Luxury iPad Case Review

We do not make a habit of reviewing product purchases, but in this case we have to make an exception. Our MD recently ordered a Piel Frama leather case for his Apple iPad. Upon receipt, we thought there would be many users out there keen to surround their iPad in something as lovely as the device itself.

Our MD had one of the Apple cases to begin with. Unfortunately that proved incredibly prone to picking up and holding on to all forms of grime. Within days it looked horrible. The finish of the case meant that marks showed very easily on it. Fingerprints, anything - it just looked horrid.

So, he started looking online and quickly found Piel Frama, the makers of luxury leather electronic gadget covers. They are based in Spain and make all manner of cases for the Apple iPad, iPhone and a variety of other mobile devices.

At just short of £100, depending on the exchange rate, this is not a cheap thing. However, neither is a £700 iPad. So, he bought their iPad Magnetic Closure case.

It arrived in a promising looking box, finished in a deep orange with the Piel Frama logo on top of it in gold.

Upon opening it he was greeted with a nice paper surround, again with the logo atop it and the case itself was securely wrapped inside with plenty of protective packaging.

The finish is outstanding. Piel Frama claim that these are hand made and we are in no position to argue, because the quality is absolutely top notch.

The design means that it will allow a keyboard angle to be found when laid flat and it stands up in portrait or landscape model without issue.

The tan finish is befitting of a luxury device and the fit and fitment for the iPad is perfect. It slots in without issue, feels very securely held and all the interface and control holes line up superbly.

The inner sleeve is embossed with the Piel Frama logo and you even get your own little chamois leather, not one of those sythentic things, to keep the screen clean.

The magnetic closure model means you get ease of access yet the case lid shuts nice and firm without being obstrusive. The stitching around the case is utterly flawless.

So, if you are in the market for a luxury iPad case, we can only recommend Piel Frama. You might wait a while for delivery because of their hand made manufacturing although you can also pick them up from a handful of UK distributors (although they seem forever out of stock) - but it is something well worth the wait.

Luxury leather cases

The market for luxury leather cases for devices like the Apple iPad is a burgeoning one.

Piel Frama also make them for the new Apple iPhone 4G (and he has ordered one of those so we will let you know if that is as good as the iPad case when it arrives) and there are a lot of other companies offering luxury leather cases and bags nowadays.

At first we were of the mind they were an expensive luxury item. In reality they are very different. There is no denying they are luxury items and are not at the cheap end of the market - but the devices they are used to house are expensive too.

So, in many respects they are a wise investment. The Piel Frama case is stunning in quality and has ample protection (much more than the Apple made case) and padding to keep the iPad safe.

It also smells gorgeous. Not that it matters. But it does!