Snugg iPad mini Case Cover and Flip Stand review

There are plenty of iPad cases on the market.  The trick is to select the best one or at least one that meets your needs. The Snugg has been supplying cases for various devices and I received one for the iPad mini.  I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now, and have formed some impressions.The case I received was in Distressed Brown PU Leather (took me a while to figure out what that was).

Features:

•  iPad mini case in 14 available colors
• Soft nubuck interior + stylus loop and hand-strap.
• Includes sleep/wake battery saving feature.
• Built in stand which has 2 positions.
• Lifetime Guarantee

With the top closed.  There is a leather like pattern stamped in the covering.

The backside.  The flap towards the middle top receives the cover when folded to form a stand.

Here’s how the lid forms a stand.

The stand can be positioned for a more typing friendly view.

The  fit and finish of the Snugg case was very good.  All the cutouts lined up with the cameras, ports and switches on the iPad mini.  The mini was easy enough to slide into the case and a flap with hook and loop kept it secure.  The addition of the loop for a stylus was a nice touch and kept my stylus at the ready. The hand strap made it easy to carry open when needed.  As a matter of fact, I find the Snugg iPad mini case a fine product and its features and benefits make it a good investment except for one thing.  It is NOT made from genuine leather!  It’s mostly plastic or to be more precise,  it is a material made with a split leather backing covered with a layer of polyurethane ( source: Wikipedia).  When I first opened the cellophane bag holding the case, the smell was very off-putting and I thought the PU referred to the odor (it refers to polyurethane).  This odor dissipated over awhile and is no longer a big issue.

Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but when I see an item advertised as being made of leather, I expect that to mean from the hide of an animal.  The Amazon.com title for the case is the most egregious.  It states the case is leather and you have to scroll down to the details to see the addition of the PU in the description.  I guess I was naive to think I could get a genuine leather case for 25 bucks.   Snugg isn’t the only company to take liberties with the term leather.  I’ve also run into something called vegan leather, which for the life of me, I can’t see how those two words can be put together.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive case for your iPad mini, you can’t go wrong with the Snugg.  Will it last as long as a genuine leather case?  Probably not, but then your mini won’t be around forever.  Me, I’m off to look for a real leather case.  I like the feel and richness of the real deal.