Getting my first iPad, need help on cases/covers

[seme332]

Hey there everybody!

After 7 years of holding off on an iPad (I was one of the people in the beginning that called the iPad a more expensive iPod Touch) I am finally getting my own soon! I have placed an order for the 10.5" iPad Pro, 256GB WiFi + Cellular. Now I have a problem: What case/cover do I get?

I am working as a User Interface Designer and will be using the iPad + Apple Pencil for mockups and drawing and maybe some light documentation writing on the work side of things. On the fun side I'll use it for watching movies during travel, web browsing, reading and messaging mainly I believe. For me it is clear that I am getting the Apple Pencil, but I can't decide between the different case/cover options. I am thinking about getting the Smart Keyboard Cover, but I don't know if it's worth the money if I don't heavily use it for writing all the time? My other option would be the Smart Cover, but here I don't know if I should get the silicone or leather option, since I have a leather iPhone case but if I get the leather Smart Cover I could just get the Smart Keyboard instead. There is also the fact that I will need to store the Pencil somewhere when out and about but I really don't want to spend so much money on that new iPad sleeve.

Lots of options here, I would appreciate some help! Thank you!

 

[Dingster101]

Check the thread on cases for 10.5 on here somewhere

 

[LibbyLA]

As Dingster101 says, check the threads that are already here. There are several.

 

[seme332]

Sadly non of those threads actually answers my question on what people think would be best for me personally with my use cases, which is why I made a new one and explained in detail.

 

[Stefan johansson]

Any good smartcase would work,but if you do a lot of typing,maybe you should look at some of those keyboard cases? For my old iPad Air 2,I found out that any case that feels good usually also work good.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

My personal preference is to keep my iPad as light as possible. Many of the cases can double, even triple the iPads weight. Even a case that weights .8oz is a 50% increase in overall weight.

I buy a slim back-only polycarbonate shield and then put a screen protector on the front. iPads are very tough -- have had many that have fallen off tables or beds onto hardwood floors to no harm. They don't need a ton of protection just respectful care. Amazon has a good selection. I always buy off brands. I don't see any advantage to any of the brand names. (Chargers and cables -- different story. I always buy brand name there because a bad charger can ruin your device).

As for the Pencil. MS makes a loop for the Surface Pencil that sticks to the tablet. It works well for the Apple Pencil too. It's what I use. $5 at the MS store. I also put a .25 regular pencil grip on the end because the Apple Pencil is a bit too smooth.

 

[LibbyLA]

Sadly non of those threads actually answers my question on what people think would be best for me personally with my use cases, which is why I made a new one and explained in detail.

You're the only one who can make that decision. Read through the threads and think, "That sounds like something that's important to me," or "That's a deal-breaker to me," or "That's not important to me at all."

You should at least get some ideas about what's available and which ones you can rule out and which ones deserve a closer look.

 

[macduke]

If you’re getting the Smart Keyboard or Smart Cover then there aren’t a lot of great case options that work with those yet. Unfortunately Apple decided to not sell the backs with them this year, screwing us over, while case manufacturers scramble making cases that don’t quite fit the keyboard properly and recalling them or issuing new models. The big case makers haven’t really revealed much yet, especially with keyboard compatibility.

As for stowing the Pencil, I use the Pigma Micron Pen .45mm for my clip and it works really well, holding quite snug without scratching and it clips nicely onto the hinge of my Smart Keyboard.

 

[felixroqu3]

Ordered this TPU back case that's compatible with the SmartKeyboard and also has an attached section where you can store your Apple Pencil as well! Ive used Poetic before and their products are pretty good. Definitely look into getting one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ79FAM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1