iLounge

Developed by case maker Evouni, which blends Japanese design sensibilities with the lower cost structure of Taiwanese manufacturing, the Leather Hard Case ($35) and Nano Fiber Pouch ($35) offer interesting spins on case designs that we'd otherwise write off as me-too. While the Leather Hard Case is really just a plastic rear shell with a faux leather exterior coating, the diamond textures chosen by Evouni are sophisticated and clean, with a small silver Evouni logo adding subtle and classy branding in one bottom corner. Similarly, the Nano Fiber Pouches are very simple microfiber pouches for the iPad, but little touches -- a cleaning cloth pocket, a passive elastic inner strap to hold the iPad's corner, and suede-like exterior texturing -- make the design look quite nice despite the lack of any active top protection. Equally impressive are the company's iPad packages, which are classy little bags with a mix of what looks like rice paper and glossy clear plastic textures, sealed with Ziploc-like zippers on one side. By contrast, neither the packaging nor the specifics of its iPhone products really grabbed us: they included the plain red Handmade Felt Pouch ($35), Microfiber Pouch ($30), and "Stylish Lanyard" ($19) shown in the last picture. Each is interesting, but the Microfiber Pouch and Lanyard struck us as much better designs than the Felt (actually merino wool) version.