Seidio ACTIVE iPad 2 Case Review

We’ve reviewed all sorts of iPad cases and Seidio’s Active Case for iPad 2 is one of the most unique. Maybe even the most practical, too. It’s appropriately named to appeal to those with an Active lifestyle, as the Active case offers great protection, minimal bulk, and even a built-in stand. 

The Active Case consists of three pieces: there’s a lightweight rubber polymer that covers the back, a hard plastic skeleton which snaps on top of the rubber part, and lastly a plastic cover with a built in stand. The plastic cover attaches to the front or back of iPad, a nice touch indeed. To use the stand, the plastic cover must be removed and laid on the surface of the table. The stand sits flat against the inside of the cover, pull it up and choose one of the 15 notches for different viewing angles. It will even mount iPad in landscape and portrait modes. There are two rubber pads on the outside of the cover which prevent it from sliding around the table. Unfortunately, these pads pick up dirt and crumbs, but it’s nothing a damp paper towel can’t fix.

The two pieces of Active Case covering the back of iPad do a great job at protecting your shiny device. Couple it with the plastic cover on the front, and your iPad is in extremely good hands. There are cutouts for iPad’s back camera, mic, headphone port, charging/sync port, toggle switch, and a big cutout for the speaker. There are rubberized button overlays for the volume and lock buttons. The cutouts are sized well; ports and buttons are all pretty easy to access. The back plastic skeleton comes in purple, black, or blue, which can give the back of iPad a stylish two-tone appearance. We’re enjoying our Saphire Blue on Black case. There’s a cutout on the back of the case that shows off the large Apple logo. There’s actually a clear screen covering the logo, so your shiny apple doesn’t get scuffed up!

Active Case is pretty easy to put on. The rubber cover stretches over the back and the plastic skeleton snaps on top of that. Removing it is just a little trickier as you have to pull the case from its corners. Similarly, the plastic cover easily snaps on to the front or the back and also requires you to pull from the corners to remove it. 

All-in-all the Active Case is a great iPad 2 case. It’s light (3.5 oz), not too bulky, well protected, and offers a solid mount for your iPad at a number of angles. The only real drawback we had was that mounting iPad upright is a little more involved than it is with an iPad portfolio case. It requires you to take the cover off, then set up the stand at a good angle, and then sit iPad on the stand, whereas if you had a portfolio case you could just fold the front cover back. It’s nice that iPad is protected enough even without this cover/stand, so if you choose you can just leave the stand out. The Active Case by Seidio is currently available in Black on Black, Sapphire Blue on Black, or Amethyst (purple) on Black, for $69.95. You can find it for as little as $52.65 on Amazon. For such a functional and practical iPad 2 case, the price is not too bad, though you can definitely find an appropriate case for about half the price.

The Good: Built-In Stand, Great Protection, Good Form Factor, Can Mount iPad Portrait or Landscape and at 15 Angles, Good Cutouts

The Bad: Using Stand is Somewhat Involved, On the Pricier Side of iPad Cases, Grip Pads on Cover Collect Dust