$14.99 + shipping from CimoUSA.com or even less on eBay at the CimoUSA Store
If you read my review of the DODOcase for iPad or my blog, you already know that I specifically wanted two types of cases for my iPad – one that was fairly protective and capable of camouflaging it for use in public and another for in-home use that offered some protection and additional grip. Well, the DODOcase fit the bill for the first type and the Cimo Silicone Skin works for the latter. I found it on eBay for $16.95 bundled with a screen protector and free shipping. Cimo currently offers the case alone for $14.95 + shipping.
Here's my video overview of this case to supplement this written review:
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Materials
The case is a single piece of silicone. It has a matte finish that easily picks up dust and dog fur, unfortunately. It doesn't feel exceptionally sticky in the hand but it does offer significantly more grip than the iPad's naked aluminum back. I don't know about you, but I am absolutely terrified of dropping my iPad and this case helps my mental well-being in this regard quite a bit.
Access
Before I talk about the access this case offers when using the
iPad, I want to note that I ordered this case on April 9, just 6
days after the release of the iPad in the U.S. and I'm certain that
Cimo started making these cases before having an iPad in
hand.
With that said, the cut-outs are not "perfect" as described in the
eBay auction through which I purchased the case. They're not
terrible but they're definitely not perfect. On the top, the
cut-out for the headphone port is okay and I have no trouble
plugging in headphones (the Apple In-Ear headphones are what I use
most of the time). The cut-out for the microphone obscures it
partially.
On the right side, the cut-out for the
screen orientation lock switch is not aligned correctly and is also
small enough to make toggling the switch a minor struggle.
Both the volume buttons and the sleep/wake buttons don't have
cut-outs, only raised sections in the silicone so you can find them
by feel and they match up well with the actual buttons.
On the bottom, the cut-out for the dock
connector is well-aligned but it is a little too narrow to easily
fit in the USB cord and I frequently need to pull it away a little
to ensure the plug is fully seated. The cut-out for the speaker is
a good quarter inch too far to the right and covers a little of the
left-most speaker grill.
The case wraps the front of the iPad to
cover about 1/2 inch of the screen's border. This doesn't obscure
the viewable area of the screen at all. I don't mind this much
wrap-around at all but I will say that if you pick up the iPad with
one hand and put your thumb on this wrap-around portion, it has a
tendency to slip away from the screen (see my video above for a
demonstration of this) and I'd almost prefer less wrap-around or
even more to prevent this slippage sometimes, though it's not a
deal-breaker for me.
The wrap-around portion has a small
crescent-shaped cut-out to avoid obscuring the bottom of the home
button.
Using the
case
At home, I find I use my iPad a lot. It goes everywhere with me and
has pretty much replaced my iPhone as my instant
web-surfing-email-Twitter-Googling-iPod-video-watching tool of
choice. In fact, it's gotten so bad that I sometimes forget where
my iPhone is and wander around a little until I spot it (I've even
called it once to find out where I left it – I never thought I'd
see that day). With that said, the Cimo silicone case works very
well for me at home. It gives me the additional grip and protection
I wanted and while the cut-outs aren't perfect, they don't drive me
nuts enough to want to return or or even try to exchange the
case.
It lacks any built-in stand, of course, to make viewing videos or
typing on the iPad a little easier. However, I've found that the
case provides enough friction that I can prop the iPad up against
something else to watch a video and it won't slide. In fact, I do
this often in the kitchen as I cook and clean up and my iPad
doesn't budge when propped up against a cookie jar on the granite
counter top.
That extra grip also helps on our elliptical machine as well and I
don't worry about my iPad sliding around when propped on the little
ledge made to accommodate a book or magazine.
Conclusion
The Cimo case is definitely not perfect but it's quite serviceable
and I'm relatively happy with my purchase. I am cutting them a
little slack here since they probably didn't have an iPad when
making their first batch of these cases. However, I was curious to
know if they did make any changes to address the issues with the
cut-out after getting their hands on an iPad so I emailed them.
They responded very quickly to let me know that they have indeed
modified the case (though not in response to concerns like mine,
however) and that all cut-outs are now larger. I don't think that
anyone who orders this new version of the case now will have the
same problems with the cut-out as I did with my early version of
this case.
For $16.95 with a free screen protector and shipping, I feel like
the Cimo Silicone Gel case was a very good value overall. If you
want a basic silicone case for your iPad without any frills or even
any branding, the Cimo one will be perfect for you. I currently see
this case for sale in their eBay store, Cimo Cases, for
as low as $9 with free shipping (no screen protector is included)
in a variety of colors, and bundles with the case and a screen
protector are $15 with free shipping.
This case came with a screen protector but I'm not reviewing it
because I didn't receive the right one. I had selected an
anti-glare protector but received their glossy one instead. Cimo
was very prompt in addressing this – they responded quickly to my
email and promptly gave me a partial refund. I really don't like
glossy screen protectors anymore and had never intended to get one
for my iPad and it wouldn't be fair of me to review theirs in light
of this, though they did provide very good customer service when
they learned I had received the wrong type of screen
protector.
DISCLOSURE: I paid for this case with my own money – it was
not provided to me as a review unit.
Related
reviews:
DODOcase for iPad
Brando Anti-Glare Screen Protector for iPad (coming soon!)