Yoobao Executive Leather…188g….leather……….kickstand
CaseCrown Bold Standby…..226g….faux leather…kickstand
BearMotion Leather:………..291g….leather ………kickstand
SwitchEasy Canvas:………..392g….”canvas”…….3 grooves

I’ve tested the 4 cases above with an iPad2. Each is a portfolio case. You can find reviews of each online. I found good video reviews of each except Bear.

Three of these are “kickstand” cases. That is, the cover folds back and slips into a notch (the “kickstand”) which holds the cover in a certain way that creates a stand. One case (SwitchEasy) doesn’t use the kickstand but instead has grooves on the inside cover which the side of the case can slide into to create a stand.

All cases had magnets on the cover that turned the iPad on/off. This function worked well with all of them. Also, none of them had any problem with the magnets turning the case off if you flipped the cover around back, as some of other cases do (I had the latest version of the Yoobao, which apparently fixed that problem in an earlier version).

The Bear Motion was my favorite. The review below goes from lightest to heaviest.

YOOBAO EXECUTIVE. A glove for the iPad that was just a bit too flimsy for me.
Pros:
Very light. By far the lightest. It is basically a thin leather glove that goes around the iPad, and then a thin leather portfolio cover. You barely noticed the extra weight/bulk.

Cons:
1. Though made well, I didn’t think it lived up to the vaunted reports of “Yoobao quality” that some other reviewers mentioned. A few of the holes on top were slightly off, and I wasn’t really impressed with the look of the black leather and the off-white stitching.
2. The kickstand worked, but not as well as the other two kickstand cases in this review. Because the Yoobao is so light and thin, the cover would slip out of the kickstand notch sometimes if you were moving it around in your lap or in bed. No problem of course if it was static, like on a table.
3. Most annoying to me, the cover magnets were not strong enough to keep the cover closed if you turned it upside down or just grabbed it to carry it a certain way. In other words, the flap would flap open, turning the thing on and then off again when it flapped closed. It seemed to do this every time I picked it up.
4. It offers only a very thin layer between your iPad and the outside world (not a con for me but perhaps for others). It’s fine for walking into a meeting or putting in your briefcase. But if you were concerned about the iPad getting banged around and wanted serious protection, it’s not the case for you (particularly with the flap issue noted above).

CASECROWN BOLD STANDBY – A well made faux leather case. My runner-up. It is very close in design to the Bear
Pros:
1. least expensive of the lot
2. well made, everything works.
3. second lightest, while giving almost as much protection as the heavier models. Indeed, I would say it’s got the best weight and bulk of the 4.
4. faux leather is actually quite nice. Unless closely inspected, hard to tell it’s not the real thing. It looks smart.

Cons:
1. The volume buttons are just a tad difficult to reach, you have to kind of push your way in there. (The Bear has a bit of this but it’s so slight as not to be an issue.)
2. After handling the Bear leather case, you can kind of tell the CaseCrown is not real leather when it’s in your hands. It’s just something I noticed. You might not.
3. Perhaps because of its lighter weight and bulk, or its build quality, it’s just a bit looser and flimsier than the Bear. This might not sound like much, but over time it started to annoy me. For instance, when you flipped the cover behind the iPad to hold it open, or when you put it in its kickstand to create a stand, the cover had a “looseness” not found in the heavier cases. That is, it would come off its stand, or would flop around a bit, or otherwise just feel a bit loose and cheap. Another minor example is that the cover, while it always worked to turn the iPad off when you closed it, sometimes didn’t line up exactly with the edges of the screen the way it did with all the other cases. These examples may seem minor, and perhaps they are, but as I say, after experiencing the feel of the Bear – the looseness of the CaseCrown started to bug me.

BEAR MOTION LEATHER. A really well made leather case. My first choice. It is very close in design to the CaseCrown.
Pros:
1. To me, had the best overall “Feel”. Fine leather and acceptable weight. The Bear is 100g heavier than the Yoobao, which to my hand felt acceptable. In contrast, the SwitchEasy is 100g heavier than the Bear and, again, to my taste, was just 100g too much – see discussion of SwitchEasy below). The CaseCrown is similar to the Bear but a bit lighter and cheaper (see below)
2. The case was sturdy and offered good protection all around. It of course offered more protection than the Yoobao. It also perhaps had a bit more than CaseCrown (because it was a bit thicker, but they were more or less comparable) and a bit less than SwitchEasy. It was light enough to carry into a meeting but sturdy enough to throw in a knapsack an feel it was secure.
3. The magnets work flawlessly, closed with a “snap” and kept it closed until you wanted to open it. Best magnets of the lot.
4. The stand worked very well. The best of the kickstand cases, probably because, again, the leather was thicker than with the other two and so everything just stayed in place a bit more.

