Best iPad Mini Cases

Now that the iPad Mini is in the hands of – give or take – a few million people (4 million pre-orders in 4 days, remember?) it’s time to think a little more about iPad Mini cases.

Apple’s default iPad Mini SmartCover does a good job of keeping your iPad Mini safe. That’s as far as the screen is concerned. If you are simply overwhelmed or surprised by the SmartCover, you should remember that it’s not “complete protection.”

The market is inundated with plenty of cases for the iPad Mini. You’d probably find one from every large brand like Otterbox (which has a Defender series for iPad Mini) or Case Mate. However, we’ve set our sights on a handful of iPad mini cases that satisfy our rules of what a case for the iPad mini should be like.

Unless you’re looking for stylish, luxurious and specifically design-oriented cases, I think an iPad mini case should be slim, simple, sturdy and accessible. After all, the iPad Mini is a handy device: you wouldn’t want to add some bulky thing to it and make it non-user-friendly. Much due to this intention, we wanted to roundup only those cases which would be:

• Slim/thin preferably
• Optionally double up as a stand
• Make sure the ports are accessible
• Strong/sturdy
• Decently priced

 

The Ridge from Devicewear

Devicewear’s The Ridge is a “vegan leather” iPad mini case, according to the website. It’s almost as costly as the Apple SmartCover but it’s much more functional and useful than the latter. Sure, it includes the smart on/off thing that Apple’s SmartCover comes with but along with that, the Ridge comes with a ton of other features. These include being able to have multiple viewing angles for the iPad Mini, a sturdy make, simple magnetic lid that fits snugly, and a really simple, sensible design.

Price: $39.95

Buy The Ridge by Devicewear from Devicewear.com or Amazon.com.

Slim Folio from Griffin

Griffin has been at the forefront of cases and covers. The Slim Folio for iPad Mini is no different from their other ventures and it has all the characteristics of a high-quality product from a great brand. At a retail price that’s same as Apple’s SmartCover, you get a little more protection for the iPad Mini. The Slim Folio covers are no-nonsense cases: there’s nothing more than a simple design, and a good level of protection with high-quality materials.

Price: $39.99

Buy Griffin Slim Folio for iPad Mini from GriffinTechnology.com or Amazon.com.

Poetic SLIMLINE from Poetic

Think of Poetic SLIMLINE as Apple’s SmartCover coupled with a back cover. There’s nothing more to it than the back cover but it’s one of the best slim, light-weight covers you can get for your iPad Mini. The case is usually sold through their Amazon store and that’s good because you get huge discounts like the one currently going on.

Price: $19.95

Buy Poetic Slimline iPad Mini Case from YourPoetic.com or Amazon.com.

iPad Mini Armor Carbon Fiber from BodyGuardz

he iPad Mini Armor from BodyGuardz is an interesting skin for the iPad Mini. It combines ultra-thin design concepts with carbon fiber, PVC-based materials which makes it a very durable skin for your iPad Mini. Notice that it’s not mentioned as a ‘case’ but only as a ‘skin.’ To me, a carbon fiber textured film on a PVC-based skin is more or less a case. The case does not lack in good looks either.

Price: $29.95

Buy iPad Mini Armor Carbon Fiber from BodyGuardz.com or Amazon.com.

Ultra Thin Snap-on from Incipio

I’ve been a fan of Incipio products for iOS devices and the ultra-thin snap-on for iPad Mini takes the cake for being one of the legitimately high-quality slim cases from a large brand. I don’t know what a Plextonium frame is (partly because it’s Incipio’s proprietary Polycarbonate-based material) but it sure sounds cool. That apart, the case is less than 1mm thin and ultra-light.

Price: $29.99

Buy Ulrta Thin Snap-on for iPad Mini from Incipio.com or Amazon.com.