About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
While a good idea, the versatile Cloak is too heavy and too expensive -- and generates too many user complaints -- to merit a top rating.
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Pros
- Three-position stand
- Can sync iPad while in case
- Protects screen in transit
Cons
- Weighs almost as much as the iPad itself
- Stand components are noisy
- Expensive - US$54.99
Description
- Folio-style iPad case
- Three stands allow iPad to be propped up in typing, upright portrait, and upright landscape positions
- Made from silicone
- Comes in black, pink, blue, and green
Guide Review - Quirky Cloak iPad Case Review
It's a truism proved many times over that design-by-committee is a recipe for failure. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with the Cloak iPad case from Quirky. Despite some good ideas, the Cloak is too heavy and too expensive.
Quirky develops products by crowdsourcing them: it posts ideas on its site, lets users improve them, and then pays users a percentage of the sale price based on their input on the product. It's a neat idea, but too many cooks can spoil a dish.
The Cloak is a folio-style iPad case with a flap the covers the screen when it's not in use. The main feature of the case is its ability to prop the iPad up in different positions. Thanks to two different stands and the flap, the Cloak supports propping the iPad in typing position, in upright portrait mode, and upright landscape.
That versatility is a good idea, but in order to achieve it, three different components are required - and including them results in a case that weights 1.2 pounds.
The iPad itself only weights 1.5 pounds, so the Cloak nearly doubles the device's weight. To make matters worse, two of the stand components tend to rattle and make noise even when they're not in use. User reviews at the Quirky site also note that the stand components have a tendency to break.
While the Cloak contains some good ideas, it's got too many drawbacks -- price, weight, quality -- to merit a recommendation. Step carefully with this one.
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Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.