$49.95 + shipping from DODOcase.com
If you want a brief overview of the DODOcase to start out, I did a quick first impressions video of it for my blog (that blog post is here):
I first found out about the DODOcase shortly before the iPad was first released in early April. I had already been thinking that I would want two cases for my iPad – a simply silicone case for in-home use and a folio-style case for use when out and about that would offer screen protection and possibly camouflage my iPad a bit. The DODOcase seemed to fit the bill exactly for what I wanted in that second case based on its description as a case meant to mimic the Moleskine notebook look.
I love Moleskine notebooks. I'm not a
fan of bright, flashy colors for things I use in public and I've
always been drawn to these notebooks when I need one that will be
carried in my purse or backpack. The DODOcase looks exactly like a
black Moleskine notebook from the outside and has a bamboo frame on
the inside where the iPad sits, along with foam pieces in the
corner to hold the iPad in place.
Materials
The outside of the DODOcase is black faux leather with a slightly
pebbled texture. The faux leather is glued to a stiff cardboard
frame. The interior of the case is red paper. The cover materials
are carefully glued onto the cardboard frame with the elastic
closure strap sandwiched in between. How do I know all of this?
Because the company has posted some YouTube videos of the
fabrication process. This is the one that shows how the covers are
made:
To be honest, I was a little worried about how the case would look
after watching that video. The craftsman who demonstrates the
process does it so quickly and I was concerned that the the cover
pieces would be glued together crookedly. However, I'm happy to say
that this is not the case – my case looks handmade but not sloppily
so and I'm quite pleased with it.
The bamboo frame is cut very precisely and there is about a
millimeter of clearance around the iPad when viewing it from above
when it's in the case. Given this, I don't see the iPad fitting
into the DODOcase with any other case on it, with the exception of
a skin like one from DecalGirl or an Invisible Shield
protector.
In case you're wondering, the company
only offers this case in black with a red interior so far, though
they have stated that they may offer other colors in the future. As
I write this review, they're working on making it through a massive
backlog of orders for this first edition version since the case
proved to be so popular as soon as word about it hit the
market.
I mentioned my concern about the durabilty of the foam pieces that
serve to hold the iPad in place in my first impressions video
embedded above. That concern remains, though DODOcase did comment
on that blog piece and stated the following: "With respect to the
bumpers, we expect them to have a long life under normal use, but
will also make replacement bumpers available in the future."
The foam used looks to be the kind you can buy in any hardware or
crafts store. If I get really worried about it, I might buy some in
strips and line the bamboo frame with it.
Access
When closed, the DODOcase covers the iPad's screen entirely and
offers excellent protection for the screen – nothing can scratch it
and something would need to hit it with enough force to bend or
puncture the hard cardboard of the case's frame before it would
damage the screen.
While I haven't tested it, I think the bamboo frame offers some
level of crush protection as well. If you have your iPad in a
DODOcase in your bag sandwiched between some heavy textbooks, the
case itself and the incorporated bamboo frame would take some of
that weight before the iPad itself will.
At the top, the bamboo frame is such
such that the headphone port, microphone, and sleep/wake switch are
accessible. I found that pressing the sleep/wake switch took a
little practice since you have to differentiate it from the lip of
the bamboo frame, but this is easy to get used to doing.
On the right side, the bamboo frame has
a cut-out to allow access to the screen rotation lock switch and
the volume toggle. Around this cut-out, the bamboo frame is cut a
bit higher to hide most of the side of the iPad. When you look at
it from this side from afar, the iPad in the DODOcase would easily
blend in with a stack of books on a table. Of course, the same goes
from the left side since the outside of the DODOcase looks like the
spine of a notebook with nothing to give away what's actually
inside.
The bottom is where I have encountered
some issues. The frame here is cut low enough to show the dock
connector and speakers. It's not that I mind that these are
exposed, but I have a hard time plugging in the USB cord to charge
or sync my iPad since the frame is cut so close to the dock
connector. I find that I have to partially remove the iPad from the
case to do this. This isn't too big of a deal for me since the iPad
has such great battery life that I'm not plugging it in all the
time, but I could see that it might be an issue for someone else
who frequently syncs their iPad or wants to make sure the battery
is topped off regularly.
