Review: Moshi’s Concerti for iPad mini offers stylish, if somewhat boring, protection

If you’re looking for a slim, minimalist folio-style case with a built-in stand, you may want to check out Moshi’s $45 Concerti for the iPad mini. The Concerti is a pretty, soft-to-the-touch case that protects your mini’s screen and back, and also lets you position the mini at multiple angles in landscape orientation.

The outside of the Concerti is made with Moshi’s special “Terahedron microfiber” material, which feels and acts a lot like suede. The front of the Concerti has a small, metal Moshi logo, and the case is held closed with a thick gray strap. The Concerti comes in just one color: falcon gray.

The Concerti is a little different from other folio-style cases in that it opens from left to right, which feels a bit backwards. This design choice was probably made to allow the inner part of the case to bend back and allow access to the back camera, but it is a little disconcerting at first. The cover has a magnet installed to take advantage of the iPad mini’s magnetic Sleep/Wake feature.

When you open the Concerti, you’ll find a slim, black silicone shell that holds your mini in place. The shell is thin and flexible, which makes it easy to put on and take off of the iPad. The shell is only attached to the Concerti’s hard cover on the left side, so you can bend back the cover and use the mini’s rear-facing camera (though this is a bit awkward). The case leaves access to all ports: there are cutouts for the back camera, orientation-lock/mute switch, headphone jack, microphone, speakers, and Lightning port; there are press-through rubber button overlays for the Sleep/Wake and volume buttons.

The case also has a built-in stand feature. Just bend the shell back from the case (as if you were going to use the camera) and you can set the mini at any angle in landscape orientation along the inner cover. The silicone shell sits comfortably on any part of the suede-like cover, without slipping. The stand only works for supporting the mini in landscape orientation—there are no portrait orientation stand options.

Bottom line

Overall, Moshi’s Concerti for the iPad mini is a good-looking case. It’s all gray and black, which can be very elegant (or very boring, depending on your style), and the suede-like exterior is luxurious-looking, if a bit prone to collecting dust. The Concerti is thicker and clunkier than Moshi’s VersaCover, but it also offers much more protection thanks to the thick front and back covers. My only real issue with the Concerti is that it’s a little awkward at first, with the left-side opening and the bending back to use the camera, but you do get used to the design the more you use it.