Here’s something that you may or may not know – Apple’s iPad 2 Smart Cover sucks. It sucks bad and it sucks hard. It’s overpriced, of poor build quality, and it doesn’t do a good job as an iPad stand. How do I know all of this? It’s because I dumped my Smart Cover in place of the Snugg iPad 2 case – a far far superior iPad 2 case.

The Snugg iPad 2 ultra thin case is sleek, classy and hardly adds any bulk to the iPad2. This new design is extremely lightweight and created from smooth polyurethane leather to the front and connected with a TPU back cover.

The Snugg can do everything the Smart Cover can do. And it does it all much much better. The Snugg provides back and front protection – compared to the Smart Cover’s flimsy front only protection. The Snugg is made out of stronger and thicker materials making it a sturdier option when used as a stand – my Smart Cover constantly falls over when I used it as a stand. The Snugg also supports the automatic sleep and wake feature that you get from the Smart Cover – you can open or close the cover to wake or sleep your iPad when it’s Snugg’d.

The Snugg is made out of polyurethane leather, and while that isn’t real leather, it really doesn’t matter much. The Snugg is elegantly engineered with materials that make it a strong, sturdy, and professional looking folio iPad case.

The Snugg iPad 2 case also has an exceptional grip. So much in fact, that my Snugg protected iPad 2 doubles up as my mouse matt for my Magic Mouse! This improvised solution also means that I always know where my iPad 2 is and it’s always within touching distance when I’m sat at my desk.

The case leaves all of the iPad 2s buttons and connections exposed, as you would expect, and accessing these connections is not hindered while your iPad 2 wears its Snugg case. However, don’t expect to easily remove the Snugg after you put it on. The Snugg vigorously latches onto your iPad 2 and its plastic grips clip around the four corners of the iPad. I struggled for about 10 minutes to remove the Snugg and in the process (and in no small part to my extra-human strength) I cracked one of the four corners.

The good news is that cracking the case didn’t loosen its grip. The bad news is, well, a cosmetic blemish and a frustrating experience.

The Verdict

The Snugg can be picked up for $35 from Amazon.com or €35 from Amazon.co.uk and given the purchasing dilemma I would pick it every single day of the week over Apple’s Smart Cover which is up to twice the price of the Snugg at $69 for the leather Smart Cover.

If you’re looking for a professional looking iPad 2 case on a budget – get the Snugg.

Rating:

Pros

• Cheaper and better than Apple’s Smart Cover
• Front and back protection
• Strong grip
• Cover can wake/sleep your iPad 2
• Lightweight
• The brown cover is damn sexy
• Professional design

Cons

• Hard to take off (but why would you want to?)