packaging, I can see why they were awarded the world-renowned iF Design Award in 2018.

After opening the outer cardboard, I slid out the Apple Pencil Case wrapped in a thin plastic bag. Since most of Catalyst’s products arrive in a thin plastic display liner, I was rather surprised that the Apple Pencil case came wrapped in a thin plastic bag. The 9 inch long by 11/16 inches wide by 7/16 inches thick space grey pencil case was designed with two access ports. Measuring 4 1/2 inches from the tip of the Pencil Case, you will find the 2 1/2 inches long by 1/4 inches wide pencil insertion point. Installation was incredibly easy and required no force to insert it into the sheath. Once the pencil is nearly all the way inserted, fold the silicone case and lift the back edge over the charging end of the pencil. Located just behind the charging end, Catalyst provided an accessory lightning adaptor case. The 1/2 inches tall by 1/4 inches wide port will accommodate the small lighting female-to-female adaptor that came with our Apple Pencils. Installation was just as easy as the Apple Pencil. Fold the top backward, insert the top end of the lightning adaptor first, then bend the case back over the bottom. Along the very back of the case, you will find a 1/4 inch diameter carabiner loop.

Whether you want a functional Apple Pencil Grip Case or you want a Mil-STD 810G 9.9 foot fully protective Apple Pencil Case, Catalyst has you covered. At first glance, you may wonder why there are two versions of the Apple Pencil case because I thought the same thing. However, after testing the devices, I can assure you that the purpose of the two cases is different enough to warrant having both. The triangular shape of the Grip Case and the exposed tip improves writing and gip, while also protecting the sides from scratches/rolling. The carabiner loop ensures that you have the Apple Pencil with you when you need it. The Apple Pencil Case (current review) fully protects the tip of the Apple Pencil and has a built-in lightning adaptor case. Adding both pieces together will likely reduce the chances of losing the lightning adaptor. However, I felt that the Apple Pencil Case was a little too long.