Spin, bend, drop, type: Logitech unveils quartet of iPad cases (hands-on)
Logitech's Hinge, Turnaround, Big Bang and Ultrathin keyboard cover cases are on the way this spring. I tried two of them over the weekend.
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
I'll admit I have a soft spot for Logitech: its keyboard accessories are among the best out there, and I've always found their build quality to be excellent.
Logitech has announced four new cases today, and they're all focused on specifically practical functions. I've been trying two of them for the past few days on an iPad Air .
The Logitech Hinge (pictured above) is a flexible adjustable-angle iPad case. No big surprise there, except the Hinge can bend and hold any angle along a 50-degree range of movement (15 to 65 degrees) thanks to its flexy-bend back hinge.
I tried opening the iPad Air Hinge case up to a variety of upright, nearly full-recline and mid-range angles, and it worked well for all. The plastic-backed, fabric-front-covered design has an attractive look, but makes an Air a little thicker and heavier than using Apple's own leather Smart Case.
Magnets in the lid auto-wake the iPad, and the hinge on the back stays closed when in folio mode, avoiding any weird flip-open moments when using the case to read -- a problem I've had with other flexible cases. Logitech claims the case is more spill- and drop-resistant than normal cases, for a little extra protection. The Hinge is $59.99 (£54.99 in the UK, including tax) for the Air version, or $49.99 (£49.99) for the iPad Mini or Retina Mini versions. I like this one a lot.
The Logitech Turnaround offers up a rotational hinge to flip the iPad to landscape or portrait mode while still in the case. I've seen this trick before on other iPad cases, including some great ones by Targus, but Logitech's does it well. The case has a thicker overall feel than the Hinge, with a sleek brushed-nylon material on the outside that gives it the feel of some sort of executive attache when folded up shut.
The case stands sturdily and supports a couple of angles, and in portrait mode the case did a fine job... even if it ends up looking a little less elegant on a desk. Die-hard portrait-mode users, take note: this could replace a deskside swivel stand. The Turnaround costs $59.99 for the Air or $49.99 for Mini or Retina Mini versions, too (both are £44.99 in the UK).
The Big Bang, which I didn't try, is an extra-rugged iPad case with additional impact resistance: its shock-absorbent slim case has been drop-tested by Logitech up to 1.4 meters. I'll make sure to knock it off some desks when I check one out. It's a basic slim folio case otherwise, in multiple colors and with five different viewing angles. Also available for the iPad Air and both iPad Minis, its extra protection will cost you a pretty penny: $99.99 (£79.99) for the Air, or $79.99 (£69.99) for the Mini versions.
Finally, Logitech is updating its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover to be thinner, and have multiple viewing angles -- something other cases had, but the Ultrathin lacked. The cover case will be 6.5mm thick, just two-thirds of the thickness of the iPad Air. The new Cover costs $99 (£90) for the Air version, or $89 (£70) for the Mini versions. It'll be released in Europe, the UK and the US in May. The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is my favorite thin iPad keyboard accessory, so I'm pretty excited about this news. Stay tuned for a review update when I get one.
The Hinge and Turnaround will be available in the UK and Europe in April and the US in May, and the Big Bang will be available in May in both regions.