The debate about which is the best tablet becomes more heated as new entrants challenge the dominance of Apple’s iPad, but for those of us with an iPad and with no intention of upgrading in the near future, the question then become one of accessories, most notably, what is the best case?
Having tested several in recent months, it’s clear there is no simple answer. Which case best suits you will depend on your use of the iPad. If you are using it for business to make presentations, then something which incorporates a stand is undoubtedly for you. If, however, you are using it for reading or media, then because the format of popular applications such as the Times, Wall St Journal and FT are best viewed portrait style then one which works in that format will be better. There is also the small matter of weight – those with a stand, generally, are heavier.
Here are our thoughts on the ones which we’ve used week in week out since joining the tablet gang.
Cygnet Lavish
From Australian design company Cygnet, this is a premium leather case which feels lovely when you hold it, particularly after upgrading from cheaper competition. It’s a book style case, thin and light, with unimpeded access to all the relevant buttons, ports, jacks and iPad controls including volume. The tab which holds the case together is a magnetic closure meaning you don’t have to press hard and possibly harm the iPad, and the leather, though luxurious, is on a reinforced cover with an inside lining of micro-suede. Simple and elegant, this is a lovely case. It’s also available in a Cygnet Glam version of glossy red patent leather for £34.99.
PRICE £34.99 | CONTACT cygnett.com
Incipio feather
This ultra-light, ultra-strong polymer case is less than 1mm thick and simply clips around the back of the iPad with a surface protector for the front. It’s the first time I have attempted to do this, and despite the instructions, a good soft cloth included in the package, a new surface protector and a special ”smoothie card” to ensure the protector has no bubbles under it, I still failed after several attempts and threw away the protector. The trouble then is that you have a largely unprotected iPad screen, and the screen does scratch. So I didn’t use this case at all.
PRICE $34.99 | CONTACT myincipio.com
Scoshe foldIO P1
This is one of many iPad cases by this manufacture. Our case had a carbon fibre texture cover with the inside covered in a ‘suede’ type material. The iPad slides into the case and is held firmly in place by four arms ensuring a completely uninterrupted view of the screen. When closed, the cover is held down by a clip making the iPad and cover neat and not too thick or heavy. After a couple of weeks use though the clip became harder to use as the suede became separated from the outer shell. The name of the case is clearly a ‘clever’ pun on folio and it has three main positions. It can be used in landscape and has three positions where you can angle the screen for presentation purposes. The case can also be bent back on itself to create a low-angle position for typing. Both these worked well but I was not so convinced by the third – a portrait-like book cover. This is fine but you do need to hold the case very near the spine, because the bendable groove created for the typing position means that the outer cover is not stiff. But on the other hand, the iPad is quite heavy to use as a book. Like most other cases, all the buttons and ports are easily accessible.
PRICE $49.99 | CONTACT scosche.com
PRICE £38.99 | CONTACT amazon.co.uk