The Best iPad Air 2 Case
The best case to protect and prop up the iPad Air 2, so far, is Apple’s Smart Case. We reached this conclusion after 10 hours of research and testing plus hundreds of hours of using the nearly-identical version for the original iPad Air. It’s the lightest case we looked at, which makes the iPad easier to hold compared to other cases, and it’s the only one we checked out that offered complete coverage that included the iPad’s buttons. The Smart Case’s premium leather feels much nicer than the finish on cheaper cases, too.
At $80, it’s pricy, but it’s money well spent. There are some cases that do one thing better than the Smart Case, whether that’s the level of protection or adjustability, but the Smart Case offers the best balance in all aspects of performance, fit, and finish. It lands at or near the top of every category we tested: weight, thinness, quality of materials, and amount of protection.
The screen cover can be rolled into a triangular stand that provides two comfortable angles: an upright angle for viewing videos and photos and a horizontal angle for onscreen typing (though the angles aren’t adjustable). The case is available in five traditional colors that look just as appropriate at home, in the office, or at school, and there’s even a PRODUCT(RED) edition with proceeds going to charity.
For those who are budget conscious, CaseCrown’s Omni for about $40 is a good alternate pick. It’s not as nice as Apple’s case, but one can’t expect it to be for half the price. The Omni offers most of the same features as the Smart Case, with the exception of button coverage, and its upright viewing angle is slightly steeper, which can be annoying if you’re using your tablet in a cramped airplane seat. (The Omni was our top pick for the previous generation iPad Air.)
If you’re really on a budget, roocase’s Optigon is impressive for the price. Although it’s one of the thickest and heaviest cases we tested, and it doesn’t offer as much protection as our other picks, it’s nicer than the cheapo OEM cases that flood the market. You even have a choice of a few different colors.
Table of contents
- Why you should trust me
- Why use a case?
- How we picked and tested
- Our pick
- Who else likes it?
- Flaws but not dealbreakers
- A quick note on packaging
- A less expensive runner-up
- The budget pick
- Other iPad models
- What to look forward to
- Competition
- Wrapping it up
Why you should trust me
I was the accessories editor at iLounge for a little more than 3 years. During my tenure, I reviewed more than 1,000 products, most of which were cases. This number spans multiple generations of Apple products, from the iPhone 4 to the iPad Air and everything in between. I’ve probably handled more iPad cases than almost anyone on the planet, giving me a particularly experienced perspective and depth of knowledge when it comes to cases.
Why use a case?
The iPad is essentially a slate of two fragile materials: breakable glass and scratchable, dentable aluminum. Although the Air 2 has less surface area than previous Apple tablets, there’s still plenty of room to do damage. There’s also the risk from keys, coins, or whatever else might be floating around in your bag. It’s worth spending some money to protect hardware that costs between $500 and $830, especially since an out-of-warranty screen repair costs $380.
In addition, a big advantage to most iPad cases, and particularly those we looked at for this piece, is their functionality above and beyond simple protection that can actually elevate the experience of using an iPad instead of detracting from it. For example, many have screen covers that fold into stands, propping the tablet into positions suitable for typing or movie viewing. This means you won’t have to spend money or bag space on a separate stand.
How we picked and tested
To find the best iPad Air 2 case, we first turned to the big-name, established accessory makers to see what they had to offer immediately after Apple’s announcement. This included companies such as Incipio, Griffin Technology, and Speck. Most of them didn’t have anything to show yet, or at least nothing that was shipping. We’ll be keeping an eye on these and other brands and will call in new products when they’re available.
Next, we searched Amazon. There we found a more plentiful selection of iPad Air 2 cases, mostly from lesser-known companies and many of which appeared to be coming from the same OEM factories. We filtered our search down to find the best-selling cases and those with more than 100 reviews averaging four stars or higher. Many iPad Air 2 cases were listed on the same Amazon page as versions for previous-generation iPads, meaning the ratings weren’t all for the iPad Air 2 editions. Still, good reviews for a case for the original iPad Air are likely to indicate that the vendor generally gets the fit and finish right.
