First Look: Apple iPad Case

Designed by Apple, the first case for the iPad is called simply the iPad Case ($39), and is a relatively bare-bones design: using a protective lid (which, note to case makers, we’re not enthusiastic about) that folds around the back to become a prop-up video stand, the case is made from vinyl-like PVC plastic and has a microfiber interior. It’s designed to provide access to the device’s side buttons, headphone port, and so on, only exposing the screen when you want to flip the lid open. It looks and feels somewhat cheaper than any prior Apple-designed case for an iPod, but it’s not terrible.

On May 13, 2010, iLounge published The Complete Guide to iPad Cases and Protection, a multi-page comparison of over 70 different iPad cases and film protectors, sorted by genre. The following details were added to this piece by that comparison article; please click on the link above for additional comparative discussion of similar protective options.

Unlike Sleeves, which keep an iPad inside for slip-out use, this collection of iPad cases has been designed to split open and reveal the device—generally for use while still in the case. There are such similarities between these cases that we’ve put them into groups solely for the purpose of indicating which we think are standouts, and which basically blur into each other.

Apple’s iPad Case is a Middle-of-Pack Pick. Apple’s official iPad Case is polarizing. The material feels cheap, gathers marks and dirt in ways that no other case does, and the flip-closed front isn’t secured to the rest of the case in any way. But the value of the flap as a video stand is undeniable, and the case does in fact protect much of the iPad, apart from holes on its top, side, and bottom.