Select a Case for Your Tablet

German officials use tablet covers with the Bundestag seal.

If you're the proud owner of a tablet computing device, you've spent several hundred dollars on a thin, lightweight, go-anywhere electronic companion. The same attributes that make your tablet easy to tote around also make it vulnerable to scratches and dings. Coddle it in style with an add-on case that protects your investment. You'll find a dizzying array of enclosures for these popular devices, so let your budget and needs dictate your choice.

Added Features

Hand straps make tablets wearable.

Some cases add options and flexibility. Spend $15 to $60 on an open-faced hardshell case with an integrated hand strap to make your tablet wearable. For protection that's drop- and water-resistant to three feet, invest $50 to $85 on a crushproof, foam-lined carry case with an air-pressure valve that keeps out dust and water. For $100, pick a polyurethane or leather case with removable Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard and built-in stand in your choice of 11 colors.

Sleeves

Sleeves offer flexible-to-rigid lightweight protection.

For lightweight, light-duty scratch protection, slide your tablet into a sleeve. At $35 to $40, choose handmade water resistance in reclaimed racing sailcloth, fastened with hook-and-loop material and lined with insulation fabricated from recycled plastic bottles. For $150, jacket your tablet in Korean-War-era water-repellent canvas lined with neoprene and closed with water-resistant zippers.

Wake From Sleep

The iPad 2 Smart Case doubles as a multi-position stand.

Some cases act as "On/Off" switches. At $39 to $69, Apple's iPad 2 Smart Case automatically wakes your iPad when you open the self-aligning magnetic cover. To protect the back of the device, spend $10 for a matching rear cover from another company. For $60, buy a sleep/wake-enabled case built with a polycarbonate hardshell back and flexible thermoplastic polyurethane front. Keep these magnetized covers away from other magnets, however. As Macworld's Jason Snell points out, "I was able to confuse the iPad 2 mightily by running a fridge magnet over its right-hand edge -- the iPad unlocked and re-locked like crazy."

Hardshell Cases

You can charge your tablet with a solar-powered case.

Hard shells offer great protection in exchange for added weight. For $70, sandwich an outer shell of shock-absorbent polymer around an impact-resistant hard plastic middle layer and a silicone interior. For $71 to $97, choose a microsuede-lined cover and louvered stand made in Holland from cherry, oak, walnut or maple and decorated with customized laser engravings. Surround your tablet in a handmade wooden case with integrated stand and latch at $315. At $370, select a rugged machined-aluminum enclosure with built-in stand and drop-resistant polymer inserts that don't block wireless antennas.

Quirky, Clever or Costly

For a quirky turn on the fabric sleeve, drop $250 on one made from disgraced financier Bernie Madoff's pants. For $59 to $105, you can hide an iPad inside a case hand-fabricated from a retired library book or one that's built to look like an old-fashioned composition book. Big spenders can go for an $8 million iPad 2 enclosure faced in 75,000,000-year-old ammolite and adorned with platinum, an 8.5-carat diamond, Tyrannosaurus rex bone and a 24-carat solid-gold back accented with diamonds.

References

• Miniot: Miniot
• Substrata: iPad 2 Gallery
• Stuart Hughes: iPad 2 Gold History Edition
• Otter Box: Shop Cases
• ReAuthored: eReader and Tablet Cases Made From Real Hardback Books!
• Frederick James: About Us: Fashion iPad Covers
• Killspencer: Korean War Era: iPad 2 Case
• Flowfold: Tablet Sleeves
• Portenzo: Compostition for iPad
• Pelican: Pelican 1075 & i1075 HardBack Case Interior Options

Resources

• ZAGG: ZAGGfolio Apple iPad
• Griffin Technology: Folio Stand With Magnetic Closure
• MeeMojo: Style and Protection With Attitude: iPad 2 Cases
• HyperShop: HyperShield Back Cover for iPad 2
• Sleeve360: The Wearable iPad Case
• Ballistic: iPad 2 Ballistic Tough Jacket Series Case
• ZooGue: ZooGue Products
• Macworld: iPad Smart Cover (For iPad 2)
• Tridenteer.com: A Subsidiary of Trident Case
• Lightwedge: E-Reader Covers