I’m a big fan of folio-style cases for iPad. They provide a stylish and professional look and are usually super durable. The Snugg’s new folio case for iPad really shines in the looks department, but not so much anywhere else…
This case definitely looks like a pro-level case. It’s got a sleek PU leather outer design, and a smooth velvety inside. The case also has the ability to be used as a portrait or landscape stand and even has a spot for a stylus.
I’ll probably never use a stylus, but it’s a nice notable feature. There’s also an odd hand strap I couldn’t seem to find a use for. The case also claims to wake and sleep your iPad when lifting the cover, but I ran into a couple issues that I’ll get into soon.
Check out the video:
Like
I really like how the case looks. It’s got a clean and professional design, and really protects the iPad on all sides. It doesn’t feel cheap and it’s relatively inexpensive, retailing at $29.99.
I also enjoyed that the case had a Velcro latch to hold the iPad in place and prevent any slipping around. I’ve had an issue with other cases where the iPad would slip downward when being used as a stand or during regular use.
Dislike
The sleep wake functionality is horrid sketchy. There’s a bow that’s created on the side of the case when the iPad is present that prevents the case from consistently sleeping or waking the device. It’s rather annoying, but after some fiddling I was able to decrease the bow by pressing and holding to reform the case.
While I could get it to work about 60 percent of the time after some tinkering, it’s definitely something that was a major issue. It could be a manufacturing issue, and maybe my case was the only one on the line with this problem, but it’s worth noting.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Snugg’s Stylish Folio iPad Case is definitely a sleek case, but it lacked the core functionality I feel is one of its selling points. I wouldn’t normally buy a folio case that can’t sleep or wake my new iPad, and I’d especially be upset if I purchased one that claimed to do so and didn’t.
So aside from the stand and stylus holster, it’s just a pretty case. With the $29.99 price tag, I can definitely say it would be a good deal had it worked properly. As of now, mine hasn’t consistently done the job.
To find out more about this iPad case, check out The Snugg’s website or click here.
Update: Since posting this review, I have been contacted by The Snugg about the rating I initially gave this folio-style case. They seemed to be upset that their product wasn’t functioning properly, and wanted to know what the issues were. They were curious as to why it received such a bad rating from me. Let me explain.
Originally the case had a 2.5 star rating. In my mind, I was a little concerned that the sleep / wake functionality did not perform as stated in its description. In fact, it really didn’t perform well overall without some readjusting on my part. I feel that if this is a core functionality of the case in question, it should work as described.
The last sentence of the description for the product states, “Automatically wakes and puts the iPad to sleep.” I’ve spoken with the folks from The Snugg and they informed me that this is definitely a manufacturing error. I would expect a core feature to work flawlessly. Because there are only a few features weighing on the rating, the lack of that function decreased the rating substantially. I would not purchase this case if it didn’t include the wake / sleep functionality, and I would be upset if it was stated and did not function properly.
While I can vouch for the cases I’ve reviewed, with the wake / sleep functioning properly, I can definitely say this is a great case. It’s made from high quality materials, provides your iPad with protection all around, and in most situations wakes and sleeps the iPad (given there’s not a manufacturing error).
I am completely open and honest about all of the reviews I write. I wouldn’t give a product a bad rating unless, in my honest opinion, it didn’t work right or wasn’t worthy of a high rating due to quality issues. Like I said, if this case had worked exactly as promised, I would have definitely given it at least a 4 star rating. I am giving the product the benefit of the doubt with a 3.5 star rating for now. Manufacturing defect or not, this is the product I was sent, and this is what I reviewed.
If you purchase this case and experience the same issue I have, please leave a comment below and let me know about it.
[xrr rating=3.5/5]
