I've had an iPad of one stripe or another since the first iteration came out in 2010. I love this device, but one thing that was clear from the outset was that it would need a case. I've owned several, of various designs, and even briefly had one of my own devising(1).
The BookBook case for the iPad Air by Twelve South is, hands down, the best case I've ever owned.
Since 2010 I've been using an iPad in place of a laptop. Given that, I need a case to be protective, certainly, but I also need it to enhance the iPad's flexibility as a writing machine, and as a reference device when I am working at my iMac. It also needs to be comfortable in the hand when I am reading. The BookBook meets all of those requirements admirably.
Designed to look like a classic old leather book or journal, with a zippered closure, the spine is flexible enough to be flipped completely around backwards, and the case is rigid to allow it to function as a stand in both portrait and landscape positions. Flipped around backwards in portrait position is also a virtually perfect arrangement for holding while reading.
The BookBook sitting upright on my desk next to my iMac. And for those who are wondering, my desk is always this clean and uncluttered. I certainly would never use a blog post as an excuse to clean it off. Never...
But probably the best part of the set-up is the typing stand. This is nothing complex - it's a rigid leather flap that folds down from the backside of the iPad holder in the case, and tilts the iPad up at about 20 degrees. The position is ideal for typing at a desk or table and, more importantly (from my perspective) for typing in a lap.
In typing position on my desk
Close-up of the typing position. It's a simple, elegant solution.
Undoubtedly, the choice of case is a very personal one, and this is reflected by the vast number of cases and other solutions offered for the iPad. Podcaster and Mac OS X reviewer John Siracusa has frequently referred to the design of iOS devices as working as the "robotic core" of a device that the owner then completes with his or her choice of case. If you are using your iPad as a work machine, it would be hard to find a solution that offers as much flexibility as the BookBook.
(1): some of the cases I've owned are shown below in that list of cases are
The Scosche was probably my second-favorite case - worked well and didn't make the iPad feel huge. The Rokform case was a protective case in competition with companies like Otterbox. I preferred this case by far to the Otterbox options, but it must not have sold well, as the company no longer offers it.
Dodo was one of the very first companies to offer a case for the iPad, and you can get highly customized versions of their cases with respect to color and such. I liked this case, but it's built using traditional book-binding techniques, and wears the same as you would expect a personal journal to wear. It lasted about a year for me.
When the original iPad came out there were no cases available for it. I put all of my craft making skills to assembling the fine blue sleeve you see above out of a bubble-wrap padded envelope and blue masking tape. It may possibly be something somewhat shy of a work of art.