Years ago, Vaja was THE top shelf manufacturer of handmade leather cases designed to stylishly protect your tech toys. With personal technology now in all facets of our lives, there are definitely more manufacturers producing luxury accessories for our tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc. Even though their lineup of cases, pouches, and bags has only grown over the past decade, Vaja’s quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail remains the same. The Libretto leather case for the iPad Mini is no different, bringing great style and protection to the sleek and slim iPad mini.
The Libretto iPad mini case is perfectly form-fitted for the small tablet. The leather is soft and supple with a very nice ‘pebbled’ texture to it. There are times when I hold it that I marvel at how the case makes the small device feel like an old leather bound novel from many decades ago. The Libretto is a slightly padded folio-style case with the new ‘Animate magnetic closure system’. The front cover has embedded magnets that work with the mini’s sleep function to turn on and off the screen when opened and closed. The back has a cutout for the iPad’s rear facing camera.
The exterior is made of Floater leather, while the inner lining is made of Caterina smooth leather. According to Vaja, the “Floater leather is highly recommended for everyday use since it offers enhanced resistance to wear, soil, and light”. The corners and a majority of the left and right sides wrap around the edges of the iPad. The case snuggly holds the iPad in place, with little to no fear of it popping out.
The right side of the Libretto wraps around the entire length of the iPad mini. The smart cover has a flap that folds over to the back of the case and is held in place by embedded magnets.
The base of the case has a large cutout allowing access to the iPad mini’s Lighting port and speakers.
The smart cover is hinged on the left side of the Libretto case.
The top has a large cutout for the power button, mic, and audio plug.
The Libretto has two landscape positions – a low angle for typing and a vertical position for viewing videos. The metal tipped tab on the back of the case holds the smart cover in place while in stand-mode.
The Libretto is available in five premium color combinations: black, red/black, durango/birch, sun orange/lemon drop, and white. You can also special order a custom color scheme, with 24 exterior and 22 interior colors to mix and match. The premium cases cost $180 and are ready to ship and do not need to be specially made. When you customize your colors, it takes up to 30 days to create and costs $200.
While Julie occasionally dogs me for always requesting black in most of the items I review, Vaja’s all-black Libretto iPad mini case oozes style and professionalism. But no matter which combination you choose, the case adds excellent protection, functionality, style … and nearly half a pound. That is correct, the pair weigh in at just over a pound in addition to doubling the iPad mini’s thickness.
Admittedly, the Libretto costs more than half the price of the base iPad mini, but in this case, it’s well worth the money. From a look, feel, and function standpoint, I can find nothing I would change about this case. The Vaja Libretto case is definitely a luxury accessory for your iPad mini, but in this case, you are getting what you pay for.
Product Information
| Price: | $180 (as reviewed) |
| Manufacturer: | Vaja |
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Nice. Still waiting for a folio that takes an iPad mini on one side and a Rhodia A5 pad on the other. The mini is just a touch larger than A5 so it would work nicely.
@Michael Would this work? http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/01/23/booq-bags-booqpad-mini-ipad-mini-case-review
@Julie. Ah thanks that looks perfect.
Oh so very nice.. I always want the Vaja cases but balk at the ordering intervals! Doh!
@Drew Vaja is going into a joint venture with Case Mate. Case Mate will be managing marketing and distribution from here in the USA and Vaja will be focused on design, development and production.