Powis iCase

Powis’ $60 iCase is a lightweight, leather folio case. To secure your iPad in place, you snap it into the case’s plastic frame, which keeps the case light but is hardly a match for the elegance of the case’s leather exterior. In a strange bit of design, a small part of the frame slides off to allow you to store a screen-cleaning cloth—but it’s more likely that you’ll just lose the plastic piece (and the cloth, too).

The iCase is quite functional, as integrated into the back cover is an adjustable plastic kickstand that allows you to prop up the iPad in either portrait or landscape orientations. (None of the angles is really ideal for typing, however.) The kickstand feels solid, rather than rickety, and you can keep the case closed with a thick elastic band. On the other hand, the opening for the iPad’s headphone jack is small enough that it blocks larger plugs found on some third-party headphones.

The iCase is available in various cover styles (including some special types of leather that add as much as $20 to the price). I didn’t particularly like the look of the black-leather covers, which are shiny rather than matte, but if you’re particularly style conscious, the major issue with the iCase is how it mixes plastic (on the back and interior) with leather. The result is a case that’s functional but less attractive than one might hope.