SwitchEasy Cases: CoverBuddy™, Pelle™ & CARA™ for iPad Mini [REVIEW]

A couple of months back, we reviewed three of the best iPhone 5 cases from SwitchEasy and loved every one of them. Today, we’ll be looking at three iPad mini cases from the same company — CoverBuddy™, Pelle™ and CARA™, each having a unique set of features and brilliant aesthetics.

SwitchEasy CoverBuddy™ For iPad Mini

As the name implies, CoverBuddy™ ($19.99) is a snap-on style hard case that has been designed to work seamlessly with the Apple Smart Cover for iPad mini. It is available in 8 different colours, out of which transparent UltraClear and UltraBlack are gloss coated while the opaque Light Grey, Dark Grey, Blue, Pink, Green and Red ones have a durable rubber coating, each matching a Smart Cover of the same colour.

The case comes with a front screen protector, a squeegee, a microfiber cloth and two headphone jack / Lightning port protectors. Installing the ultra thin CoverBuddy™ is as simple as any other snap-on case. Once it is in place, you’ll notice virtually no bulk added to your sleek iPad mini. The scratch-resistant gloss coated case feels really nice in your hands, and quite durable as well with no play whatsoever.

CoverBuddy™ completely covers the iPad mini’s sides and rear, leaving precise cutouts for the headphone jack, mic, camera, speaker grill and the Lightning port. The case also covers the Sleep/Wake and Volume buttons for protection, without any loss in tactility. I don’t have a Smart Cover to try the case with it but I’m sure it will be a seamless experience. Overall, its a solid looking case that sells at a very attractive price and offers more than what one would expect from a snap-on hard case.

SwitchEasy Pelle™ For iPad Mini

Next up is the SwitchEasy Pelle™ ($39.99), a unique folio-style case that features a key lock design allowing you to set the viewing angle of the iPad mini with a flick of the lock. It is available in Black, Blue, Red, Pink and Green colours, the last two labelled as special editions embedded with six Swarovski® Elements crystals.

The package contains one Pelle™ case, one front screen protector, a squeegee, a microfiber cloth and two headphone jack / Lightning port protectors. The case’s front is made up of textured polyurethane faux leather, while the rear features a polycarbonate shell covered with matte rubber coating.

What sets the Pelle™ apart from other folio style leather cases is its extremely thin profile and the unique key lock design. I’m yet to come across a thinner, yet tougher folio-style case than this one. The polyurethane faux leather has a very nice feel to it. It is scratch resistant and also very easy to clean. The case also supports iPad’s automatic lock-unlock feature just like the Smart Cover.

Despite its slim profile, the case provides full protection for your iPad mini, all the way to the edges and only has cutouts where required. And when you pull out the key lock, the cover’s lid bends at the hinge turning it into a stand that allows placement in both viewing and typing angles. For me, the case is pretty much ideal. It’s slim, it’s good looking and above all, it’s extremely protective!

SwitchEasy CARA™ For iPad Mini

SwitchEasy CARA™ ($39.99) is my favourite iPad mini case out of these three. Available in Black, White and Red colours, it is a slim folio-style case that features a glossy hexagonal hard plastic front and a soft elastomer material back.

Once again, the CARA™ package contains the case itself, one front screen protector, a squeegee, a microfiber cloth and two headphone jack / Lightning port protectors. The turtle shell resembling front flap is made up of a scratch resistant coated polycarbonate and features a beautiful high gloss polished finish that simply looks amazing.

The side of the cover has a latch to hold the case shut, that works quite well. The back and sides of the case are made up of a soft, texturized rubber material, that extends to the inside the front flap. It is very easy to insert and remove the device, and the fit is precise. All of the ports, speakers, switches, buttons, and camera are aligned properly and are fully accessible. The Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons maintain full tactility.

The case also offers vertical stand system, allowing landscape viewing in multiple angles, thanks to its anti-slip latch. Like the Pelle™ case, this one supports auto on/off feature on iPad mini as well. With the gorgeous feel and look of CARA™ along with its completely secure folio design, I find it hard not it give it my highest recommendation. Get it now!