Competition in hands-free cases for iPads.

Posted on January 04, 2020 by Strotter Support | 1 Comment

Since we do a lot of research in our field, perhaps we could save you some time. Strotter does not sell cheap iPad cases. We sell the high-end products. But there are numerous companies selling barebones, plastic cases cheap plastic cases claiming to have similar functionality.

This is a typical case from Amazon. Image copied from Zenrich's store.

It seems that there is only one basic design, with minor variations, sold by multiple Chinese sellers on Amazon. We tried some, and they do work. The specific brands we bought were Herize for 11" Pro and Miesherk for 12.9" Pro. There probably hundreds of similar cases on Amazon.

Here are some pictures of the Miesherk case:

Parts of the iPad hands free case. Simple Assembly required.

Packaging. Super-duper do it all case for iPad.

Chinese amazon seller says you are one of the Lucky dogs. Congrats.

Yes. You are one of the Lucky Dogs. You received this lucky card! :))

Our thoughts after trying out the case

Assembly was somewhat difficult, took minutes to get the iPad in place. I am sure with experience it gets better.
The case can be used. The iPad goes in, buttons align and work. (In this case. We bought some other cases where the buttons did not work. So you could not change the volume, or even turn the thing on or off. It usually happens early in the cycle after Apple releases a new model. Everybody rushes to the market with half-baked products).
Strap can be attached to three corners only. This particular case cannot be really worn so that you have both hands free to type. The attachment points are on the back, so that the case flips over under gravity.
The case seems protective.
There is a slot for the Apple Pencil, and it charges when in the slot. However, you cannot carry the Pencil there as it will eventually fall out if you shake the case hard enough.
The rotating handle / stand semi-works in this specific case. it is not stable in the horizontal position, does not hold and collapses. Some other cases we had tried were fine.
The shoulder strap is attached semi-permanently. If you detach it, the "tails" with the buckles are still there hanging off the case. If you totally remove the strap attachments, it takes forever to thread them back in. There are reports on Amazon of the attachment points failing where plastic is cut by the polyester strap string. This Miesherk case has a different attachment hard plastic loops, so I do not think this would be an issue. But watch out for cases where the strap is simply threaded through soft TPU (like the first picture on this blog). To note, Strotter reinforces its attachment points with metal eyelets. Our straps are fully removable, in seconds.
These cases can be worn over the shoulder or on one's neck. However, the screen is not covered with any kind of a flap/cover.
The strap is not quickly adjustable the way Strotter straps are. The case cannot be worn as a backpack.
The frame around the display does not leave much clearance for your fingers but it seemed to work.
The case seems over-engineered having multiple parts. It needs some assembly where pieces snap together. It looks generic and cheap basic. This is a matter of taste, I suppose.

Conclusion:

The tested Miesherk looks Alibaba-like basic. It is somewhat bulky and clumsy, does not offer the same functionality as Strotter cases. However, it is inexpensive and it does protect the iPad and does have a strap.

Are we making cases for 11 and 12.9" 2020 iPad Pro? →

← Amazon's Choice