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iPad 2 Melkco Leather case - Slimme (Vintage Black) review
- Thread starter xStatiCa
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I've bought and tried several cases for the iPad 2. Now my search is done and I have a favorite. The Melkco Slimme Matte LC cases are superb. I prefer this to the other cases I bought (Vaja Libretto, Maroo Kumara II, STM Stehen, Rivet Folio, and Toblino 2).
What I like:
1) Very slim. The case really maintains the slim profile of the iPad 2. It feels like you are reading a magazine as opposed to a book. It is substantially slimmer than the Maroo case and the Vaja Libretto.
2) Very light. My briefcase feels a lot lighter. This is the second lightest of the cases I tried.
3) High quality leather. The matte black LC leather looks and feels excellent. It has a nice grain, contrast stitching, and a soft feel. Not as good as the Vaja leather, but definitely much better than 95% of other leather cases. Also I tried the Melkco Vintage leather cases, and found the smooth glossy finish of the vintage leather to look and feel cheap compared with the matte leather cases - so I recommend these. You can see if you compare my photos with the original poster.
4) Stable in stand position. Unlike the Apple smartcover, this one is pretty stable in the stand position. I have no worries about using it on a plane in turbulence. I was originally concerned about this, but they have got the angle right. It is very stable.
5) Good seller on Amazon. I returned the vintage blue leather case and got the matte black case, and the seller was very supportive and helpful. They also have a fair return policy as far as I can tell.
What could be better:
1) Interior lining is not as good as the Vaja or Maroo linings. The lining is a little short of what I would expect on a $100 case. The lining is soft and more plush than the cheap felt linings on most $40 cases, but it is not suede like. I also don't like the orange color.
2) More color choices on Amazon. I really wanted the matte dark blue leather but he doesn't stock it.
3) Occasional magnet issue. If the cover is folded back and wiggled around it can switch off the screen. This is not an issue if you fold it back and hold it firm, only if you move the cover around. Vaja has the same issue. I find it tolerable.
Pictures
What I like:
1) Very slim. The case really maintains the slim profile of the iPad 2. It feels like you are reading a magazine as opposed to a book. It is substantially slimmer than the Maroo case and the Vaja Libretto.
2) Very light. My briefcase feels a lot lighter. This is the second lightest of the cases I tried.
3) High quality leather. The matte black LC leather looks and feels excellent. It has a nice grain, contrast stitching, and a soft feel. Not as good as the Vaja leather, but definitely much better than 95% of other leather cases. Also I tried the Melkco Vintage leather cases, and found the smooth glossy finish of the vintage leather to look and feel cheap compared with the matte leather cases - so I recommend these. You can see if you compare my photos with the original poster.
4) Stable in stand position. Unlike the Apple smartcover, this one is pretty stable in the stand position. I have no worries about using it on a plane in turbulence. I was originally concerned about this, but they have got the angle right. It is very stable.
5) Good seller on Amazon. I returned the vintage blue leather case and got the matte black case, and the seller was very supportive and helpful. They also have a fair return policy as far as I can tell.
What could be better:
1) Interior lining is not as good as the Vaja or Maroo linings. The lining is a little short of what I would expect on a $100 case. The lining is soft and more plush than the cheap felt linings on most $40 cases, but it is not suede like. I also don't like the orange color.
2) More color choices on Amazon. I really wanted the matte dark blue leather but he doesn't stock it.
3) Occasional magnet issue. If the cover is folded back and wiggled around it can switch off the screen. This is not an issue if you fold it back and hold it firm, only if you move the cover around. Vaja has the same issue. I find it tolerable.
Pictures
just wondering how the pink color is holding up it seems kinda like a stain magnet, but it;s so pretty would live some feedback
That is a very nice looking case. I finally decided on a invisible shield on the back and am using a smart cover on the front. Just ordered a Grove smart cover in brown so we'll see how it works out.
Just curious, what case(s) are you using now and why did you switch from the Melkco Slimme? Was it the power issue?
The biggest decision in switching to a different case for my ipad 2 was the cover causing the ipad to go to sleep under a certain position explained in post 12 here. Depending on how you use the case it might not be an issue:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12668425/
The only other thing that really bothered me with the case was that when the cover was flipped back the edges dug into my hands a little and sometimes made my hands uncomfortable because of it. Not a big issue but something that made it easier for me to switch cases because of the bigger issue for me with the sleep above. The official smartcover can do the same thing but the official smartcover is softer.
Even today I still wish I had the case though. It was a beautiful and relatively slim real leather case. It is a very impressive case to look at. I now have an ipad 3 though and they don't make that specific case for the ipad 3. Their newer cases have an addition layer of leather on the back which I don't really like. I want it slim like the version I had for the ipad 2. I was disappointed to not see the same case for the ipad 3.
If they were to make a new case for the ipad 3 just like the one that I reviewed with a magnet fix I would buy one again for sure.
They do make one case for the ipad 3 that I would be interested in though. The extra leather on the back serves a purpose as a pouch to put things in but no resellers carry it yet and retail is way outside what I would spend for a case at $240 !
http://www.melkco.com/scripts/main/viewitem-APNIPALCSC4BNTV-NIPA.html
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12668425/
The only other thing that really bothered me with the case was that when the cover was flipped back the edges dug into my hands a little and sometimes made my hands uncomfortable because of it. Not a big issue but something that made it easier for me to switch cases because of the bigger issue for me with the sleep above. The official smartcover can do the same thing but the official smartcover is softer.
Even today I still wish I had the case though. It was a beautiful and relatively slim real leather case. It is a very impressive case to look at. I now have an ipad 3 though and they don't make that specific case for the ipad 3. Their newer cases have an addition layer of leather on the back which I don't really like. I want it slim like the version I had for the ipad 2. I was disappointed to not see the same case for the ipad 3.
If they were to make a new case for the ipad 3 just like the one that I reviewed with a magnet fix I would buy one again for sure.
They do make one case for the ipad 3 that I would be interested in though. The extra leather on the back serves a purpose as a pouch to put things in but no resellers carry it yet and retail is way outside what I would spend for a case at $240 !
http://www.melkco.com/scripts/main/viewitem-APNIPALCSC4BNTV-NIPA.html
I don't like this extra leather either, I wish they would make the slimme version like the one for iPad 2 which is really cool. As for the prices on their website, don't bother. I noticed they publish some odd prices there but in retail they are much cheaper.
Love these cases but way too expensive for my taste. I would have bit at between 40-50 but I don't think i'll go higher for a case.
Thanks for posting though. Great review. Nice pics.
Thanks for posting though. Great review. Nice pics.
It is discounted here in Singapore from approx. US$80 to US$40, so I am sure you should find similar prices on your local market. Just keep in mind it is for iPad 2 and no one tested it on iPad 3.
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The cheapest I found the first case for was 95 on amazon.com. I'll keep a look out for it though. Thanks.
I'm looking for an iPad 3 case too. Since your preferences seem similar to mine, what case(s) do you have for your iPad3 and/or what cases are you considering looking at. I'm lost at the moment trying to settle on something that is slim yet protective.
I think you need to wait a bit for thin iPad 3 protection options.
For now the best solution I see is Joy Smartsuit3 transparent back cover + apple smart cover and in case of moving the iPad around, protective sleeve.