We got a message from one of our readers, asking us to review the Crumpler iPad bag. This is how we discovered Crumpler The Moderate Embarrassment, a heavy-duty, water-resistant messenger bag, sized to accommodate the iPad plus a few accessories and personal belongings. The bag is ergonomic and comfortable, it has a nicely padded separate compartment for the iPad and plenty of pockets for other things. The iPad compartment size is 11.02” x 7.87” x 1.18” and can therefore fit the iPad either naked or in a thin hard shell case. There’s another Crumpler bag which also fits the iPad: Skivvy, but that’s really small, it’s more a sleeve rather than a bag, therefore if you want room for more than your iPad, we’d advise you to go for The Moderate Embarrassment.
Crumpler The Moderate Embarrassment looks good. At least in the opinion of our team. All the details of this bag are beautifully made, the quality is amazing, the color combinations are modern without being garish. The materials are smooth, yet weatherproof and durable. This is not an elegant business bag, but it’s perfect for college students, casual day-to-day business, or for travel and weekend trips away.
Crumpler The Moderate Embarrassment - interior compartments
We appreciated the nicely padded shoulder strap. If you ever had to hold a bag on your shoulder for a long time, then you know how important this tiny detail can sometimes be. The outer flap closes securely thanks to a pair of Velcro fasteners. The good news is that thieves will have a hard time opening your bag. The bad news is that you’ll also have a hard time should you attempt to open your bag in silence. Other than this minor issue, Crumpler The Moderate Embarrassment makes a great iPad bag.
2011 UPDATE: The Moderate Embarrassment is no longer available on eBags. You can take a look at Crumpler The Considerable Embarrassment instead. It looks similar but it is a bit bigger.
Did I hear you say Drop-Proof ??? Well it almost is, in the words of the designer, David Adams:
“We modeled the Squish Skin after a Wii remote case. Your iPad still isn’t drop-proof, but it’s close”
And the entire team here couldn’t agree more; after I personally put my Pad into this case it felt almost indestructable. Short of intentionally throwing my iPad on the floor to test if this were true, I am happy to say that with the Squish Skin on the iPad, it certainly feels like it would withstand a drop from table height.
So on to the details of this case. To start with it’s soft, and I mean really soft, at risk of sounding a little kinky I have to say it feels good to hold. Apparently it’s constructed with squishy, air filled chambers in the sides. It feels pleasantly soft, tactile and I can comfortably use my iPad all day in this case.
The Squish Skin also comes in 6 delicious shades of colored rubber (click to enlarge):
6 Delicious Colors
Hard Candy Cases, the creators of the Squish Skin, describe it as follows:
More protective than bubble wrap and way more fun, the Squish Skin delivers noticeably outstanding and unique protection for your iPad. The snug, form-fitting silicone skin resists impacts by utilizing air-filled chambers just below the surface of the case.
iPad Squish Skin - Teal Blue
We think this case is super-cool, super-functional and super-value for money, retailing at around the $40 mark. It’s an awesome, protective, rubberized iPad case with air pockets in 6 delicious colors, The Squish Skin from Hard Candy Cases If you want a great, all-round protective iPad case that has real design flair and doesn’t cost the earth, then this is it. 5 big stars from us.
The best price we found for the Squish Skin was at eBags.
Comfort, protection and style are only three attributes of the MacCase Leather iPad Flight Jacket. If you’re after iPad cases or bags with pockets for accessories and small personal items, this case might be exactly what you want. Sleek, compact and very well organized, this premium leather iPad case enables easy access to anything inside. The main compartment is designed to accommodate the iPad exclusively. It’s padded, lined and custom designed for the iPad, therefore it offers excellent protection. The two interior pockets are placed just in front of the main compartment and they are perfect for a mobile phone and for a small, flat accessory. The front pouch is a bit wider, allowing the storage of something a bit bulkier such as a charger or an external battery. The really cool thing about this pouch is that it’s removable. Finally, the small zippered pocket on the top flap and the rear flat pocket are perfect for keeping cards or small documents you may need quick access to.
iPad Flight Jacket - vintage leather
This iPad case can be carried as a handbag using the top handle or as a shoulder bag by using the detachable shoulder strap. For a few extra dollars you can buy the case with removable backpack straps. We found it convenient that MacCase decided to make this feature a separate option, because in case it’s useless to you, you don’t have to pay for the straps, then find a place to store them before finally deciding you’d better throw them away.
The MacCase Leather iPad Flight Jacket is available in brown vintage or black full grain leather, both showing the same top notch quality and attention to detail. One almost feels like buying one of each, then match them with various outfits. If we think that the iBook case launched by MacCase in their earlier years is now a collectible, we see that we can’t go wrong when buying best quality accessories, be it for the iPad or for anything else.
The Premium Leather iPad Flight Jacket comes with free shipping and a lifetime warranty. You can find it here.
