Coming in Smart Cover-matching hues, Incipio’s Smart Feather for iPad mini ($35) shares the same general design as its larger counterpart. The plastic shell is designed to work in conjunction with Apple’s magnetic lid, offering protection that the cover omits. As with most of Incipio’s cases, Smart Feather includes screen film, a cleaning cloth, and a squeegee.
The thin shell easily snaps onto the back of the iPad mini.
What’s unique is that instead of leaving just a long opening down the left edge to accommodate the Smart Cover, Incipio actually has a raised section of plastic that covers the magnetic attachment. This ensures the lid won’t accidentally disengage, but doesn’t inhibit the stand functionality at all. Incipio chose to skip button protection, though, and the plastic stops short of making it all the way to the the edge along the top and bottom.
Consequently, the shell is better than some we’ve seen, but doesn’t offer as much coverage as it could.
With SwitchEasy’s best-in-class CoverBuddy available for only $20, pretty much every other shell is going to pale in comparison. Smart Feather is no exception. Although it does have the spine protector as an advantage, it doesn’t measure up in terms of button or edge protection.
