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Best iPad 3 cases and covers

Looking for a new case or cover for the third-generation iPad? Here are CNET's top picks.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
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David Carnoy
2 min read
STM's excellent Grip case is slim yet functional. STM

The new iPad -- or the iPad 3, as I incorrectly like to call it -- has been out for a while, but the new cases keep on coming.

If you've already seen an older version of this list, I apologize, but the good news is that it's been updated.

As most people know, Apple barely changed the design of the third-generation iPad and a lot of existing iPad 2 cases fit the iPad 3. While a few of those iPad 2 models are represented in this round of top cases and covers, I did my best to include plenty of new models, as many accessory makers have refreshed their lines in the last few months.

Click any image to see cases (products are listed alphabetically).

Best iPad 3 cases and covers (photos)

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A few notes. First, the majority of iPad cases shown here are compatible with the iPad 2 (the iPad 2 is a millimeter or so thinner). Second, while Apple's Smart Cover also works just fine with the new iPad, I've avoided including any back-only covers that are designed to be paired with the Smart Cover. Several companies, including Speck, Belkin, Incipio, STM, and Joy Factory, make nice, slim back-only covers, and they're all fairly similar. My suggestion: get one that has a piece of metal on the back so the Smart Cover magnetically adheres to it when you have it folded back from the screen.

Of course, this roundup only represents a fraction of the cases available for the new iPad. If you think we missed a good cover -- or just have a favorite among the ones shown -- feel free to post a comment. I'll continue to update this list until, well, the iPad 4 comes out.

Editors' note: This was originally published March 12, 2012, and was updated August 3, with five new cases from Boxwave, Moshi, Sena (two cases), and Xhibt.