Using the
case
Since you don't need to remove the iPad from the DODOcase in order
to use it, you end up using your iPad in the case essentially like
a book, with a few additional perks, of course. When reading, I'll
often hold my iPad just as if it were a real hardcover book within
the DODOcase. I also find myself folding the left cover back behind
the iPad a lot as well, which it does with ease after some creaking
the first few times. Unlike a real book, this doesn't break the
binding – if you remember from the fabrication video that DODOcase
posted, the cardboard within the case is actually 3 separate
pieces, so you're not breaking or folding the cardboard inside
since you're folding it at a natural break in between the cardboard
pieces.
The DODOcase can also function as a stand, making it easy to use to
view a video in landscape mode and even portrait mode if you want.
In landscape mode, you must consider the surface the case is on,
since a slick surface will cause the cover to slide out from
underneath and it won't stay put unless you prop it up against
something.
With the cover folded back behind, the
height of the spine gives the iPad a bit of an angle to make typing
on it in your lap a little easier as well. I also have the official
Apple case and while the DODOcase doesn't offer as steep an angle
compared to that case in this configuration, it still beats a
case-less iPad by a long shot. Also, I find the DODOcase to be much
more stable than the Apple case when folded like this. The Apple
case doesn't have as thick of a frame and wobbles a bit, while the
DODOcase is rock solid in this position.
Here's a picture comparing the
two:
I have gotten a question via Twitter
about the DODOcase's weight. The case weighs in at just over 9.5
ounces on a food scale in my kitchen. The iPad itself weighs 1.5
lbs (or 1.6 lbs if you have the Wi-Fi + 3G version). The iPad alone
is a little heavier than I'd like it to be when I use it as an
ebook reader, particularly since I had a first-generation Kindle to
which to compare it. Since the DODOcase offers more ways in which
to hold or place the iPad than a naked iPad, I find that I don't
think about how much both of them weigh together all that much,
except when I'm lying in bed reading since that much weight on your
chest is noticeable and uncomfortable (I usually end up propping it
up on a pillow).
The elastic strap that holds the case
cold works very well to keep it shut. Since it's clearly glued
extensively within the case (you can see the outline of the ends of
the strap under the red interior cover), I don't have any concerns
that it will get pulled out.
Conclusion
I'm really happy with the DODOcase, enough such that I don't feel
compelled to search for any other case to use when taking my iPad
out of the house. It fits perfectly in one of my favorite purses (a
cute little Lacoste bag I picked up on a vacation a couple of years
ago) and perfectly disguises my iPad so that it's not easily
identifiable as soon as I take it out in public.
Like I said though, I had a folio case in mind for my iPad
primarily for use outside the house so I really don't use the
DODOcase when I'm home all that much, opting for an inexpensive
silicone case (from Cimo USA, review coming soon) there instead
since I don't need to camouflage my iPad or worry about screen
damage. However, as soon as I head out the door, my iPad goes into
the DODOcase and stays there until I get back home. If I left the
house daily, I would probably end up keeping my iPad in the
DODOcase all the time, though as it is, I venture out long enough
to use my iPad only a couple of times per week since I work from
home full-time.
With all that said, I love my DODOcase. The only issues I have with
it are the lack of clearance to easily connect the USB cable to the
dock connector port and concern about the durability of the foam
pieces. If I get brave someday, I might take a Dremel to it to make
a little more room around the dock connector and/or buy some more
foam to line the bamboo frame a bit more, but those are the only
things I would change about the DODOcase.
At the time of this review, the DODOcase can be purchased only from
DODOcase via their website. For disclosure purposes, I purchased this case
with my own money for my own personal use.
Related
reviews:
Cimo USA silicone iPad
case
Brando Anti-Glare Screen Protector for iPad (coming
soon!)