As a former Apple retail employee, AT&T retail consultant and Geek Squad Agent who used an iPad in-hand to assist clients nearly everyday, I feel confident in saying the Gladius Air is the absolute best case of its kind if you're mobile or active. Hands down. What I love about it is the rotating, adjustable leather strap, which allows you to hold it in one hand with EIGHT different locking positions. Stunning! I haven't seen any other case like it. The strap's leather has a premium feel and makes you feel confident when holding it. It's perplexing to me that other manufacturers haven't picked up the trend, but New Trent is the gold standard for a case of this kind. It frees me from my desk and everyday mundaneness, and allows me to take productive walks without being concerned about the safety of my iPad.
I have three criticisms that prevent me from feeling comfortable giving the Gladius Air a 5/5 rating:
1) The polycarbonate faceplate covers more of the front panel of the screen than necessary in my opinion all the way to the edges of the LCD. I feel this limits my access to some of the multi-touch features and initially it felt very cramped/uncomfortable. You may have to swipe up from the Home button to access the Control Panel, and the Notification Center is similarly tedious to access because of the size of the PC faceplate. (Hey New Trent - the front panel around the screen is useful, don't neglect it!) Many top name manufacturers have figured out a way to give iOS cases military grade protection without doing this. I think the sacrifice is well worth it over time, but I'm still considering 3D printing a new faceplate design with more access for my larger hands. (I also agree with the other reviewers who feel the screen protector should be optional.)
2) The TPU flaps that give access to the device's Lightning port, AUX jack and volume controls are thick and not flush to the point of access/insertion. (This is partially due to the fact that the case is made to fit both the iPad Air 1 and 2, I'm sure.) The problem it creates is potential scratching from inserting cords/cables without looking. Some people may not care very much, but it's bad for those of us who are concerned about resell value. Considering the thickness of the case and the fact that it is not waterproof, I think having flaps for these ports is unnecessary and causes more frustration than justifiable utility.
3) The bulkiness of the case can tend to be heavy after long periods of time. If you're sitting, this isn't a significant problem because you can find a hard surface and use the kickstand, but if you're moving around with it, you may feel like switching hands after a while depending on how physically able you are. When I first got it, I felt like I was using my iPad in a museum-style box made to protect against irresponsible children from damage. I appreciate the extra protection, especially when I'm outside, but I think it's a bit excessive considering that it can be strapped securely to your hand.
Despite my criticisms, if you are considering this case for mobility at work or for use on-the-go, BUY IT. You won't regret it.
I really prefer minimalist cases for my electronics, and I loathe built-in screen protectors. As such, this is not the type of case I would normally buy. However, after a close call in which my 7yo accidentally dropped my iPad (broke the glass screen protector, but the screen survived the impact), I determined that my current stage of life requires a little more protection. I got this case installed today and am pleasantly surprised. The strap on the back makes holding the device much more comfortable. The rotatable kickstand is also quite handy. Best of all, the built-in screen protector doesn't completely ruin the picture quality. Is it as good as tempered glass? No. But that would be an unreasonable expectation.
About 8 minutes after the case got installed, my 5yo spilled mac n cheese on the device. Needless to say, I believe my hunch about needing better protection was correct. While this may not be the best case for personal tastes, I can say that it ranks very highly for a thicker case with integrated screen protection.
We have four iPads in the house of various models and we've gone through a number of different cases for them over the past few years. This is one of, if not, the best case we've had yet.
First the one concern I had is the screen protector. I've had cases in the past which never laid properly on the screen and so you'd always end up with "bubbles" under them. None of that with this case, it fit snuggly and tight, yet wasn't so tight you thought you'd break it putting it on.
Next, the "handle" its comfortable for even my large hands. Perhaps a younger child may have a problem, but my youngest if a teenager and has no problems holding the iPad using the handle. The handle rotates and has detents which so that it doesn't just rotate when you don't want it to.
Overall protection seems pretty "safe". We've only had the case for a few days, but it looks like it will do as good of a job as the other cases we've had.