We also had certain requirements for a case, carried over from our piece on protectors for the first-generation iPad Air, which helped us narrow down our results:
- It must cover the iPad’s corners and protect its edges from scrapes, as well as defend the shiny metallic bits that can be scratched by abrasive surfaces.
- Button coverage is a plus but not required as it’s not especially common. And since buttons are usually recessed from the outside of the case, a lack of button coverage isn’t a dealbreaker in terms of protection.
- It needs to include a front cover that reliably triggers the iPad’s magnetic sleep/wake feature and won’t shift around. This is of course important for protection reasons, as if the lid moves, there’s potential for damage to the screen. But it’s also important for battery life: Assuming the case meets the previous requirement, a loose cover will wake the tablet during travel, causing power drain.
- It must provide some sort of stable stand that offers both upright viewing and lower-angle positions for typing.
- A good case must be unobtrusive: It must add little to no weight, stay closed when not in use, and be easy to hold with one hand as you tap and swipe your tablet during use.
With all this in mind, we ended up with eight cases to test and evaluate. Each was first measured for thickness and weight. Then we folded the lids into their various stand positions and measured the angles while also seeing if each held its shape (usually using embedded magnets) even without the tablet resting on them. The next step was to test how well the lid stayed in place when closed, which we did by using a flat palm to exert a moderate amount of force up and down, replicating what might happen when the iPad is being jostled in a bag. We also held each case upside down to see if its lid would flop open.
Our pick
We recommend Apple’s Smart Case ($80) as the best pick for most iPad Air 2 users. It offers more thorough coverage than any case we’ve yet tested. Weighing in at 144 grams, it’s the lightest of the bunch by 47 g—that’s about the same weight as a medium egg, which is very noticeable in an iPad. It also measures 10.7 millimeters thick with the iPad inside, which is only 0.4 mm thicker than the thinnest case in our roundup. And finally, it’s the most aesthetically pleasing of those we looked at. Made of a beautiful, aniline-dyed leather, it both looks and feels like a truly premium case.
Apple’s Smart Case.
Naturally, the Smart Case increases the iPad’s size, but it doesn’t take away from the experience of using the tablet—in fact, you could even say that the case improves on the experience. The soft leather is a nice contrast to the tablet’s cold aluminum chassis and having the built-in screen cover/stand makes the iPad more useful.
The Smart Case has improved significantly since the first model launched alongside the third-generation iPad. I was reviewing cases at iLounge at the time, and I gave that case a flat B rating. It’s also worth noting that while the iPad 2/3/4 versions of the Smart Case were also offered in less-expensive polyurethane, Apple only offers the iPad Air versions in leather.
Like all the cases we tested, the Smart Case is a one-piece unit comprised of a semi-rigid rear shell that holds the iPad and an attached cover that protects the tablet’s screen. The shell is lined with microfiber except for the area mirroring the radio antenna at the top of cellular-enabled versions of the tablet—the interior of the case is smooth there. Installation is as easy as it gets, with the iPad popping into case with relatively little force. A protective lip extends about 1 mm above the entire perimeter of the tablet. That isn’t as important as on an iPhone case because a good iPad case already covers the tablet’s screen, but it’s still a nice touch in case you drop it while using it.
The top corner of the Smart Case with button protection.
Out of all the cases we tested, the Smart Case is the only one to include button protection. The sleep/wake button and volume buttons each have a press-through button cover, easily identifiable by touch. These allow you to click without decreasing the tactility of the buttons or requiring extra pressure.
The bottom edge of the Smart Case.
The Smart Case also has the best tailored openings for the iPad’s ports. Whereas other cases opt for large, all-encompassing openings in the general vicinity of the ports and speakers, Apple opted for precision cuts at the exact locations, which gives the case a much nicer finish. For the headphone jack on top, there’s a 6-mm-diameter opening that’s large enough to accept most plugs. On the bottom edge, you’ll find an oval-shaped opening for the Lightning port that measures 13 mm by 8 mm—large enough to accept the plug of any of our top Lightning cable picks and even Amazon’s, which are larger than most. It’s flanked on each side by 14 small holes matching the speaker openings underneath. Many cases have just a single opening stretching from the outer edge of one speaker to the other, so the attention to detail here is especially appreciated.
