iLounge

The final category of iPad cases is a broad one, capturing several different types of cases that might all be called “bags,” but actually split into shoulder bags, purse-like designs, and masculine purse-like designs. They’re presented here in no particular order, save to place STM’s neutral, wonderfully affordable design up top.

STM Jacket iPad ($25): Though it could stand to have a somewhat more impressive shoulder strap, STM’s Jacket otherwise checks all the right boxes: it’s sized just to fit the iPad, has several different pockets to hold accessories and other items, and looks really quite nice. Out of all the “murses” we’ve seen for the iPad, it’s the best so far.

LaCie ForMoa ($25): The price is right, but the mini briefcase-sized ForMoa is really oversized for the iPad—made more for a thick netbook than the slim tablet. That said, the iPad does fit inside, and the optional handles give you a second carrying option if you don’t want to hold the iPad under your arm. It’s not bad, not great.

Incipio Tek-Nical ($35): It’s just—just—large enough to hold the iPad, and could use a little extra space for its zippers, but Tek-Nical is a nice little briefcase with the ability to passively hold accessories in its pockets. We can’t see the form factor becoming hugely popular, but this isn’t bad.

Speck PixelShield ($40): As the most purse-like of all iPad cases, the only major issue with PixelShield is that it holds only the iPad and nothing else—given the form factor, it might be expected to keep additional accessories (or a woman’s wallet) inside.

Skooba Design Messenger ($50): It’s not really an iPad case—the Messenger just happens to be a bag that can hold an iPad. Going forward, we’re not planning on covering many more of these, but it does raise the question of whether people will want to carry the iPad by itself or within something else of this size. If the answer’s the latter, any bag’ll do, we suppose. But ones with more tailored iPad compartments would be nice.

Simplism Shoulder Leather Case ($60): This alternate version of Simplism’s flip-style Flip Leather Case has one major issue and one major advantage. Adding a shoulder strap to the prior design is a wise idea, letting users carry the iPad passively rather than in their hands or under their arms, but having the flap open to the top—without being capable of doubling back properly, avoiding wrinkles in the leather—makes the case a little impractical. For a device of the iPad’s side, side flaps work better.

Newer Technology iFolio ($130): Unlike the Simplism design, which it otherwise resembles a lot in concept, iFolio wisely opens from the side rather than the bottom and top. Also unlike Simplism’s case, iFolio has three pockets on its left interior, with less impressive passive iPad restraints on the right. We really like the adjustable strap it includes, which makes this case easy to carry, but whether it’s worth such a hefty premium—more than some Vaja cases—is the big question. The pitch is that the Brazilian leather in this case makes it expensive; it doesn’t really look worthy of twice the dollars of similar competitors.