Based in Portland, Oregon, Toast creates genuine wood “Covers” for a wide variety of devices, notably including the iPad ($45+) and iPad mini ($35+). The base prices let you choose from several types of wood including walnut, bamboo or ash, while text and images can be etched into the Covers for small premiums — yes, you can indeed “put a bird on it” for only $5 more. Each Cover sticks to the back of your iPad with 3M adhesive, and the latest-generation designs have carefully etched scoring that enables the veneers to curve along the sides of the iPads.
The fact that the Covers contour to the tablets’ backs is a pretty big deal; other wood stickers we’ve seen—including Toast’s first-generation versions—are simple, flat rectangles that stop short of the iPad’s edges. Here, as long as you line everything up properly, installation is a breeze; even the corners stay in place surprisingly well. We suggest using the buttons and port openings as guides; the iPad’s top and bottom are particularly useful for centering purposes.
In addition to those holes, Toast offers the option to remove parts of its stickers for access to the SIM card trays on cellular-enabled iPads, or for Smart Cover-compatibility. Once torn away, however, these pieces can’t be re-added.
Like most stickers, Covers aren’t intended to be removed from your iPad without tearing; the iPad will, however, be fine.