Oh - and the stand - its an ingenious design which works easily even though the handle is there. I haven't seen many "rugged" cases which have a stand that works both portrait and landscape - this one does and it works great!
I would highly recommend this case if it fits your model.
This case is great! Slipped my new iPad 9.7 directly from Apple packaging into this case. The case feels sturdy and I don't fear the iPad getting scratched on any surface.
This company was brilliant to add a rotating handle to the case. I would like to suggest they offer a black leather handle in addition to the brown. The kickstand also provides a great viewing/working angle.
I spent about 2 hours searching for cases, reviewing lists, adding up to a dozen choices in my cart. Most cases that I saw, did not offer pictures of what their product placement (screen cover) was when walking around.
Do the screen covers fold back and secure to the back of the iPad? No worries here, no flappy cover to worry about.
What about if you're using the iPad to take a bunch of pictures for work? Other covers may fold back... but will they just hang and flop around while takig those pics? If they fold all the way back, will the screen cover end up blocking the rear camera?? No worries here, all surfaces are protected!
Once I saw this case and rhw awesome price point of under $26, all other cases were deleted from my cart!
Be sure to check and adjust the strap before securing the iPad... it'll save time.
Great job New Trent!
I bought this after accidentally dropping my university-issued iPad and shattering the screen beyond belief. Once it got repaired/replaced, I vowed to get a substantial case for it to prevent any future mishaps. I searched online and came across several highly rated cases, and eventually landed on the New Trent Case because it had the protection features I wanted, it looks sweet, and the price was excellent compared to some other similar offerings. I can't specifically comment on its protection ability as I have not dropped the iPad since I received the case, but it is built at a quality level at or above that of Otterbox products I have had in the past. My favorite part is the rotating hand strap mechanism on the back. I had no idea how much I needed this until I got this case. The strap is really useful, but the fact that you can rotate it 360 degrees to get the optimal hand angle makes it even better (and it has a really satisfying click every 45 degrees or so). The stand mechanism is pretty well built and made of metal. It can be used in landscape or portrait by rotating the strap swivel mechanism. It also has a bottle opener on it, which is ridiculous and unnecessary, but hey why not. My wife said this was the "manliest" iPad case she had ever seen - if you're into that sort of thing.
Anyway, I love it so far and I think it will do a great job protecting my iPad from further damage. One last note, in case you are not sure - this does have a built in clear screen protector film/sheet in addition to the black case surrounding the body of the iPad.
Feature Product
- Integrated screen protector and metal kick stand
- Leather hand strap and shock protection
- Raised edges for the Lens and screen protection
- Full access to ports and functions with protection from Scratches
- Designed Specifically for the Apple iPad 9.7 2017 and 2018 Released
Description
Integrated screen protector with a leather strap for mobile operation
Dual Layer hard inner case + rubber outer shell
Pull out metal kick stand for vertical and horizontal iPad orientations
Compatible with iPad 6th Gen(2018), iPad 5th Gen(2017), iPad Pro 9.7 inch, iPad Air, iPad Air 2
"NOT COMPATIBLE" for 10.5 inch or 11 inch or 12.9 inch or iPad Gen 1, 2, 3, 4 or ANY iPad mini
We purchased this AFTER our Ipad screen became cracked. I mainly wanted to have a smooth covering over the cracked screen and future protection. We actually put this over one of those thin glass screen coverings I had already put on the broken screen, and it looks great! It has worked perfectly. Everything is smoothed out, we didn't have any "bubble" issues either. Ours is a family iPad, with our 11 year old twins using it mostly, so it goes through alot of hands. I also like that I can take this to a business meeting and the case looks good. The strap on the back is very handy, especially for the kids. I really wish we had gotten this case when we first purchased our ipad. The previous case was not sufficient protection.
I had read alot of comments about how difficult it was to put on the iPad, so I was expecting a struggle. I was pleasantly surprised that my son & I were able to get it on fairly easily. The tabs are tight, but that's what you want.
