One problem with trying to pick out the “best” case for an iPad is that you can do so many useful things with an iPad. Sometimes you want an easy way to prop it up to watch a movie. Sometimes you want to hold it in your hands. Sometimes you want to use it in the kitchen. Sometimes you want to type. For the last few weeks I have been trying out an iPad case called the modulR that tries to solve all of these problems at once, and I’m very impressed with the review unit that the company sent me. (I’ve been using the original iPad to test out modulR, but I’m told that a version for the iPad 2 is in the works.)
The main part of the modulR is a $49 case (with cover) that fits around the back of your iPad. The case is a flexible rubbery plastic that is very easy to put on and to take off of the iPad. It is very thin and adds very little weight, but it does give some added protection to the back of the iPad.
If you want to protect the front, there is a cover that easily snaps on. When attached your iPad is protected from scratches by a hard, thin case.
But the real magic of the modulR is that on the bottom there are four rubbery feet:
With these feet on the iPad you can do all sorts of useful things. If you want to hold the iPad in your hand without fear of it slipping out, you can get the $15 hand strap. You can either attach the strap to two feet on one side, or adjust the strap to go diagonally across the iPad (which is what I find works even better):
There is also a $15 shoulder strap that you attach to two of the feet. With it, you can carry the iPad in its modulR case much like you might carry a small messenger bag. In all candor, when I used the shoulder strap to go home from work one night, I feared that I looked a little silly with an iPad on a strap around my shoulder. But hey, that’s just me. Maybe you can pull of the look better than I can.
If you want to prop up your iPad, you can use the $19 Quick Stand, which comes in black, orange, pearl or white. It works in two positions. in one position, the iPad is slightly elevated in the back to make it easier to type. When you flip over the Quick Stand, you can prop up the iPad like this:
I have used lots of different iPad cases to prop up an iPad, and sometimes they are not very sturdy. Just touching the screen can cause the iPad to slip down. The modulR Quick Stand is made of metal and is very strong. Thus, an iPad in a Quick Stand is very sturdy. Note, however, that you can only prop up your iPad in the landscape position; the Quick Stand doesn’t give you a way to prop up in the portrait mode.
If you want to place your iPad on a wall like a small flat screen TV, you can purchase the $29 Slim Mount, which also comes in black, orange, pearl or white. This is a strong metal mount that attaches to a wall with four (included) screws. Once the Slim Mount is mounted, you can easily slip your iPad into the Slim Mount using the feet on the back of the modulR and easily slip it back out again. I can imagine someone putting a Slim Mount in their kitchen so that the iPad is on the wall to show recipes or even play a movie or music while the person is cooking.
You can purchase all of these modulR accessories that I’ve described a la carte, or you can select from several packages such as the Starter Kit 3 for $99 which includes everything that I described above (except that you have a choice of strap; I strongly recommend the hand strap, which I found very useful).
The company plans to add more to the modulR line. As mentioned above, they plan to come out with a new version of the case for the iPad 2. I understand that many people have asked the company to consider a case with a cover attached, instead of the two parts that I reviewed, and the company is considering doing so — perhaps for the iPad 2 case? We’ll see. They are also working on a Headrest strap so that you can put the iPad behind your seat for the kids to watch something while you are on a road trip. The company is also working on a swing arm. You can see many of these future products on the modulR website.
If you have a first generation iPad and you are looking for a case with a lot of versatility, I was very impressed with the modulR. You get all of the protection of a standard hard case, plus with the accessories that work with the knob feet you can do a whole lot more. I’m looking forward to seeing what the company comes up with for the iPad 2.
Click here to get the modulR case and related products from the manufacturer’s website.