In our opinion the Speck CandyShell is one of the best iPad cases in terms of protection against shocks, bumps or accidental drops. That’s because it’s constructed with two layers: a hard polycarbonate shell on the exterior, coupled with an interior soft rubber lining which provides excellent shock-absorbing properties. This soft rubbery lining extends as a raised bezel around the iPad screen, protecting it against contact with flat surfaces, and possible scratches, should you put your iPad face down. We thought this feature was nice, although we still think an iPad screen protector is essential for scratch protection. The lining of the CandyShell case has a honeycomb pattern which helps reduce the weight of the case without compromising its protectiveness.
Speck CandyShell - docking panel
The CandyShell also has a cool feature: a small flip-back panel which makes it possible to use the iPad with the Apple dock or keyboard dock without removing the case. The panel has a purely protective role and it should not be used as a stand for the iPad. The case has openings to allow access to the headphone jack and to the screen rotation lock.
Available colors: BatWing Black, GoGo White, NightShade Purple, IndiWhoa Blue and LoveHate Pink.
Because of its high-quality materials, classy design, effective impact protection and innovative features, we recommend the CandyShell from Speck as one of the best iPad cases in the mid-price range.
The beautiful MacCase Vintage Leather iPad Sleeve is made from premium weathered leather which makes it look and feel vintage. It seems to have been designed this way intentionally for people who want to protect their iPad in style, while still maintaining a wintage wor look. The stitching is very nicely done and overall the case is beautifully constructed, we also thought the “Dual Texture” design was very elegant, as can be see pictured. The MacCase logo is discreetly embossed just below the top flap, on the thin vertical strap.
The sleeve is fully padded and lined with a super soft interior for maximum protection against bumps and scratches. We liked this very much because leather cases padded as nicely as the MacCase Leather Vertical iPad sleeve are rare.
Another cool feature of this iPad cover is the hidden dual magnetic closure, silent and easy opening. The sleeve fits the iPad either naked or in a thin shell case. This makes it easy to have your iPad protected 100% of the time, while you use it or while you commute.
MacCase has been designing cases and other accessories for Apple products for more than 10 years. Their experience shows in this latest creations in terms of both style and functionality. Another great product.
MacCase Vertical Leather iPad sleeve specs and features:
Sleeve size: 11″ x 8.5″ x 0.5″.
Weight: 12 oz.
Material: premium weathered leather (vintage brown) or full grain (black)
Premium leather hides
Complete padding for maximum protection
Top flap with hidden magnetic closure
MacCase iPad sleeve - brown weathered leather
MacCase iPad sleeve - full grain black leather
Although our team preferred the vintage case with its beautifully aged brown leather, the MacCase Leather iPad sleeve is also available in a full grain black leather version. If you hurry you can catch the currently ongoing sale: 20% off plus free shipping. This means you can have one of these premium leather iPad cases for only $111.99, including a lifetime warranty against workmanship or defects in material.
You don’t have to be a heavy iPad user to realize that the most exposed areas are the corners and the back. After using iPads for several months now, we came to the conclusion that at least a hard-shell case is a must have if you don’t want your iPad to get its back worn very quickly. The iFrogz Luxe Lean snap-on iPad case is a great choice, a hard shell case with a soft feel and with a really low profile, protective and fashionable.
The case is very comfortable thanks to its nice velvety texture that offers an excellent grip. It’s a bit tricky to put on and to remove, because it’s very tight to the iPad. Nonetheless, it’s lightweight and fun, one of the best iPad accessories we’ve tested and reviewed so far. Although the case is a snug fit, it has a soft piece of felt liner on the inside, just to ensure the iPad back can’t be accidentally scratched by the case itself.
The Luxe Lean iPad case allows access to all ports, sensors and buttons. It has a cut out for the volume control and orientation lock switch, both of them being perfectly accessible. The top and bottom edges of the iPad are exposed, therefore all sensors and ports are free. This is one of those iPad covers that you put on, then completely forget about, because it doesn’t interfere with your experience in any way.
Luxe Lean color samples
The iFrogz Luxe Lean iPad case is available in seven eye catching metallic colors: black, blue, iron, orange, pink, red and teal.
Temple bags are not like any other bags. They are bags with a story, bags manufactured with love, bags that are “prepared for whatever may come when attached to a life filled with passion and adventure”, as their creator says. Indeed, these are bags with a purpose, and we are going to show you one of these bags which has the purpose of protecting your beautiful and not-so-cheap iPad: the Temple All Leather iPad case. Keep in mind this is a beautiful and finely crafted product that currently retails for $189. We think it’s worth every penny, however if you are after something in leather for a more modest budget then check out all our leather iPad case reviews.
The Temple All Leather iPad case is made from oiled leather and canvas, materials which age beautifully, just like wine. We found it great that the leather looks already aged. It gives the bag that special and very appealing feel of aged leather from day one.