Similarly, our review unit’s camera hole was perfectly centered. The openings for the iPad’s two microphones were mildly askew, but not so much that they covered up the mics at all.
The Smart Case’s screen cover lines up precisely with the edges of the shell, except for along the left edge, where a 4.7-mm spine—the piece that connects the front of the case to the back—juts out. The cover is divided into three panels, which get progressively thinner from left to right. The right edge magnetically connects to the left when folded, creating a triangular shape that can be used to hold the iPad at a 10° typing angle or a 59° upright-viewing angle. Those figures are both just slightly lower than the averages of the cases we tested; we found them to be comfortable and suitable for their respective purposes.
When reviewing cases for the original iPad Air, we cited screen cover issues as one of the main reasons the Air Smart Case didn’t earn our top pick. This time around, our testing showed the cover works as expected and holds its position well. If pushed with deliberate force, the cover can slide up or down, but only if you really push it. With a more moderate level of pressure, it stays where it’s supposed to, and the magnets are even strong enough to hold the lid against the iPad when flipped upside down.
Who else likes it?
On Amazon, the Smart Case has an average rating of 4.2 stars, but that’s based on only eight reviews. There are slightly more reviews on Apple’s website, where 24 people have left reviews averaging four stars. On iLounge, editor-in-chief Phil Dzikiy awarded the case a B rating, saying, “the iPad Air 2 Smart Case is still a high-quality leather case that works well and earns our general recommendation,” while calling out the thickness of the case, even though it’s 1 mm thinner than the previous version.
We also like the convenience of Apple’s 1-year limited warranty on its accessories: If something does go wrong with the case, you can take it to the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or call up Apple Care support for a replacement. The fine print states the warranty doesn’t cover abuse, so it’ll be up to the technician to decide if your wear and tear are covered. Apple’s staff tend to be pretty lenient, but we can’t make any guarantees that they’ll go above and beyond what they’re supposed to do.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The biggest drawback to the Smart Case is its price. Again, $80 is no small chunk of change, especially for a passive accessory. On the other hand, leather is a premium material, and Apple uses really nice stuff here without skimping on any other facets of the design. In absolute terms, it’s expensive, but viewed in proportion to the cost of the entry-level iPad Air 2, it’s like spending about $30 on an iPhone 6 case, which most would argue is a fair price.
Because the case is made of leather, it’s not going to be the favorite pick of those who are against the use of animal products. If this is important to you, we recommend going with our runner-up pick.
A quick note on packaging
Apple has a history of using confusing naming conventions for its mobile accessories. For example, its leather iPhone 5s Case works with the iPhone 5 as well, and for a long time, the iPhone 4 Bumper—which also fits the 4S—was called Bumpers, even though it sold in packs of one.
The Smart Case’s ambiguous labeling.
We bring this up because if you look at the accessory rack at the Apple Store, the iPad Air 2 Smart Case (its official name on Apple’s website) is in packaging that simply says “iPad Air Smart Case.” The only reference to the iPad Air 2 is next to the model number, above the UPC, where “iPad Air (2nd generation)” is printed in small type. If you’re unsure, ask an Apple Specialist for a hand.
A less expensive runner-up
If you’re looking to spend less on a case and are willing to give up some protection and overall quality of design, CaseCrown’s Omni is the way to go. Selling for around $40, it costs half the price of Apple’s case but still has most of the same features. It’s also currently our pick for the best first-gen iPad Air case.
Instead of leather, this one is composed of a plastic shell and a faux-carbon-fiber lid. It doesn’t feel as nice as the Smart Case, but one shouldn’t expect it to. While heavier than Apple’s case by 47 g, it’s the thinnest of the cases we tested, measuring 10.4 mm with the iPad inside.
Most of the folios we tested had long openings along the bottom edge of the iPad, but the Omni offers more protection. The hole for the Lightning port is separated from those for the speakers by small plastic strips. It may be a small detail, but it’s better than what almost all of the other cases offer. Unfortunately, the Omni doesn’t protect any of the iPad’s buttons.
Instead of three segments, the screen cover is divided into four panels. It still folds into a triangle, though, and it can hold the iPad at 10° or 72° off a flat surface. 72° is pretty steep for watching videos, especially if you’re in a cramped airplane seat, but it’s doable. As with the Smart Case, the Omni’s cover stays in place when closed; it doesn’t easily slide up and down, and the magnets hold it in place when it’s flipped over.
