When launching the iPad 2, Steve Jobs put the iPad 2 Smart Cover forward as an elegant solution to the status quo – which is to take something utterly gorgeous (in this case, your iPad) and then swaddle it up in so much protection that you can’t see it anymore. On the other hand, the Smart Cover leaves much of the device visible, whilst adding very little bulk to the tablet.
But there was a reason that people were so keen to protect their iPads: there’s not much point in having something gorgeous if you’re going to let it get bumped around and damaged. That means that there’s one obvious downside to Steve Jobs’ no-so-Smart-Cover: it only protects the front of your iPad, leaving the back exposed to all the scratches and scrapes that daily life can hurl at it. And that’s a pretty big downside, all things considered.
For those who do want fuller protection, manufacturers got straight on the job creating back covers for the iPad 2 that are compatible with iPad 2 Smart Covers.
Since it can often be difficult to tell at first glance which cases are and aren’t compatible, we’ve grouped them all together on the main site on one handy iPad 2 Smart Cover Compatible Cases page.
Here’s a look at a couple of my favourites:
Cool Bananas SmartShell for iPad 2 - Red
Cool Bananas SmartShell for iPad 2
These gorgeous shells are available in a range of colours (black, blue, red, green, clear) and are made from a hard-wearing TPU material that will protect the bits of your iPad that the Smart Cover doesn’t reach. The SmartShells has cutouts for all ports and features, as well as a specifically-designed gap for the magnets in the Smart Cover to attach to – so it won’t interfere with the cool magnetic sleep sensors in the tablet itself.
Easiskins Custom Skin for iPad 2 - Red
Easiskins Custom Skin for iPad 2
I also really like this iPad 2 skin from Easiskins, which comes in an even wider variety of colours (carbon black, matt black, blue, green, red, orange, grey and pink) which are perfectly matched to complement the Smart Cover seamlessly. Like the SmartShell, the CustomSkin is precision cut to perfectly fit the iPad 2 and work in conjunction with the Smart Cover. It also has 3M air channel backing which allows any trapped air to pass through the material, making installation a doddle and giving you a bubble-free finish. As a bonus for brand-fans, the CustomSkin also proudly displays the Apple logo.
Click over to the main website for more iPad 2 protection and other iPad accessories