The case is lightweight, the leather strap for the hand is a great feature. Combined with the rotation it makes it easy to hold the iPad securely and use at whatever angle works for you. The rubberized back is comfortable to the touch. The kickstand is great, can be used in portrait or landscape mode, and is very secure when placed on a surface. It works far better than those cases where you just prop the iPad into a groove. No worries about tapping the screen and having the iPad fall down! Makes using the device while eating lunch easy.
It was quite difficult to get the case apart and then to get the iPad inside it, much harder than any other case I've owned. But this was because of how carefully constructed this case is. Once safely inside the case I felt my iPad is far better protected than in other (prettier) cases I've owned, so it's well worth the initial aggravation.
I like having the screen protector as part of the case but it does have some odd reflections, almost as though there were an oily substance on the surface. This only shows when the background is dark though, and does not impede normal use.
Wish there was a way to store the Apple pencil attached to the case.
All in all, for the price ($27 for a 9.7" iPad version) you're not going to find a better case than this one!
Bought this case as a demo to evaluate whether it would have more longevity than the case we currently get for our middle school 1:1 program. This unit came very nicely packaged. It wasn't difficult to disassemble, put the device in, then re-assemble; I like the fact that this unit has a screen protector built in, though it seems to show fingerprints/smudges worse than other screen protectors I've used.
The rotating leather hand strap is easy to use, and the metal kickstand, which rotates with the hand strap, allows for portrait and landscape viewing. The kickstand itself seems like it will hold up to repeated use, but only time will tell there; that's the Achilles heal of our current case.
This case is billed as able to fit multiple models. We have the iPad Air, and the multi-device accommodations for cameras, microphones, speakers, ports and volume buttons all line up perfectly for this device.
Will update to five stars if it proves to survive at least a year of handling by a middle schooler.
My first impression: THIS THING IS BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!
I've had otterboxes on all of my devices until my new iPad 6th generation. I was short on cash, so I decided to give this one a try until I could save up to upgrade to Otterbox... Let me tell you. That's not going to happen!!! This case far exceeds all of my expectations. I'm overly defensive of my devices, so I put on a Zagg screen protector. This fits over that with no issues to the already installed screen protector. In fact, that one was so good, that I feel like the Zagg may be overkill. The main reason I keep both is because the Zagg is glass and the NewTrent is plastic.
I was worried about the reviews concerning the kickstand breaking and being plastic, but I understood what the customers did wrong immediately. The entire kickstand and parts are metal. The case itself is hard plastic with a softer plastic covering. Where the case holds the kickstand parts is obviously plastic, but all of the kickstand parts are metal. The case comes with 4-5 warnings to NOT USE THE KICKSTAND TO TURN THE BACK AND ONLY USE THE LEATHER STRAP. I'm 100% positive that the people who broke the kickstand or their kids accidentally forgot this and broke it while operating on habit. If you do what the instructions say and fold the kickstand before spinning the back, there's a 0% chance of breaking. Like I said, this thing is built like a tank. Otterbox could take notes from NewTrent. I love that the kickstand works from any direction (even diagonal if that's what you're into) AND it has a leather strap to better grip the device with one hand.
I'm seriously obsessed with this case and 10/10 would rebuy IF the case somehow broke. Just follow ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS to a tee and you'll have no issues with this WONDERFUL case!!!
This is an excellent case. Perfect fit for my ipad. This is similar to the "otterbox" cases and comes with a screen protector. I honestly didn't realize the case came with the screen protector and was worried it might prevent the use of the pencil for drawing apps, but the pencil works fine with this and the screen is very clear.
The case is a hard shell that the ipad sits in, then the screen cover snaps into place followed by the protective rubber material fitting over the case and securing itself into a groove around the case.
The case was tricky to get apart, but then it snaps easily back into place. The camera and touch (fingerprint) button are not covered so those can be easily used. It has a handle strap on the back and it has a small kickstand that allows the ipad to sit upright.
Overall an excellent case.
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