Looking for some advice on what type of case to buy from an iPad Pro. I purchased a catalyst water proof case, which cleaves no inch of the iPad open for potential damage, which I really like, but the freaking thing serious mutes the screens tone and camera abilities. So, I’m in the market for a new one and I was looking at the otter box, though its not waterproof and leaves both the cameras exposed, which I’m paranoid about it scratching from scuffs or something…
Any advice maybe from someone else who owns one and how they’ve gone about this?
I think that any case is always likely to be a compromise between protection and convenience. I have an iPad Pro attached to a Brydge keyboard. The keyboard is very nice to use for writing long-form (great for using Scrivener for iOS), and when closed gives some additional protection to the screen, but as a downside it adds weight. I don’t use any other protection for the screen; one reason is that I also write quite a lot on it by hand. I could use the iPad camera with the keyboard, but it would be pretty awkward.
I keep the combination in a relatively cheap padded faux-leather carrying case, which provides protection against the weather and - I’m hoping - accidental dropping from not-too-great a height, and doesn’t shout “iPad Pro” (although it does add further weight and bulk). I bought these having scoured Amazon for the most effective, least wallet-hitting options. Not perfect, and, as I say, a compromise.
I use the Apple iPad case (the one that only covers the back) along with their detachable keyboard (which acts a cover for the front). Means I can detach the keyboard—and reduce the weight—if I’m just reading or annotating something with the Apple Pencil, but always have the keyboard with me when I’m out and about. It’s lasted nearly 2 years so far and not a scratch.
I too have the Apple iPad case for my 12” Pro, but both the back and the foldable front. I carry it with me in a soft shoulder bag for 13” laptops, where I also have adapters so I can attach it to e.g. my work video projectors. I’ve had it since it was released, and not a scratch. I don’t use a keyboard with it (tried, didn’t like it, prefer my 12” Macbook for writing long passages of text). Use the pencil a lot.
What’s your use case? Do you take it hiking, or just between your house and the local coffee shop?
Katherine
“What’s your use case? Do you take it hiking, or just between your house and the local coffee shop?”
That is a good point, especially when maybe the question arises to avoid actually writing…"I can’t write as it may be lost if my ipad explodes or Thor smashes it with his hammer. Hmm coffee…friendto talk to…
I’ve got a 10.5" iPad Pro - I use the Apple smart cover on the front and an Otterbox Symmetry case on the back. I probably would have just got the Apple case for the back, but for some reason they don’t make it in the 10.5" size.
I quite like that combo so far - doesn’t add too much bulk, looks nifty, has integrated pencil storage. My protection needs are fairly light however - I work from home so it really only travels down the hall from the office to the dining room when I need a change of scenery (and this summer out to the deck hopefully). I use an external Apple Magic Keyboard with it (the smaller sized one - the full size with the keypad was released two weeks after I bought this one, grrr).
Meanwhile, my wife has a 9.7" Pro. She uses the Apple Smart Keyboard/cover on the front and the Apple case on the back. She also has an additional case for her Pencil.
This combo feels bulkier and heavier than mine - most of which is probably due to always having the keyboard attached, though she likes not having to deal with an external. At the time we bought that setup for her there were no cases available (or at least I didn’t see any while shopping) that had integrated Apple Pencil storage. If you’re going to be using the Pencil I would say that’s definitely something to keep an eye out for as having the pencil case separate is a bit of a pain.
She has a small laptop/netbook case that fits into her backpack that she uses when actually transporting to/from work and such
Love writing on the balcony and outside coffee shops in the summer!
I also looked for the Apple back cover, I figured they discontinued it because of the drop protection…
Ahhh, I almost bought the otter box symmetry case, but they don’t carry it for my 12.9…
Alas, I settled on an stm dux shell case as a companion for my Smart Keyboard cover. Just started using it, very sleek work…
I also elected for an additional case for the pencil, even though the shell has a slot on top, as I have a griffin sleeve on the pencil for the grip, so it doesn’t fit.
This is exactly what I based my choice on.
Decided it was better for me to use the full function of the iPad with the Smart Keyboard.
I believe that’s something we all have to wrestle with; now and again 
's not rocket science! It’s a no-brainer
a) keep it out of the hands of the wife-n- kids, and
b) when y’re not using it, just wrap it in some of this stuff
OK? Gorrit? Hope that helps.
Vic
I guess I’ll advocate for the budget option. Amazon has a zillion cheap cases that seem to be about the same: plastic (translucent in my case) back cover and faux-leather folding front cover that turns it into a thre-way stand, like the official cover. They run about $15-$25. I got one from Moko that was The Wirecutter’s choice a few months later. There’s an identical looking one from the similar sounding Khomo, and many others. Mine lacks the pencil loop (as I lack a Pencil), but more and more of the inexpensive ones have those too.
I agree about the added weight. I mostly use the iPad Pro for reading and editing, and want it to be as light as possible when holding it in hand. I actually only use the case when I’m out and about, paired with a superlight Logitchech Keys to Go keyboard. If I’m doing a lot of Scrivening or other writing on it, I plop it in my old Incase Origami keyboard case with my old but wonderful Apple Wireless Keyboard, which works best on a lap desk (another cheap Amazon find) or regular desk. I’ve heard good things about the Brydge, but I’ve come to resist the idea of anything affixed to my iPad Pro that’s not easy to remove, because it’s a device whose genius partly resides in its context variability, and since I use it in several different ways, I want to make it as easy to switch contexts as possible.
And yes, I’m also a cheap bastard, obviously; my total investment for the above setups was under $50, since I already had the keyboard. Except for the Moko case, the whole set up can also be used for whatever size and shape iPad I acquire in future.
To avoid scratches and microfractures, you should equip your iPad Pro with a screen protector.
–
Gasly