iPad case choices
So I wanted a case that incorporated several things:
- screen protection*
- drop protection, preferably hybrid (squishy and hardshell)
- built-in landscape and portrait stand
- slick look, unlike a lawyer’s leather folio. in other words, no leather/leather look
Unfortunately, the only one I could find that had all of those qualities was Otterbox’s Defender, but that thing costs $90 and won’t be available for another month. So, uh, no.
I had to decide what qualities I could give up for now, until something better comes along. I considered getting rid of screen protection, and getting a clear hardshell and putting a gelaskin under it, but ultimately I really think for my use case—and for how large that screen is—I need screen protection.
So the JAVOedge plaid Axis Case it is, unless I can find something better in town. It got a great review from an ebook reader site (which is how I’ll often be using my iPad), it’s folio-style but not leather or leather-look, it can be stood landscape or portrait, it’s light and had some screen protection and is plaid. It seems pretty mod-able, so I’ll probably take out the magnetic enclosure so it doesn’t mess with the compass and perhaps punk it out a bit. It’s $39.95 at Amazon.
Runners up/considered:
Otterbox Commuter for iPad is the iPad version of the iPhone case I have and very much like. But it has no screen protection (which it doesn’t on the iPhone either, but the iPad just has SO much more screen real-estate that it makes me nervous), and it looks like it won’t fit my desired stand qualities. Also, it doesn’t look like it’s available for a month. When it is, it looks like it’ll be $64.95 through Amazon.
Tuff-Luv Enhanced Polycarb Crystal case, which is what I was going to put the Gelaskin under. But it has no screen protection. It’s $24.99 at Amazon.
Proporta Tilt-Stand, no screen protection and a little pricey for what you’re getting. $51.95 on the Proporta site.
Incipio Kick-Stand, made of ripstop, stands on its own, but not yet available. $29.99 at Amazon.
Scosche kick-BACK comes in black, although Amazon doesn’t have a picture of it. It looks awesome and funky, but it doesn’t have screen protection. And it’s not yet available. $59.99 on Amazon.
Hard Candy Street Skin looks awesome and has pretty good protection for both drops and for the screen. But there’s no stand, and for all that bulk I’d want a stand since it doesn’t look nice to hold. $39.15 on Amazon.
Tuff-Luv Bi-Axis Napa Leather Case, which is folio-style and got great reviews, but I just can’t get over my aversion to having my iPad sedately covered in leather, even leather with a lot of snaps. It’s $69.99 at Amazon.
Aaaaand the Otterbox Defender, which it turns out The Boy would have bought for me had it been in stock. Sigh. He’s such a nice man. Here’s its $89.99 listing on Amazon.
Things might change once I have the iPad in my hands. I might decide that the case I get is too bulky for me to carry it around all the time. And I’m considering building a thing on the front of one of my kitchen cabinets so I can pull up a recipe on the iPad and slide it in there for when I’m cooking, and the case might not work for that, either. I really can’t be sure what my use-case (har har ::coff::) will be. So I guess we’ll just have to see what evolves.
*by “screen protection”, I don’t mean something to guard against scratches. I’ll likely put one of those on it anyway. I mean something harder to protect the screen from being struck while in transit.
ps: The Boy requested a link to the review I read that listed the JAVOedge Axis Case. It’s here.