Bag features:
internal pocket sized to snugly accommodate the iPad
padded shoulder strap with adjustable length
free access to all iPad ports and commands when open
portrait and landscape viewing options when used as stand
secure closing system with four leather straps and metal stubs
Like all other Temple bags, the All Leather iPad case is thoughtfully crafted in Los Angeles, California. We were impressed not only by the quality of this bag, but also by the passion behind all Temple bags. You can read their story and get your All Leather iPad case on the Temple website.
I don’t know why ordinary electronics accessories have to be plain ugly. It’s obvious that an iPad car charger will charge my iPad regardless of its looks, but why can’t I enjoy both functionality and design at the same time?
Well iFrogz seem to have read my mind and have gone ahead and created the Luxe Voltz car charger for iPad and other gadgets that can be charged via USB. This charger is so cute that I can’t take my eyes of it. I hope I won’t cause a car accident! The two-tone finish is awesome. One side is dark gray. The other side comes in a range of colors, all with a metallic look and velvety touch that make this car charger a real charm. Be it blue, green, hot pink, orange, red or silver, the Luxe Voltz looks playful yet stylish. It also features a small LED nearby the USB port, which signals whether or not your plugged in device is charging.
Luxe Voltz Car Charger - color range
Priced at just $12.99, the Luxe Voltz USB car charger can also make a great gift for your friends or family. Just be sure they have an iPad, iPod, iPhone or some other media device to use it with.
Speck Pixekskin is a soft iPad case made from a high-quality textured silicone. The “pixel” texture of this case is a clever way to improve protection without adding a lot of bulk. Yet, one needs to keep in mind that it’s not exactly “invisible”. It also adds a “cool” factor which makes this case more appealing than plain silicone ones. The high-quality material snugly embraces the iPad while offering a firm grip to the user. Our team found it really nice and comfortable to hold the iPad while inside the Pixelskin case. One of our fears was that it would attract a lot of dust and dirt because of the pixel pattern. We didn’t find it such a big issue, because it’s really easy to take off the case and wash it. In order to get it ready fast, you can dry it with a hair dryer set on “cold”. Maybe it also works with hot air, but we didn’t want to risk spoiling the case.
With the Pixelskin case, the back of the iPad is fully protected, as well as the sides. Since the case comes without any screen protection, it wouldn’t be bad to get one yourself. One of our top recommendations is the InvisibleSHIELD from ZAGG. Unlike other iPad cases, this one covers the black bezel around the iPad screen. It doesn’t have a cut out for the Home button, but its place is clearly marked on the case, so you can’t miss it and you can press it through the case. The Power button and the volume rocker are also covered, which is not a bad thing at all, especially if you use your iPad in dusty areas.
Speck Pixelskin iPad Case - nice cutouts for all ports
Even though the case has openings for all ports including the docking one, it can’t be used with the Apple dock. Nonetheless, its easy to take on and off, and it’s still good that it allows charging and syncing the iPad without removing it from the case.
Did you know that an iPad owner spends an average of 20% more than the base iPad price on accessories? I don’t remember where I read that, but thinking of what I bought so far, the statistic seems close to reality. The fact is that once you spend so much on a gadget like the iPad, you then want to take very good care of it, so it’s understandable to think one would buy at least a case and a screen protector. Then it comes the ease of use. It’s great the iPad is so thin, but try to type on its virtual keyboard without using a stand or a dock and it’s sometimes a little difficult. An iPad stand is nice to have, not only for typing, but also for presentations, for reading books or for viewing movies. If you don’t feel like getting a separate stand which may require that you take the case off your iPad in order to use it, you can take a look at those convertible cases which can turn into a stand by flipping one of the covers.
One of our recommendations is the Macally Bookstand, a very good looking iPad protective microfiber case which can also function as a stand. Although the material is synthetic, it’s very soft and it looks just like real suede from a distance. Besides, it’s always a good idea to choose eco-friendly products if we can, especially when they don’t compromise on quality. The hard plastic corner protections have also the role of keeping the iPad in position inside the case. All you need to do is to slightly press it against the corners until it clicks in. The protections look quite solid, so if it happens that you drop your iPad on the floor, the corners would most probably be safe. The Macally Bookstand provides free access to all connections and controls on the iPad, no matter if you use it as a case or as a stand.
Turning the Macally Bookstand case into a stand is a very simple operation: just flip it open, bend the front cover backwards and insert the closing flap into its clasp to form a rock solid stand that will hold your iPad firmly. You can choose between two possible viewing angles, one steeper, suitable for viewing movies or reading and another one which is ideal for typing. When used in the upright position, the stand is extremely sturdy, thanks to the hard, flat base formed by the bent cover which features an additional hinge that does the trick.
The best price we found for the Macally Bookstand protective case and iPad stand was at Amazon.
