PADACS Executive Leather and Generation iPad Case Review

Ever since the iPad was released there has been a plethora of cases on the market. Made by PADACS, the Generation iPad Case and the Executive Leather iPad Case are 2 more in the iPad case market. Both cases are in the same style as the iPad case made by Apple, i.e. like a book. Also like the Apple case, there is a flap on the back where you can bend the front of the case around to put it in either the typing mode or the display mode. A neat feature of these cases are that when you close the case, there is a magnet in the end so the top doesn’t flap around unnecessarily and stays closed. Very nice.

Both cases are made of very high quality material and that is the only difference between the cases. The Executive case is as you could guess, is made out of black leather, and it is very high quality at that. Which makes it have a very premium feel to it, and it feels great! On the other hand, the Generation iPad Case is a mix of denim and white synthetic leather. Weird mix but it works. The texture of the external part of the case is very nice and the softness and smoothness of the inside is great. Overall, both cases are very nice to hold and use. Also, all the external buttons and speakers are exposed and are really easy to get to. However, with everything, there are some issues. But, I can only find one. The issue is to do with how the case actually touches the iPad on the left hand side. In short, it doesn’t. I presume this is caused when the flap that keeps the iPad secure in the case is in, it pulls the material at the top which then causes the case to lift slightly on the left hand side. Now, it is not that catastrophic as it only lifts up from the iPad about 8mm and it went away within a week of use.

In conclusion, both of these cases are good. They are both very durable, protective and stylish. But if I had to choose which one is the best, I would have to say the Generation case. Mainly because of the denim material. For me it is a lot nicer to hold and is better feeling for me. Also, as it is not made fully out of leather, it is quite a bit lighter as well.

PADACS is now shipping all of their products to the US & Canada with free shipping within the US starting September 17th. The Executive leather case is $53.95 and the Generation case is $47.95.

PADACS Executive Leather Case PADACS Generation iPad Case

monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Case for iPad

Carbon fiber fans rejoice! Today l'll be reviewing monCarbone's HoverCoat glossy and matte finished carbon fiber iPad cases. The HoverCoat is made out of real carbon fiber that provides a very unique and great looking sharp look to your iPad without compromising weight or bulk. The HoverCoat is extremely lightweight and slim. It easily snaps to the back of your iPad, but I found that if you use a back skin of any kind, the HoverCoat will not be sitted on very well and will easily pull back a bit if you place your fingers right on the edge of the case. I could barely tell I had a case on my iPad while using the HoverCoat, it's so thin that I felt like I was holding my iPad without a case on. The HoverCoat does flex and it isn't super hard. Corners are cut very precise and are rounded so there are not sharp corners or edges, which is great. I should note that the HoverCoat does not cover or provide any protection to the iPad's metal bezel. All the buttons and ports are easily accessible and uncovered. There are no logos on the outside only on the inside of the case which I was very happy about.

Both the matte and glossy HoverCoat finishes look beautiful, but if you really want to show off the carbon fiber pattern, the glossy does a much better job at showing the weave better than the matte finished HoverCoat. With that said, the glossy finish scratched very easily by just placing it on a table. For this kind of price I think there should be an anti-scratch coating added to the glossy finish. The matte finish does have an anti-scratch finish that works very well. The key differences between both matte and glossy HoverCoat finishes is that the glossy attracts fingerprints, it scratches more easily and it shows off the carbon fiber weave much better. The matte finished HoverCoat has a more grippy and rough texture to it. It's a much more stealthy looking iPad cover and will appeal to different kind of users. On the back you will notice a line of perforations  at the top, this is meant for the 3G iPad model so it will not interfere with the reception. I have not noticed any signal issues on my WiFi iPad at all.

The HoverCoat looks stunning under sunlight. You can clearly see the 3D carbon fiber weave in good lighting. I really think that monCarbone did a good job on the design of the HoverCoat case for the iPad, but I would have liked to see an anti-scratch coating for the glossy model at this price. And as we all know, real carbon fiber doesn't come cheap. Price $89.99.

monCarbone.comMatte HoverCoatGlossy HoverCoat

Chinao Slim iPad Folio

It's most likely that you have never heard of Chinao before, until now. Chinao is one of those new brands out of China that make this iPad case. I was very surprised when I first got my hands on this case. It's super slim form factor is very similar to Apple's iPad Case but with one difference, it looks much more elegant and businessy (yes I just made that word up). The Chinao iPad case is made out of pleather but without that plasticky cheap smell that most non-leather cases have, this one actually doesn't smell bad on the outside. The whole slim design of this folio makes for very easy and comfortable handling when on the go. If you're looking for drop protection then this might not be the case for you. While the Chinao folio provides a nice amount of bump and scratch protection, it will most likely not provide drop protection. The front flap is made out of hard plastic to protect your iPad's screen while the back has no plastic padding just the thin pleather material - just like Apple's iPad Case. 

On the back there is a perforated pattern design which I was told will not be on the upcoming version of this folio. There are no straps or clasps to close the flap to the folio, this is how it's designed and I did not have problems using it in the everyday. I found that holding my iPad with the flap over and back was comfortable and easy to manage because of how thin the overall folio is. Working with this folio in the typing and upright positions was very satisfying as it did a great job with stability and ease of use. Unlike other folios, I was able to use my iPad's touch screen in the upright position without it falling back.

All ports and buttons are easily accessible. I did find that the holes for the speaker was not perfectly aligned however sound wasn't fully effected. While the Chinao does not offer ultimate protection, it does offer fantastic usable functions that actually work perfectly with a very slim form factor while looking elegant. The Chinao folio comes in black, red, white, tan and brown colors with a matching accessory pouch. Price $44. - Price can vary.

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