While a slight departure from the company’s popular line of microphones and MIDI studio accessories for iOS devices, IK Multimedia’s iKlip Case ($40) nonetheless remains in a similar camp, providing a multi-angled viewing stand designed with the studio in mind. This reasonably durable TPU case provides button protection, leaving only the ring/silent switch and the bottom connector area exposed, while sporting two positionable legs on the back that allow an encased iPhone to be propped up at two different angles in any of the possible portrait or landscape orientations.
While not quite as cleverly designed as something like ZeroChroma’s VarioProtect, the stand design is nonetheless versatile and practical, and of course IK Multimedia aims the design at the musician who may need a way to prop up their iPhone while performing an instrument with an app like Apple’s GarageBand or IK’s own SampleTank or AmpliTube apps.
The polycarbonate legs on the back of the iKlip Case can be extended in different ways to provide four possible viewing angles — 45 or 60 degrees in portrait orientation, or 60 or 80 degrees in landscape.
Only one leg needs to be extended, however, having two legs provides for the ability to prop up the iPhone in any orientation — particularly handy if you’re concerned about connecting devices to the headphone or Lightning port — as well as providing a nice symmetry to the design of the case. The legs fold in flush with the back of the case, so when you’re carrying iKlip Case normally it doesn’t feel differently from any other case.
iKlip Case provides a good balance of protection and functionality. If you’re looking for a case with an integrated stand, it’s at least worth considering.
The rubberized surface provides a nice feel while giving you a good grip on the iPhone, the stand folds in unobtrusively without increasing thickness, and the button coverage is good, with even the ring/silent switch only slightly exposed. It’s dock-compatible due to the exposed bottom, but you’re trading off a bit of protection for this compatibility. iKlip also isn’t the most attractive case we’ve seen, to say the least.