Soft-Tec Ducati Folio for iPad Air review

Summer is upon us and what better way to enjoy the day than to pull out the Ducati and take it for a spin. Now some of you may not be familiar with the smooth clean lines, red and black color scheme as well as the polycarbonate shell and Tech-Grip material used on this Ducati. By now you may have guessed I am not talking about a motorcycle, but what I am talking about is the Soft-Tec Ducati Folio for the iPad Air from Element Case.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

As I have stated before I can be a little over protective of my tech toys, especially my iPad. With my recent upgrade to and iPad Air and with none of my old iPad gear fitting I was in need of some new protection for my new toy. Just so happens that Element Case was looking for someone to review their new Ducati line of cases and the Soft-Tec iPad Air Folio case was just what the doctor ordered.

The Soft-Tec Ducati Folio has the following features as listed on the Element Case website:

• Slim, lightweight design
• Durable Tech-Grip covering
• Plush synthetic suede interior
• Integrated stand for adjustable viewing angle
• Easy access to buttons and jacks
• Designed in California

Basically this is an integrated case cover system that provides protection for your whole iPad. The cover of the folio case is stiff and has a nice texture for gripping plus the Ducati name on it. The cover has a built-in crease designed to fold back allowing it to be used as a viewing stand. The cover wraps all the way around and attaches to the back polycarbonate shell. It has a nice Ducati logo on the back

The inside of the front cover is lined with a red soft felt like material that helps protect your iPad screen.

The back shell of the folio is designed to grip iPad Air. The shell is made of polycarbonate and covered in a soft touch finish (it feels kind of like rubber). The iPad Air fits snuggly in the shell and it has all the appropriate cut-outs for access to the controls and ports. The interior of the shell is coated with the same soft touch finish as the exterior.

As you can see the back of the folio has cut outs for the camera and microphone. The back also feature the Ducati emblem and the Element Case logo. It also has a crease in it to allow it to fold into a viewing stand.

The ride side of the folio has a cut out for the lock switch and the volume up and down buttons.

The top of the Soft-Tech Ducati Folio has cutouts for the on/off button, the headphone jack and the top microphone.

The bottom of the folio has a wide cutout for the speakers and the power cord.

Besides, protecting your iPad Air the Soft-Tec Ducati Folio doubles as a stand. The cover folds behind the folio allowing you to view your iPad in two landscape angles and one portrait angle. The shown high landscape angle is great for reading or viewing movies.

The low landscape angle is great for typing, viewing web pages and playing games.

As you can see the portrait mode for viewing the iPad is basically at 90 degrees. Surprisingly the folio keeps the iPad in pretty stable in this configuration, but I would not recommend it for bumpy trips.

So, whats my bottom line? First, let me say, I was spoiled with my iPad 2. I had the leather Smart Cover and I loved it. That being said and with that cover design not being made for the iPad Air the Soft-Tec Ducati Folio by Element Case is a great alternative. The case adds more than adequate protections for your iPad Air with easy access to all the buttons and ports that you need. At $79.95 the price is competitive with the similar Apple case. Having the Ducati name on it adds an air of distinction to it as well. The only negative thing I can say about the folio, and this is not unique to this one, is the weight. The case is a little heavier than I expected, but that is the trade-off for full protection. The Element Case, Ducati line of cases is also available for the iPhone, iPad Mini and iPads 2, 3 and 4.