Review: We Take A Look At Waterfield Designs' iPad Slip Case

by Joe White

March 19, 2014

Company: Waterfield Designs Product: iPad Slip Case (for iPad Air without a Smart Cover) Price: $35 Compatibility: iPad Air (iPad mini version is also available) Website: www.sfbags.com Date: March 19, 2014

There are Smart Covers, Smart Cases, bags, and even keyboard cases for Apple’s iPad Air, but price can sometimes be a barrier stopping owners from purchasing a protective accessory for their tablet.

Waterfield Designs’ “iPad Slip Case,” however, is a less expensive product that promises users a quality, well-made pouch for the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.

At $35 it’s cheaper than most of Waterfield Designs’ other offerings, but even at this price, is the iPad Slip Case worth the cash?

The Product

The iPad Slip Case is available in four varieties for Apple’s current-generation iPads: there’s one for the “naked” iPad Air, one for the Smart Cover-equipped iPad Air, one for the Retina iPad mini, and another for the Smart Cover-equipped iPad mini with Retina display.

For the iPad Air Slip Cases, Waterfield Designs charges $35, and for the iPad mini Slip Cases, the cost is $33.

Considering some of the San Francisco-based company’s other iOS-related accessories are priced as highly as $335, the iPad Slip Case, at one tenth of this cost, is a more affordable and more realistic option for most iPad owners.

As noted above, we tested the iPad Air Slip Case for a tablet that doesn’t have a Smart Cover attached to it.

For your $35, customers get a rather durable pouch that can securely house their iPad. On the outside, the Slip Case features a waterproof material and impact-resistant plastic, and on the inside a soft fleece-like material promises to keep your iPad’s screen safe from scratches.

There’s a tag on the outside towards the bottom of the case, and the stitching is neat and tidy. The product comes in six different colors, too, but the iPad Slip Case isn’t what you’d call aesthetically pleasing. As far as iPad pouches go, this is actually one of the least attractive I’ve seen.

Though clearly functional, the waterproof outer material means Waterfield Designs’ iPad Slip Case is neither pleasing to behold nor pleasant to touch.

What’s important, though, is that the case does a good job of protecting its enclosed iPad. The pouch is padded enough to keep the tablet safe and secure if it happens to be dropped, and there seems to be no chance of your iPad accidentally falling out of the Slip Case, either.

In fact, the iPad Slip Case offers such a tight fit that it’s actually quite difficult to remove the enclosed tablet from the pouch. I’m guessing this is why Waterfield Designs chose to include a fabric tag at the end of the case, but even with this tag, users are going to have to hold pretty tightly onto their iPad in order to remove the case, and this made me more than a little nervous. It also dissuaded me from using the case regularly, since it’s such a chore to remove.

The bottom line is that the iPad Slip Case isn’t the best product we’ve seen launch from Waterfield Designs. It’s a nice attempt to bring a less expensive, more reasonably priced iPad case to their online store, but even at $35, I’d struggle to recommend it.

More recently, I’ve been using a simple ShockSock iPad pouch that I picked up on Amazon for £5.99 (just under $10), and I’ve found this to be a much better option.

What’s Hot

It offers a good level of protection
It comes in six different colors
The material on the interior is soft
The material on the exterior is waterproof
It’s affordable

What’s Not

It’s not a nice-looking pouch
It’s not nice to touch, either
It can be incredibly difficult to remove

Our Advice?

The price might be right – or at least more affordable – but this iPad pouch isn’t something I’d like to use alongside my tablet. It’s a shame, because we’ve enjoyed Waterfield Designs’ products in the past, but this item is sadly not one we’d recommend.