Honestly, I have more iPad cases than I care to admit....Smart Covers, Keyboard Cases, tri-fold cases....ugh. Fortunately, I usually buy them deeply discounted and on sale, so it could be worse. Anyway, I just bought a Speck Folio Case for my iPad 2017. It was $15 at Wallmart. This one offers good protection and can be configured for various typing and viewing angles. This case doesn't have a built-in BT keyboard, so it is pretty light.
I have tried going without case protection, and it just makes me nervous. So, I buy cases for the peace of mind. Of course, I buy too damn many of them.....but, that's my fault...not the cases.