I love reading documents on my iPad. Having said that, the combination of the weight of 1.5 pounds (1.6 if you have a 3G model like I do) and the need to pinch the sides to stop it from slipping out of my hands means that I experience hand fatigue after holding the iPad for a while. Sometimes I find that I can get a better grip on my iPad when it is in its case, but that also adds to the bulk and the weight. I hope that the next model of the iPad is even lighter, but even with a lighter model there is not an ideal way to hold the iPad for long periods of time.
[UPDATE 5/23/2012: This review is of the original FreeOneHand as used with the first generation iPad. There is a second generation FreeOneHand that works with the iPad 2 and the third generation iPad, and my review of the new FreeOneHand is here.]
FreeOneHand is an iPad accessory that aims to solve this problem, and it does it very well. The company sent me a free sample for review purposes, and I have been using for the last few weeks. The product has a sort of flexible, rubbery, plastic feel to it. The website for the product says that it is "constructed of flexible and resilient elastomers that snugly fit the edges of the iPad. FreeOneHand’s elastomer construction provides an excellent combination of lightweight properties, rigidity to function as a stand, tackiness to protect the iPad from falls by gripping almost any surface, and a rubber-like softness for comfort during use." That description seems about right to me.
To use the FreeOneHand, you simply slip the four corners around the corners of your iPad. This takes only seconds to do. Once attached, you can easily hold your iPad with just one hand by using the knob and the holes. I find myself using the device three different ways. Sometimes I slip the knob between my second and third finger. Sometimes I slip my fingers into the holes underneath the knob. Here are pictures showing those two methods:
But the pose that I use the most is to put my thumb through one of the bottom holes and then grip the knob, much like you would grip a door knob:
In any of these poses, you can hold the iPad up for a long period of time before your hand gets tired — much longer than would be possible without the FreeOneHand. I frequently find myself reading PDF versions of legal opinions using the GoodReader app with the FreeOneHand in my left hand and a BoxWave stylus in my right hand, which I use to highlight important passages in the opinions. To be fair, after using the FreeOneHand for a very long period of time, I often find that it too can become uncomfortable — which usually leads me to just shift my grip position, which helps for a while. The point is not that FreeOneHand lets you effortlessly hold your iPad forever, but instead that it allows you to hold the iPad with a single hand for much longer than you could without the FreeOneHand.
The FreeOneHand's hold on the iPad is very secure so you don't have to worry about dropping the iPad. I hear lawyers talk about using an iPad in a courtroom, but I can't imagine walking around holding an iPad instead of a legal pad or document because it is so easy to imagine the iPad slipping through my fingers and crashing to the ground. But with a FreeOneHand attached, I have no hesitation walking around with an iPad in one hand.
Even if I am just sitting in a chair or sitting up in bed, the FreeOneHand makes it much easier to hold an iPad. (It is equally easily to hold an iPad in a landscape or a portrait position with the FreeOneHand.) Here are two pictures from the FreeOneHand website showing these sorts of positions:
Here is another picture from the FreeOneHand website. I'm not sure what this couple is looking at on their iPad as they are wearing their PJs, but they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves:
The FreeOneHand also props up the iPad at an angle when it is sitting on a desk. This puts the iPad at a nice viewing angle for reading or watching a video. The knob slips on a table too much for me to type on the iPad while it is at this angle, but the website shows people doing this, so perhaps with a different table surface you will experience better results. But to be honest, if I were just looking to put my iPad at an angle, there are other products I would use that provide multiple different angles. The unique advantage of the FreeOneHand it to let you easily hold an iPad with one hand.
If you want to see a video of the FreeOneHand in action, this post on the AppAdvice website has a video of use of the device taken at CES. Also, here is a promotional video that the manufacturer put on YouTube:
This post on the Tech Bucket Blog also includes picture of the FreeOneHand taken at CES, including a picture of a belt clip (presumably an accessory currently in development) that can be used to carry an iPad on your belt. I encourage any iPhone J.D. reader to please slap some sense into me if you ever see me walking around town with an iPad on my belt.
The FreeOneHand comes in six different colors and can be purchased on the FreeOneHand website for $39.94 with free shipping. Having said that, I see distributors selling it through Amazon for up to half that price with $4.49 shipping.
If you ever find yourself wishing that there was an easier way to hold an iPad with one hand for an extended period of time, I think that you will really like this product. It has certainly made it much easier for me to use my iPad in my office and at home.
