Folio-style tablet cases are often hit-or-miss. Unreliable stands? Poor build quality? Odd use of materials? Expensive? These are just some of the issues that many folio-style cases that Fortunately, the inno-in Kaya EcoLeather iPad 2/3/4 case is perhaps the best iPad folio case. It’s priced at just £20.00/~$32 USD, making it a real bargain of a case. What else is so good about it?
Note: The images that are used in this post come directly from inno-in. For our own images, we recommend that you watch our own review video, which can be found embedded towards the bottom of this post.
Design, quality of materials, and overall build quality are all quite excellent with this case. In terms of materials, the Kaya is made of “reinforcing PVC board to sustain a sturdy design, which is encompassed in black EcoLeather (faux leather).” The stitching of the case is just about as good as it gets, and I can safely say that this case will last you quite a long time.
Like most iPad folio cases, the Kaya supports the iPad’s integrated magnetic sleep/wake function, which allows you to open the front cover, and the screen will “magically” turn itself on. While it does work, it’s not very consistent. As shown in our review video below, the alignment of the magnets in the case needs to be just right, or else the feature won’t work. Sometimes, you’ll end up with your screen on, even though the front cover is closed, thus allowing your battery to drain itself. This could be a deal-breaker for some, but it does work for those who are interested in this feature.
Also like most iPad folio cases, this one has a number of different positions to stand your iPad up. The front cover features three ridges and, as demoed below, really does give you a firm and reliable position, for example, for simply typing on your iPad or just using it to view videos or presentations. If you want a more steep angle, you could prop the iPad up on the hand strap area, although this isn’t as stable, but it still works quite well.
Speaking of the hand strap, one is included. It’s on the inside of the front cover, and gives you the ability to slide your hand into the strap, making using the iPad while walking around and taking care of things a breeze. The strap was a bit tight at first, but it loosened up rather quickly.
Now, let’s talk about the inside of the case, the actual area where your iPad will be. Your iPad will slide in from the left, and is held firmly and securely into place via a Velcro strap, which tucks itself tightly behind the iPad. You have raised and bowled sections at the top and bottom to better suit the iPad’s home button, front-facing camera, and various sensors. On the right side of the case, you’ll find one cutout for the switch and volume rocker.
On the back of the case, you’ll find a very well-centered cutout for your rear-facing camera. Also on the back is a cutout for the iPad’s speaker, which also has a small mesh grill to keep any debris from getting inside. Towards the bottom of the case, you’ll find the cutout for the 30-pin connector/Lightning port, and some holes for the speaker. Lastly, at the top of the case, there are cutouts for the power button, top microphone, and 3.5mm headset jack. As an added (but very much appreciated) bonus, there’s an elastic strap that can wrap itself around to the front of the case, which keeps the front cover closed during transport. This is something that many cases lack. I find this to be a must-have feature as, for example, if you’re walking around with the case in an open area and you drop the tablet, the front cover could open itself midair, this causing potential damage to the front of your iPad.
Of the many folio cases that I’ve reviewed for the iPad, this really is as good as it gets. The Kaya combines the best of build quality, materials, features, but most of all, price. I’ve used cases that cost twice as much that aren’t nearly as well-built or feature-filled. This case does it all, and it does it very well.
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