Not surprisingly, the release of the third-generation iPad was followed by quite a few case re-releases, including many that are exceptionally similar to those we’ve previously covered. A majority of the updated cases are folios, designs that start with either a hard shell or soft frame to hold the tablet, with a flip-over cover attached to the frame. Most of these folios have a lot in common with one another, and range in price from $40 to a little over $60, with one notable outlier.
In order to give you a sense of what’s out there now, we’re publishing brief reviews of over a dozen of these folios today.
When BodyGuardz’ The Garrison for the new iPad ($50) showed up at our office, we knew it looked familiar: it’s almost identical to STM’s Skinny 3, and most likely from the same factory. The hard plastic shell is virtually indistinguishable, it has the same fabric tab to hold the case shut, and it even shows signs of the interior magnet being replaced post-manufacturing to properly lock and unlock the new iPad—something we noted had also happened with Skinny 3.
Instead of using canvas to covering the case, this one uses faux leather, and BodyGuardz also includes a piece of screen film in the package. The shell does fit well, leaving just slivers of the iPad’s top, bottom, and right edges exposed.
Folding the lid over and sliding the tab into the sheath creates nice viewing and typing stands. That said, at a ten dollar premium and without STM’s handsome canvas material, we can’t recommend The Garrison as highly as Skinny 3. It’s still a pretty good option though, and worthy of a B+ rating.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: BodyGuardz
Website: www.Bodyguardz.com
Model: The Garrison
Price: $50
Compatible: iPad (3rd-Gen)
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