It’s not like we have to tell you how sexy Twelve South products are any more. Everyone drools over them, non-stop. Case in point, busting out my iPad in an Apple Store recently had a couple of their staff drooling over my BookBook iPad case. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t love what they do over there.
If there was ever a company that embraced the concept of giving people a Macgasm, it would be Twelve South. Last week, Susan reviewed their Compass, and pretty much came to the same conclusion I did. These guys keep out doing themselves—they’re the Apple of the gadget accessories world. The BookBook for iPad doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story, but it’s certainly a great way to take your first step into Twelve South’s world.
For a long time now, and most of you frequent readers can attest to this, I’ve been looking for an iPad case that’s either a Moleskin knock off, or looks like a book. I’ve waffled and wavered from one case to another and couldn’t even begin to settle on one, but I’ve settled now. I might even be in love with this case, if that’s possible.
Table of Contents
The Innards
In my opinion, the best way to determine the value of a case is by inspecting the inside of it. Your device is going to be spending the most amount of time in contact with the inside of an iPad case, and if there’s anything remotely suspect about it, you’re best to walk away. The BookBook case has a micro-suede lining on the inside. It’s soft, so you’re not going to be worrying about scratches to your device at all. The iPad slides into two leather feet straps, and then has an elastic that slides over the top to secure it into place. Your iPad is in there tight, and I’ve yet to feel like I’m going to lose it, or have it slip out. Zero worries on that front.
One of the neat features of the BookBook is the system that they employ to turn the case into a stand for your iPad. You have a leather button, and a string. Invert the case and tie the string to the button by wrapping it at the appropriate viewing angle for the device and you have a stand. It’s probably the most innovative way that we’ve seen a company incorporate multiple viewing angles for a stand, and it’s probably one of those things that really sets Twelve South apart from their competition. Attention to detail is everywhere.
You can stand it in a multitude of viewing angles — you can stand it in portrait mode, or landscape mode. You have all your bases covered with the BookBook for the iPad.
The Outside
It looks, and feels like a leather bound book. The title of the book is Book Book, and the author is T.South, pretty funny if you ask us. The case comes in a traditional brown case, and a vibrant red option. Our review model is vibrant red, and it looks absolutely stunning.
Another major perk of this case is that it’s completely enclosed. A zipper slides completely around your iPad to protect it from external forces that might be out to damage your iPad. It’s a perk, but it can also be a bit of a determent—there’s no way to plug in the device, adjust the volume, or lock your screen without having to open it up first. I don’t mind the trade off, but we can see how some people might find it a tad bit annoying. I prefer the safety of not having a beverage spill on my iPad, and the zipper gives me that much more protection against the elements, especially important with winter approaching quickly up here in Canuckistan.
A Suggestion for all case makers
On thing I’ve noticed about all the book-like cases I’ve reviewed is that when holding the case like a traditional book, it feels lopsided to the right, kind of like the moment you open a new mammoth book and delve right into page one. I’m not sure how practical it would be, but levelling out the weight between the left and right side of the case may alleviate the tilt to the right and the awkward feeling while holding the case open. Again, not a deal breaker by far, but certainly something to think about moving forward.
Price and Purchase info
The case falls in line with other “designer” iPad cases, and at $69.99 I’d even go as far as saying that the it provides more bang for your buck. You can get the BookBook directly from Twelve South’s website.
