I have never understood the appeal of hard cases; in my opinion they ruin the aesthetics of otherwise good-looking laptops, and all you hear is stories of them trapping dirt causing scratches that would never be there if it wasn't in the case. Plus they interfere with cooling, and can damage the laptop when removed.
Besides, what are you doing when using your laptop that requires a hard case that stays in place all the time? It offers zero protection when the laptop is in use. Put it in a sleeve or laptop bag when you are moving it around - the padding offers superior protection anyway, especially since hard cases don't even fully protect the laptop - and just be careful when using it. That way you will end up with a pristine laptop that stays looking like new for years.