If you are a avid reader of our little site, you might remember the review we did a while back of their iPhone case offering. In it you may remember I mentioned that we had yet to receive their iPad case, but that we would be doing a follow up whenever it showed up. Well, as you may have guessed… It arrived. And my I say, it was very much worth the wait.
FSM EXCLUSIVE DEAL Unlike its iPhone brother (or sister, I checked but honestly I skipped that class in school and can’t be sure), the iPad case arrives in a custom fit cardboard container. If you recall, the iPhone was shipped in a the very block of bamboo it was carved from. I assume this is simply because of the sheer size of the device. It just wouldn’t be practical. That said, the cardboard box it came in is quite cool to look at.
The actual case itself is just beautiful. ( I honestly can’t think of a more alliterative way to put it)
Every square inch of this thing screams attention to detail. Just like the iPhone case, a master class in attention to detail and case design. What is crazy cool is that 100% of this case (even the sleep wake button) is made from bamboo. Here’s some more pics.
Now, beauty is all well and good, but can she cook? Yes, yes she can.
I have been actively using this case for the last few weeks day to day, and it has quickly become my favorite. In hand it has a nice solid feel, yet smooth to the touch. The quick snap system that is employed on the case holds the iPad firmly in place, yet it is easy to quickly remove it. All the ports line up just as one would expect, with plenty of room for aftermarket stuff, which is nice. The sleep wake switch fires every time, and feels great under finger. In fact the only negative I can see here is that it is in no way a droppable case. I have not tried, but it would most defiantly break the case to do so, although I’m sure the iPad would be protected just fine.
The other piece to this puzzle, the cover is also very well designed. Unlike its cousin, the magnets that control sleep wake are strong and hold steady to the device. It also feels as if it’s more securely attached to the side of the device as well. Stronger magnets? The other striking difference is that the leather of the case feels like good quality leather(because it is) as opposed to the cheap thin crap used in the smart cover. In addition to that, the backing is swede leather, instead of microfiber. Meaning that it will actually keep your screen clean more then a day. It comes a little stiff, but after its broken in good it becomes quite nice. Finally, it is an effortless task to “tent” the cover to allow for typing, watching a movie ext. Its kind of like a sweeping motion, rather then a folding type maneuver.
You will also notice from the pictures that you can have any of their designs (or one of your own) etched on the cover to give it that special pop.
All in all, I give this case a 4 1/2 out of 5. It lost a half star because of the durability aspect, but really, who drops a 500-800 dollar piece of equipment like that? It should also be noted again that it takes A LONG TIME for it to get to you after order, because it is made by hand… from bamboo… . But, if you have the money ($149 US) and the time (6-10 weeks), don’t miss out on this beauty. Go get it at grovemade.com