Cons: All these “cons” are very much a matter of personal taste
1. It’s probably about average weight for these things but just slightly heavier than I’d like. If I had my druthers, the weight and thinness of the CaseCrown would be what I wanted, coupled with the quality and sturdiness of the Bear.
2. It’s the least “cool” looking of the 4 cases. It’s just a conservative black leather case, with no real “flash”. SwitchEasy is by far the coolest looking. The Yoobao might also be viewed by some as cool though I personally didn’t like it so much. The CaseCrown and Bear are similar, but CC probably edges out the Bear in that the Bear is a bit thicker and boxier.
3. The leather covers almost all of the black borders of the screen. The other two kickstand cases left a bit more black exposed, which I preferred aesthetically, and the SwitchEasy leaves all of it showing (which, again, looks cool). I couldn’t find anything functionally wrong with this. Although one reviewer mentioned that it might get in the way of certain programs where you had to swipe to the edge of the screen, I didn’t have that experience.

SWITCHEASY CANVAS – A cool, innovative case but for me, a bit too much bulk.
Pros:
1. Exceptionally well made. The strongest and sturdiest of the bunch, probably offering the most protection.
3. The grooves worked well as a stand, though because I use the iPad a lot in bed and on the couch, I think I may prefer the kickstand system, though it really is a matter of taste.
2. To my eye, a very cool looking case, the coolest of the bunch. The “canvas” isn’t canvas but some high tech material. The material and design were top notch. I also loved the way the iPad was held in the plastic shell backing so that – unlike the other three – the whole of the screen was uncovered (black border and all).

Cons:
1. Too heavy. This is of course a matter of taste. I tried it for days and really wanted to prefer it, but in the end the heaviness (and the cover issue discussed below) just started to get to me. As I mentioned above, it’s just 100g heavier than the Bear but that was 100g too much. I’m a strong adult male. I carry around a laptop in my briefcase all the time. But I wanted my iPad light, and this just made it a bit too heavy for me.
2. Too bulky. Related to the above and, as above, a matter of taste. To me, just a bit too much thickness when you were actually holding it and, for instance, folding the flap back around behind it to work with the screen.
3. The cover. The cover has magnets, which worked fine, but it also has a curved extension that bends over the side and kind of clicks it closed. This extension bugged me. It didn’t easily close. You kind of had to push and force it over the side (if you didn’t do this, the magnets wouldn’t connect and turn the thing off, and the cover would not be secured. I suspect it may have worn in over time, but I used it on and off for a week and it was always a bit of a chore to actually open and close the thing. This really got to be annoying, particularly compared to the others that so effortlessly opened and closed.
4. Since it uses a “groove” rather than “kickstand” design, you had to kind of pull part of the iPad off of the back base (where it was held by Velcro) to put it in the grooves and stand it up. Not a big deal but, again, just an added bit of work that the other cases didn’t have. Over time, this annoyed me a bit.
5. I loved the material, but even with the black version that I had, I felt it might start showing stains, hand sweat, etc. over time in ways the leather and faux leather cases wouldn’t. However, I’m not sure of this and so it may be an unfair comment.

SUMMATION:
I ended up taking the BearMotion because of build quality, functionality, hand feel and acceptable weight. I wish it had been slightly lighter and thinner (like the CaseCrown) while keeping its build quality/feel (which was better than the CaseCrown) – and of course if it looked a bit cooler — but I felt for me it was the best of the lot. The CaseCrown was the runner up but ultimately, the feel and quality of the Bear won me over, beating out the slightly lighter, slightly trimmer, slightly cheaper, CaseCrown. The SwitchEasy is a great case, but just too big and bulky for me, and the cover clip bugged me. I didn’t like the Yoobao’s because it’s overall look didn’t work for me and, most importantly, the cover flap came open whenever it was tilted. The lightness was a great asset though and the protection it offered would have been enough for me if other factors had been more appealing.

Hope that helps!

This is a great case. I’m getting really picky with my gadgets and their cases these days.
Here’s what would make it 5 stars:

1. Utlize the auto switch by embedding a 3rd magnet in the cover.

(I did this myself with a couple magnets from the local craft store. 5 bucks and 10 minutes later: Slim magnets placed in top “business card” sized pocket. Auto on/off enabled. *Careful: Magnet too weak and it won’t register. Too strong and you’ll switch off when folding cover all the way open.)

2. Get magnets to keep opened cover folded against itself. This is the main reason why I returned Apples smart cover: It constantly was flapping over when opened.

3. Leather edges that hold ipad in place around the screen should be narrower. Fingers are sometimes inhibited at perimeter.

4. Case could be cut better to grant easier access to volume buttons and mute/rotate switch.

5. Angle of the “laptop” position is too steep. Front cover needs to be adjusted with a different proportioned fold.

Overall, sleek look, protective and functional design. With changes above, next edition of this could have me as a customer at this cost.

Update 5/29/2011: I received the redesigned version of this case. Improvements are immediately noticeable. Cover is compatible with auto on/off. Edges of case are cut to allow easy access to entire screen. iPad much more secure in case. These improvements definitely earn it an extra star. Costumer service cannot be beat. One of the best product companies I have ever dealt with.

