Are the "el cheapo" smart covers on eBay any good?

[Denis54]

I would like to get a smart cover for my iPad 2.

I have seen a number of them on sale on eBay under $20. How good are they?

Any specific ones you can recommend?

 

[bobright]

Good question any reputable sellers where they are at least decent?

Not looking to shell out 50 but 10-15 bucks I will....

 

[Natesac]

I have a buddy that got one for his iPad 2 and he considers it a mistake. They might seem well made out of the package, but soon the materials will start to separate. The magnets are not half as strong, which can lead to the iPad slipping off of a table if not careful. I have seen pics online of them just flat out breaking apart.

I let him compare his to my apple smart cover (poly) and the difference was night and day.

I agree that the apple smart covers are a bit pricey, but if you want a smartcover, go with apple. They really are high quality.

I think I like the Poly over the leather. The leather ones seem to get very soft and they can discolor very easily, however if you like the "character" that leather gets over time then go for it. I feel like the poly smart covers stay a little cleaner.

 

[preppy]

Bought one in grey for $7.50 shipped off ebay and wasn't expecting much.....and didn't get much. Quality is obviously subpar...the front feels similar, but the felt on the backside looks and feels like crap. Also, the magnets are a little weaker than the real deal so it detaches a lot easier (use of the Zum smart cover or incipio smart feather alleviates that problem though)....you get what you pay for....

 

[Ecoh]

I think Apple has a 1 year warranty on the cover. If it looks defective after a few months, it will be much easier to get Apple to refund/replace it than it would be to get an eBay seller to refund/replace.