The Mav is a great case for an iPad (as long as you’re not using it as a laptop alternative)

One of my favorite products of the year (so far) is The Helm case for Mac laptops. It’s made by Andar, which also makes a variety of other nifty products. One is the US$95 Mav case for the iPad.

It’s not as impressive as The Helm, but does offer a gorgeous and protective case for the iPad Air (2020 models only) and iPad Pro (11-inch 2018-2010 models; 12.9-inch, 2018-2020 models). It has a soft rich leather exterior and a protective microfiber interior. The latter prevents scratches to your tablet’s screen when you’r inserting it into or removing it from the case. The magnetic cover with a hidden closure allows your iPad Pro (this feature doesn’t work with the iPad Air) to sleep when closed and wake when opened.

The Mav doesn’t come with a strap. I wish one was offered as an option, as I tend to drop things. Especially if they’re expensive things. There are cutouts that offer quick access to all the tablet’s ports, buttons, sensors, speakers, and, of course, the camera.

The Andar case looks (and smells) fantastic, and is certainly a classy case. I do wish I could rotate it, so that my iPad Pro could be used in horizontal or vertical modes. And, of course, a leather case isn’t going to be as protective as harder materials if you drop your iPad or bang it into something. 

However, the biggest drawback to me is that, as much as I love the Mav, I have to remove it to use accessories such as Apple’s Smart Keyboard or Magic Keyboard.