On Amazon, reviewers are very positive about the various editions of the Omni. Of the 640 reviews, 411 give it five stars, and they average 4.4 stars.
One major downside to CaseCrown’s case is the company’s lack of a warranty. The company explicitly states in its FAQ that it does not have a warranty program in place. If something goes wrong, you’re out of luck, but that’s pretty unlikely when it comes to cases.
The budget pick
For the price, roocase’s Optigon ($15) is pretty impressive and a good choice if you’re on a tight budget. It’s among the thickest of the cases we tested, measuring 12.3 mm with the iPad installed and tied for the heaviest at 236 g. The plastic shell that holds the iPad lacks button coverage and has a wide, open bottom rather than more-precisely-tailored holes. The screen cover holds its stand positions, doesn’t slide up and down, and can take being flipped over, too. The polycarbonate case and polyurethane cover feel nicer than some of the cheap cases we tested, and at the very least, we’ve never seen this exact design before, suggesting it’s actually an original and not an OEM. The thickness, weight, and lackluster protection prevent the Optigon from being a top pick, but it does perform well for the dollar.
Other iPad models
If you have an older iPad Air or a retina iPad mini, we have recommendations for those too. See Best iPad Air case and Best iPad mini Retina case.
What to look forward to
There are going to be plenty of new cases hitting the market in the months ahead. Because leaks about the iPad Air 2’s dimensions weren’t as prevalent as they were for the iPhone 6, it’ll take some time for manufacturers to design, test, and ship their products. In addition, iPad sales are only a fraction of iPhone sales (12 million versus 39 million last quarter), so it’s likely that tablet cases aren’t as high of a priority for vendors. We’ll continue to monitor and test new cases as they become available and update this piece with our findings. One case we’re looking forward to is ZeroChroma’s Folio-Slide, which is currently available only for the first-generation iPad Air. Both I and Wirecutter gear editor Dan Frakes (formerly of Macworld) use the Folio-Slide on our original Airs.
Additionally, while we find the folio style to be best design for most people, we know there are plenty of folks who prefer different types of cases. We’d love to hear from you in the comments about how you use your iPad and what you want in a case.
Competition
The number of iPad Air 2 cases currently available pales in comparison to how many iPhone 6 cases were available during the same period of its launch. Here are six others we tested that didn’t stack up to our main picks.
i-Blason’s i-Folio Slim ($9-$15) is similar to the Optigon in a lot of ways. It’s 0.1 mm thicker and weighs just 18 g less. It leaves more of the iPad Air’s chamfered edges exposed at the top and bottom, though, and the materials don’t feel quite as nice. For the same money, you’re better off going with roocase’s protector.
Both Khomo’s Dual Case ($13) and MoKo’s Ultra Slim Lightweight Smart-shell ($11) lack the ability to hold their stand positions without the weight of the iPad on top of them. In other words, the iPad’s weight keeps the shape, rather than the case’s magnets. This makes it more difficult to set the case up for viewing or typing and means it’s more likely that the stand will slip.
Of the cases we tested, Fintie’s SmartShell Case’s ($9) cover moved the most when it was supposed to be closed. It readily slides up and down at the slightest provocation, even though the magnets hold it flat when flipped upside down. Additionally, the case stops short of protecting the iPad’s chamfered edges along the tablet’s shorter sides. The low price doesn’t make up for these faults.
Incipio’s Tuxen ($50) is the thickest, heaviest, and the second-most-expensive case we’ve tested thus far. It’s also the only one to forego a triangular stand in favor of a raised segment of the plastic back that holds the edge of the lid in place. It’s simply not as elegant of a setup. We’re normally fans of Incipio products, but this design is lacking compared to the others we tested, especially for the price.
Wrapping it up
It doesn’t come cheap, but Apple’s Smart Case is the best combination of style, protection, and functionality of any iPad Air 2 case available right now. We recommend it for anyone investing in Apple’s newest tablet.
Sources
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iPad Repair: Screen Damage, Apple
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, Apple iPad Air 2 Smart Case, iLounge
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