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I’m not typically one for cases on my gear. I don’t baby my equipment, I tend to view my cameras as tools and not precious keepsakes. I find cases to be heavy, awkward, and consistently in the way. That having been said, I’m reasonably careful with my gear as well and can count on a few fingers the number of times that a case would have saved something from disaster. But then something happened a few years back, my wife and I started to have kids. As a result, I started to worry about my gear a bit more and started thinking of ways I might protect some of it a bit more. I think the last straw was when I saw my toddler attempting to use me ipad as a skateboard. It was time to start thinking about cases. When you think about tough mobile device cases, only one company should come to mind, Otterbox. Their Defender series of cases has proven itself time and time again as excellent tough protection for mobile devices.
How it Works
Here’s what Otterbox has to say about the Defender series of cases:
"Drop-proof your magical, new must-have gadget with the OtterBox Defender Series for Apple® iPadâ¢! This cutting-edge case incorporates three layers of hardcore protection plus some advanced features. Stowing your iPad away for the night or for your commute? Simply remove the back polycarbonate cover and snap it over the face for ultimate touch screen protection.
The built-in stand will come in handy while trying to watch a movie or video, and creates a comfortable browsing experience. When using your iPad on a flat surface, the silicone grip pads on the bottom will hold your device securely in place. Take your iPad everywhere you go knowing that it is safe from the occasional drop, bump and/or scratch."
The Otterbox defender is a hard plastic inner case surrounded by soft silicone padding. There is a sliding port door that allows access to the sync port and even allows use of the iPad dock. The defender also has a clip-on cover that can be used as extra protection when clipped on the front, stored when clipped on the back, or removed entirely. This cover also has a built-in fold-out stand for the ipad. The Defender comes in a couple different colors (blue/white, pink/black, and black), but I think for most photographers the standard black will be the best choice. As a small added touch, the Otterbox people also include a screen protector and a microfiber cloth.
Getting the iPad into the Otterbox defender was a bit more of a challenge than it probably should have been. I’m a pretty clever guy who has assembled far more than his share of various kinds of products. For some reason Otterbox decided not to include written instructions for installing the case. Instead opting for a set of icons that illustrate the steps needed. But to be honest, I found them somewhat confusing and unhelpful. That having been said, installation is hardly an impossible task. I fiddled with it for 5-10 minutes and had it all together. Not a huge deal, but it would have been easier with better instructions.
The Defender is a tough case. You get the impression that your iPad is now encased in a little suit of armor. Really, I don’t know that I’ve seen a case that gives as much protection as this one does. I no longer fear my clumsy children using the ipad. However, protection comes at a price, and that price is weight/size. No longer is your iPad the svelte beautifully designed piece of hardware that it was when you spotted it in the Apple store. Thicker and heavier, you really notice the difference when trying to do something like hold the iPad above your head to read when lying in bed at night. Both weight and thickness can be reduced by unclipping the cover/stand unit and leaving it home. The only issue with that plan is that you are absolutely going to wish you had that cover/stand at some point. As it is very useful both as added protection and as a stand. So I tend to leave the cover clipped to the back of the iPad and just deal with the extra weight. After all, it’s better than having your $500 toy be used as a toddler skateboard, right?
The sync port door isn’t the easiest thing to take off, but then again, you have no fear of it falling off when it shouldn’t. All the ipad’s buttons are accessible and the headphone jack is covered with a little folding piece of silicone. I would say that, while it isn’t quite as easy to use the ipad with the Defender case on, it’s really not all that much harder. After a day or two of using it, I hardly noticed the difference any more. The Otterbox Defender is now also available for the iPad 2 (this article was written about the original iPad version) as well as being available for most all versions of iphone and ipod touch.
Overall, if you are looking for a case that offers maximum protection for your iPad, I highly recommend the Otterbox Defender. It delivers exactly what it promises, albeit with a bit of a weight/size gain. But that’s the kind of tradeoff you have to make if you want real protection for your mobile device. If you want something more stylish, there are any number of iPad case manufacturers who would love to sell you something. But for my money, and this is MY money we’re talking about here Photo.net doesn’t give me free iPads, I’m keeping the Defender on my iPad and leaving the trendy faux-moleskin cases to the people without butterfingers or sticky toddlers.
UPDATE: I don’t typically update these Gizmos & Gadgets articles. But after watching my kids beat on my iPad for a few weeks and seeing how well the Otterbox Defender protects it, I really have to reiterate once again just how tough of a case this is. I can’t recommend it highly enough for someone who needs to protect their iPad.
Bottom Line
Pros
Excellent protection, reasonably priced, stand/cover very handy, included screen protector
Cons
Increases weight and size of iPad, somewhat annoying installation due to lack of clear instructions
Just a few days back, while getting off my car, my friend dropped his brand new iPad 2. It hit the ground with the upper left corner and a chunk of it just disappeared.
I have been using my iPad for almost a year and I carry it everywhere. After seeing what happened to my friend I started to think about getting a better case for mine. Then I came across your review and I hadn't seen any case like this here in Japan. Right away I started to look for it and found it on Amazon (Japan) and I ordered it together with one for my iPhone 4.
It arrived yesterday..... Well, getting the iPhone and iPad into the case was not a problem at all..... I think it was pretty easy.
Just one thing..... you forgot to say that the case is REALLY heavy.... I mean, IT IS HEAVY!!!
But the truth is, I am very happy with it.....
Thank you for the review. Cheers!
Great protection, but... it is impossible to use the standard headphones as the plug will not do through the square opening in Otterbox case. ended up cutting the plastic by knife and filing off metal ground on the headphones plug. How they did not see this?
it is impossible to use the standard headphones as the plug will not do through the square opening in Otterbox case. ended up cutting the plastic by knife and filing off metal ground on the headphones plug. How they did not see this?
I think that's really going to depend on the headphones you use. I have no fit issues with the ones I use and have not had to cut anything.
I have an Otterbox on my iPhone 4. I have dropped it on marble, terrazo, concrete and ceramic tile floors from more or less waist height at least four times. The phone functions normally. If Otterbox made a product big enough for my car, I think I'd buy it.
Copel Marcus
ibought one it did not fit well on ipad2, so i got the twelve south book book for ipad 2, which is great -- i have one for my mac book pro 17in too both fit and protect well
, June 01, 2011; 09:37 P.M. 
