By Robert Henny

I have to admit, I love my iPad 2, not only for its functionality but also for its aesthetic appeal.  Simply put, it’s a sexy little thing. It’s what separates Apple’s products from all the imitators.  I have always enjoyed the feeling of pride I get when typing away on my iPad, MacBook Air, MacBook or iPhone; yes, I own and use them all.  Nothing beats watching those poor souls who, for one reason or another (maybe they’re too cheap or too stupid to buy Apple), purchased a competing device and turn green with envy as I unsheathe my works of art.  Apple recognized this with the design of its latest Smart Cover for the iPad 2, a svelte and remarkably thin and functional piece of engineering.  And I love it. 

Beautiful Design

I use it all the time.  I almost cringe at the idea of covering my iPad 2 in a case, especially one that I’m supposed to leave in place.  It reminds me of when I used to go into old people’s homes and they’d cover their furniture with plastic so it wouldn’t get stained.  Great, now you’ve ensured your beautiful couch will remain unblemished, but you’ve also destroyed the reason why you bought it in the first place.  You can still sit on it, but it’s damn ugly now!  Why buy a Ferrari if you’re gonna leave it in a garage and never feel the stares of jealous pedestrians as you rev past a Starbucks?  It’s like asking a supermodel to wear a paper bag down the runway… actually, that is probably happening at a fashion show right now to thunderous applause.

Environmentally Friendly

Okay, by now you get the point.  You’re probably sick of the point: covering the beautiful new iPad 2 in a case seems counterintuitive.  But then along came Temple Bags.  I had heard about the company through the grapevine and was intrigued by their business model.  The Los Angeles based company creates all their canvas and leather bags and cases from vintage military materials and repurposed World War II bags.  It’s a great story and certainly pleasing to the environmentally friendly, but for my money, I still want a great case.  Temple Bags delivers.  I went with the iPad 2 Leather Smart Case, and from the moment I laid eyes and hands on it, I was smitten. 

Protection & Functionality

The thing is beautiful, well crafted, and incredibly lean. Yet it maintains a rigidity perfectly capable of protecting my iPad 2. It’s painstakingly engineered to provide an exact fit for my investment.  It’s no paper bag on a supermodel, this is an evening gown with a matching pair of Manolo Blahniks and it fits like a glove.  Admittedly, I’m a beauty junkie, but you’ve probably already ascertained that.  However, I also demand functionality, and the Temple Bag did not disappoint.  It has a brass eyelet to provide a full range of view from the rear facing camera. And when the case is opened, it provides full access to all the iPad 2’s controls.  Heck, it even somehow manages to turn the thing on and off when you open the cover, a function I heretofore believed was unique to the Smart Cover. 

The magnetic flaps that close the case also function to provide a stand for the iPad 2, almost exactly as the Smart Cover does.  Unlike the Smart Cover, however, all worries about scratching the iPad 2 are out the window.  When the case is closed, it looks like you’re carrying a trusty leather notebook that you’ve used since you first learned to scribble notes.  With it open, well, it’s the iPad 2 inside, and what’s not to love about that?

Summary

The Temple bag may be a bit pricey ($189), but well worth the cost in my humble opinion.  I guess the only problem I have with the case is merely something that hasn’t even happened yet. Leather can change shape so that something that once fit (like a glove) no longer fits.  So far, the leather straps on my case have stretched a little, but the magnetic closure is adjustable so it hasn’t been a problem.  So for now, I’m happy as can be.  I mean, you don’t kick a supermodel out of bed because she may not be as pretty in the future, do you?  Well, I wouldn’t, and I won’t do that to my case.  And as I head out to my next meeting, Leather Smart Case and iPad 2 in hand, I can’t help but think my case is whispering to onlookers, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.  Just appreciate the fact you get to look at me.” 

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Templebags.com