First Look: Vaja Retro Slim Jacket for Apple iPad

It’s the nicest-looking iPad case we’ve yet seen, though also one of the most expensive: Vaja’s Retro Slim Jacket for Apple iPad ($120) is a classy “floater” leather iPad sleeve case with a magnet-locked top flap. It opens to reveal the same accent-colored interior as the front stripe, with a similarly Vaja name-embossed beige layer nearly out of sight below. A silver logo appears on the case’s front, with no markings on its back. For the time being, Vaja is offering Retro Slim Jacket in a black and lime green color combination for immediate shipping, as well as custom-made versions in your choice of colors on a 15-day manufacturing delay.

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.

We typically steer clear of recommending sleeves for iPods and iPhones, but iPad users may find that they make more sense. The concept is to totally envelop the iPad inside protective material, using a flap or zipper to open and release the device when it’s needed. In almost every one of these cases, the designs speak for themselves—you either like how they look, or don’t—so we’re sorting them by price and focusing our brief notes on fit and scope of protection, with bare opinions otherwise.

Does the Retro Slim Jacket fit? Yes. Is everything protected? Yes. Only concern is the magnetic seal system, which could scratch a screen or iPad back if you’re not careful during insertion.