Case? Satchel? Cover? WHAT ARE YOU!?!?!
Inateck aren’t a company that I know much about, but they emailed me recently and asked if I’d like to take a look at a few of their products. I don’t get much time to write these days, but I did have need of a new iPad case so I thought why not.
After a bit of discussion I was asked if I’d review their 2-in-1 case for the new iPad air, or as they call it on Amazon “Inateck® 2 in 1 Apple ipad Air (2013-2014 Version) Protective Bag Envelope Case Cover Felt Sleeve Carrying Protector Case Bag for Apple iPad Air (5th generation iPad), iPad Air 2, Portable Stand for Tablets [Dimension: 26*18.5cm; Color: Grey]” – Catchy name guys.
Joking aside, the 2-in-1 case performs two primary roles: covering your iPad when it’s not in use, and acting as a stand when it is. Nothing new there, pretty much any folio type case will do that. The thing is though, not everyone likes folio cases. They make the iPad thicker and heavier than it needs to be when in general use, their only advantage is that they’re pretty adaptable, with most allowing you to stand your iPad up in a variety of ways.
Inateck’s case differs from this approach by primarily being a sleeve more than anything else.
Whether or not it will provider as much protection as a hard case remains to be seen, but the material is quite thick and dense, so I shouldn’t imagine that my iPad will come to any harm while rattling around inside my backpack. The iPad is held in place by a leather clasp that doubles up as the stop bar when using the case as a stand:
I was initially puzzled how the case could be considered “2-in-1” until I worked out that if you press down on the open end you can create a triangle at the base which forms a reasonably sturdy stand for your iPad.
Immediately it reminded me of one of these bad boys:
Now, while this sort of container works really well as a conveyance of frozen juice drink, it’s not the best idea as an iPad stand. For one it takes up way more room than other case stands, and there’s no way of adjusting the angle of the screen. The whole thing is also liable to start sliding around on the table when you try and use the iPad while on the stand. Frankly it’s not a stand that I would ever choose to use.
When I first took a look at this case it was priced on Amazon at £22.99, which is way too much for what it is. At the current price of £9.99 it’s more believable and the quality of the material and finish does lead me to think it’s worth that sort of price.
Would I purchase this case for myself? No. I do prefer folio cases. But if you’re looking for a sleeve type case that can occasionally double up as a stand for your iPad, then this isn’t a bad way to go. It may look like it’s made from off-cuts from a carpet warehouse, but it should do a good job of keeping your iPad safe while out and about, and has the added bonus of giving the screen a quick polish from the inside.
