M-Edge Flip Jacket for iPad Review

The Gadgeteer has reviewed several M-Edge cases and covers for a variety of ebook readers in the past year or so.  I recently have enjoyed trying out three M-Edge accessories for the iPad.  I have reviewed the Slip Sleeve envelope-style case and the FlexStand in separate reviews.  I’ll be discussing the Flip Jacket in this review.  (All images are clickable for a larger view.) 

The Flip Jacket is made of ScotchGuard-treated canvas with a leather spine.  The Flip Jacket is hinged at the top and opens like a steno pad.  I received the Flip Jacket in magenta with a lime green elastic strap to hold the jacket closed.  Right now, the M-Edge web site is only showing that black with taupe elastic is available.  However, M-Edge offers the Flip Jacket for other devices in a variety of colors, so I assume that other colors will soon be available for the iPad.  The leather spine is very supple and has a slight sheen.  It has a smooth, camel-colored surface on both sides.  There is no raw side to this leather, so I assume that two pieces have been joined raw-sides together to make the spine.  The front and back panels have a stiffener inside with a slight padding under the canvas.  The elastic strap is attached to the back of the Flip Jacket with a small rectangle of the same leather used for the spine.  The rectangle is branded with the M-Edge name.  There is no other branding on the exterior. 

The interior is covered in a beige fabric with a suede-like texture.  There is a small Tyvek label bearing the M-Edge name, but it will be covered when the iPad is in the case.  The iPad is held in position by two camel-colored leather straps at the bottom edge and two lime elastic and leather straps at the top two corners.  The iPad feels very securely held by these straps.  Most controls, connectors, and the speakers are completely accessible in the case.  However, the screen-lock switch is covered by one of the elastic straps.  I had to slip that strap off the iPad to be able to use the screen lock.  I didn’t find that to be a problem, because I always keep my iPad locked in the horizontal position.  You may find it more of a problem if you use the switch frequently. 

The leather hinge is very supple, and you can bend the front completely around to the back.  You flip the elastic closure around and use it to hold the front cover in place.  There’s a wide elastic band sewn along the length of the front interior.  M-Edge says this “ergonomic elastic hand strap on the front interior allows users comfortable and stable use of the iPad’s touch screen.”   I found that I would usually slip my hand under the hand strap and wrap my fingers around the closure strap.  That felt more stable to me than just putting my hand under the wide strap, which felt a bit too stretchy and loose when used alone.  There are two elastic tabs sewn over the interior of the leather spine.  These are used to corral your headphone cable.  

I tried using the Flip Jacket as a stand for the iPad, but it didn’t work for me.  When the elastic strap is in place, the case is virtually flat.  It doesn’t form a tent-like shape that would offer some stability to stand the iPad.  With the front folded back without using the closure strap, the case would just slide flat instead of acting as a stand.  This was true when I tried using it in the horizontal or vertical position. 

I found the M-Edge Flip Jacket to be well-made, as is true of every case I’d tried from M-Edge.  The case extends just a bit beyond the iPad, so the edges and corners of the iPad are protected.  The jacket weighs 9.4 oz, so it does take the iPad over two pounds.  The M-Edge Flip Jacket will make a great case for anyone who needs a simple case that offers some screen protection.  And hey, if you need a stand, you can easily pop the iPad out of the Flip Jacket and into the M-Edge FlexStand!