iPad case roundup: Ten intriguing yet imperfect cases for your tablet

Hard Cases

Cases with hard shells are built to take the brunt of a serious drop while remaining thin and light. They offer good protection, but sacrifice the general good feel of leather in place of security. The iPad is also difficult to remove from any hard case, because it literally snaps into it. And because of the size and weight of the iPad, being able to hold it comfortably is a big deal, so striking that balance is a difficult task. All three of the tested hard cases were unsatisfactory for everyday use because they completely miss that balance.

Griffin Intellicase

The thinnest of the hard shell cases, Griffin’s Intellicase is simple and to the point: a case to snap the iPad into and a smart cover that works just like Apple’s year-old design. What’s really appealing about Griffin’s case is just how thin the frame is. For travel, it’s great. The case is designed to slide in and out of a bag with ease, but not necessarily the hand.

Instead of a tactile, grippy surface, the back panel is slippery in the hand and gets harder to hold over time. That, combined with the somewhat cheap cover that folds into a slot on the back instead of rolling up makes the Intellicase less than visually and physically appealing. It gets the job done, and that’s just about it. So don’t expect to look like a prince walking around with it.

Knomo iPad 3 Folio

Knomo got so very much right with their iPad 3 Folio, while equally screwing up. The hard shell is smooth yet grippy, almost rubbery. The hard leather case is the best leather of any tested case, all the way down to the smell. Even the holes in the shell look sleek and brilliantly designed. And it’s by far the sleekest, best looking iPad case there is.

And then there’s how it was designed to stand upright. The cover is a single sheet of hard leather with a break near the end, so instead of folding in on itself, the Knomo has an indent on the back for the leather cover to latch onto. It does this the old fashioned way: gravity and friction. No magnets, no velcro, no nothing. Suffice it to say, there’s a reason we have technology, and the lack of it here severely limits the Knomo’s usefulness. Prop the iPad up and the damn latch slips and doesn’t stick. There’s no better way to look like an idiot than fuddling with the case to make it stay in the middle of a meeting. Standing it upright or at an angle for typing is an exercise in futility, one that’s exactly opposite to how good this case looks. So if you never stand it up, the Knomo may just be the best case there is.

Speck MagFolio Lounge

The MagFolio Lounge is the only iPad case that properly meshes the hard case style with a cloth feel by using both the hard shell and leather for the back. Using a similar shape and design as the WanderFolio, the MagFolio also has a magnetic latch, except it uses a plastic frame around the iPad for additional protection. And the folding mechanism is…well, garbage.

Instead of rolling up or folding, the Lounge has a single fold in the leather cover (which traps ugly air bubbles) that holds the iPad upright by connecting the sealing magnet to the back of the case. In theory, this kills two birds with one stone. In reality, the magnet isn’t strong enough to keep the iPad steady, and only holds the iPad upright one way instead of the standard two. Oh, and it’s unstable on top of that. At least it’s a pleasure to hold when walking around.

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