I just received the case today, and my initial impression of it is pretty good. I will state my reason for purchasing this particular case had to do with the great reviews for the previous generation Bear Motion case for the iPad2. I wanted something of quality at a decent price, and it had a pretty great rating. Now onto my review…

The case comes packaged in a transparent plastic bag, and one of the first things I noticed were the words: Made in China. (This concerned me a little in terms of quality, but I know most things are these days. I guess it’s one thing it has in common with the iPad.) Upon sliding the plastic bag open like a ziplock bag, I took the product out. It comes in a velvety, felt-like bag and I thought this was a nice little addition to protect the case when traveling, etc. Even the plastic ziplock bag could be reused to hold the case if you wanted to add another layer of protection when on the go.

When I first took the case out of the bag, I noticed a chemical-like smell. I’m guessing this has to do with what the leather was treated with? Now that it has aired out, it has gotten much better. (Not a huge negative, but it was something I did notice.)

In terms of quality, the case I have seems pretty well stitched together and solid. The magnets hold the case shut well, but I do wonder how longterm use will affect the corners on top of the iPad on the inside of the case. (Will they fold up after extended use of the magnets pulling on them? We’ll see…) The stand works as intended and the case feels nice to the touch–it’s not too heavy or bulky. The iPad slips into the left side of the open case and secures with a velcro strip and a fold of leather that slips under the iPad. (My particular velcro strip seems a little loose, so we’ll see how that works out.) I’m sure the case will protect and hold my iPad securely in case of an accidental drop. Thankfully I don’t think I’ll be dropping it as often as my smaller iPhone due to the size, so I don’t believe I’ll need an extreme level of protection like I have on my phone. Also, since the new iPad is almost exactly the same size as the last one, I’m sure it’s going to fit well when I receive it later this week.

My last leather case purchase was for my Kindle, and I spent about $75 on that case. It didn’t take long for that case to “bleed” onto my Kindle, so I was constantly wiping the black streaks off. This case already seems much better than that case, and I’m sure I won’t have the same problem. Plus, the price is much better!

Only time will tell how well this case holds up, but the company’s customer service gives me confidence it will last. A one year unlimited warranty is pretty great, especially if you use the case everyday. I’m sure daily use over the course of a year will be enough to really test it. And even if you don’t like the case or it doesn’t hold up, you have nothing to lose by purchasing it. To me, that’s comforting and what I’m looking for in a product. Even more, looking over the negative reviews, it’s nice to see the company reach out to try and remedy the situation(s). It makes me content in my purchase.

Overall: I’m pleased. It’s definitely worth the price I paid for it, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice leather case without a huge cost. I’m one who doesn’t mind investing in something if it’s going to protect my device, but I also don’t mind saving some $$. If I can do both, I’m happy.

UPDATE 3-18-12: Having used the case for several days now, I have to admit: I really like it. The chemical smell has been replaced with the genuine leather smell now, and I honestly can’t complain with the the way the case holds and fits the iPad and how it feels in my hands. As for the smart cover issue: that is a problem. When I bought the case, that wasn’t really a selling point for me like it has been for other people, so it’s not a big deal for me. Overall: still pleased.

UPDATE 3-26-12: I’ve contacted the seller about the replacement case and will update my review when I receive it. The customer service is really great!

UPDATE 4-3-12: I received the replacement case in no time, but I figured I would hold off on my review until I had time to use the case for a few days. The smart cover feature now works flawlessly, and the case is still just as impressive as the previous version. Again, the customer service is top notch. They respond quickly, are eager to resolve any issue, and best of all: they are extremely friendly. Honestly, other sellers could learn a few things from them. HIGHLY recommended. I’m completely satisfied.

UPDATE 7-17-12: Case is holding up well considering how much it is used and how often I toss my iPad into my bag for work. The edges where the magnets are on the inside still aren’t folding up from opening the case repeatedly (which was a concern for me initially) and the stitching is 100% in tact. No issues whatsoever. Definitely worth the price!

UPDATE 3-18-13: After having this case for over a year now, it is still holding up. The only issue I’ve had is a small one: inside of the case at the bottom, some of leather has frayed. I guess it’s a small issue considering the daily use. Great case!

I hesitated based upon a couple of reviews critiquing it not for having the ability to hold the top, thus creating worries of the iPad slpping out.
I received mine and slipped in the iPad: perfect fit. I was concerned about no security on the top and then noticed a small corner strap on the upper right of the back of the case. Pulled it over the corner of the iPad and now all worries are gone. Holds just fine and can turn upside down and shake with no movement of iPad, plus is easy to remove for apps that require iPad to be out of a case to use (measurement apps).
I would suggest those who downrate thiers take a closer look: the strap they complain about wanting is there.
Price, utility and construction A+

Thanks for reading my review.