Cyber Acoustics IC-1000BK iPad case stand review

The interesting thing about the iPad is that so many people use it in so many different ways, that there are a myriad of different case designs available. For us, we like a case that doubles as both a low stand for typing, and an upright stand for viewing video content. That’s why we generally liked the Apple iPad Case (see our Apple iPad Case video review) that the company released alongside their tablet. The folks over at Cyber Acoustics thought they could improve upon Apple’s take on the case stand with their iCover Leather iPad Cover/Case (IC-1000BK) accessory. It’s leather for starters, which is a nice touch, but is it worth it? Our thoughts after the break.

Okay, so jumping right into the IC-1000BK case stand, right off the bat it’s obvious that it’s more protective than the official Apple first-party offering. It’s not as thin as the Apple case, which really doesn’t seem to be meant as a protective case so much as minimal glass protection with a focus on being a stand. The IC-1000BK is a soft leather material on the outside, and soft felt on the inside. It’s thicker than the Apple Case, and it has a couple of elastic bands on the corners that left you keep it shut. If you drop it, it’s obvious that your iPad will have a better chance of surviving than it would in some of the other case stands out there.

On the inside, the soft felt also wipes your screen with the case is closed. Another nicety is the way that it holds the iPad itself. Rather than fully encasing it or snapping it in on all sides, there are four soft gel-like plastic holders located at each corner of the iPad. Once the iPad is in, it feels sturdy. Even better though, you don’t feel like you might be scratching the body of the device by forcing it into a rigid case, which has been a cause of concern for us in the past.

Now, the other main thing here is that it’s a stand, so we’ve gotta mention that as well. We find that it works well as an upright stand, much better than the Apple Case in fact. The Apple Case easily tips over with minimal force, while the Cyber Acoustics IC-1000BK stays upright easily. However, we did find a bit of frustration every now and then when using it as a low stand for typing on the iPad. It just feels like the part of the case that slips into the notch to turn it into a stand easily slips out after a bit of use, leaving you with a flat surface, and you have to go and reposition it to get back to where you were. The natural expectation with a case stand is that once you set it up as a stand, it should stay that way until you change it yourself.

As far as price goes, the IC-1000BK costs $39.99, which is $1 more than the Apple iPad Case. Based on that information alone, we’d have to recommend it. It’s a good product, and our only issue is that we wished the keyboard stand mode was more solid than it is. You can get one now from Cyber Acoustics.