Review: Apple iPad Smart Case for Schools

We review the the official Apple iPad Smart Case — not to be confused with Smart Cover. Is it the perfect iPad case for schools?

I was looking for a case for our student’s iPads. The obvious contenders came up: Gripcase, Smart Cover, and some other third-party alternatives. While Gripcase is great for younger students, our older years needed something a bit more mature, and a bit less like a dog toy.

The Apple iPad Smart Cover wasn’t suitable as it only protected the iPad’s screen, and you can be forever looking at cheap third-party cases. But now Apple has solved the problem for us with the iPad Smart Case.

Available in light and dark gray, blue, green, pink, and red, the iPad Smart Case is a full body polyurethane case for the iPad. It has all the features of the Smart Cover — protects the screen, magnetic sleep/wake function, and folds to create a stand or a rest to type on — but also completely covers the back of your device.

As we’ve come to expect from Apple, the Smart Case is extremely well designed and manufactured. The soft touch polyurethane feels great in the hand and the whole case feels flexible but not flimsy. The case is thin enough not to bulk out the device, but also reassuringly tough to prevent damage or scratches.

The iPad fits snugly into the back of the Smart Case which is surrounded by a ridged edging to cushion any bumps or drops. Holes for all the necessary ports and connectors — headphones, speaker grill, camera, volume controls — are perfectly placed.

[pullquote]Unlike many other third-party equivalents the iPad Smart Case perfectly protects your tablet without making it inaccessible — a must for students and teachers.[/pullquote]

Inserting the iPad into the case can be a bit of a struggle, and getting it out is just as awkward, but most people will leave the iPad in the case, so it’s not too much of an issue.

Unlike many other third-party equivalents the iPad Smart Case perfectly protects your tablet without making it inaccessible — a must for students and teachers.

The Smart Case also makes the iPad a much more usable device on flat desks, and allows for easier typing and collaboration.

At £34.00 ($49.00) Smart Case is expensive, but not so much more than equivalents on the market.

I’ve been using Smart Case for a couple of weeks now, and I’m very pleased with the overall design. A number of our teachers have also requested Smart Cases for new iPad purchases, and we will be testing it with some of our older students shortly. I’ll let you know how we get on.

For younger students you may want to look at a solution like Gripcase, but for secondary school students looking for more mature looking case, the Apple iPad Smart Cover is a great option.

The Smart Cover is available on Amazon now or from Apple direct.