Dropping $500 on an iPad? Ouch. Dropping a soda on said device? $!%*!#@!!!
Still, subjecting your tablet to the grandma's-sofa-slipcover treatment is a surefire way to lose fashion points. We recommend you tread delicately here. But there's no denying that this oversized sandwich bag can prevent disaster from striking, depending on the conditions. Running to escape a light drizzle: Yes. Reading in the bathtub: Sure — just be careful. Scuba diving: No way.
When it comes to incidental beverage spillage or wet hands, the case's bonded neoprene trim and double-welded seams more than hold up. Same goes for the business end, which features two Ziploc-style seals with a neoprene flap that Velcros shut.
But as soon as we briefly dunked the case upside-down into still water, well, let's just say we're glad our iPad wasn't in it at the time. Water droplets got inside in a matter of seconds. Less dangerous but still very disconcerting: Dragging you fingers across the heavy-duty TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is about as pleasant as biting into a Saran-wrapped hoagie.
WIRED Bar-fly's best friend: Effective against spills. Price is (more or less) right. Simple color scheme with minimal branding. Neoprene dries relatively quickly.
TIRED Plastic gets gunky and fogged-up after minimal use. Saggy fit gives iPad a little too much wiggle room. Zero drop and impact protection.