Verdict
Pros
- Soft finish
- Thick silicone
Cons
- A little expensive
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £19.99
- Silicone
- Noughts and crosses design
- 151g
If you want a truly affordable iPad 2 case, silicone is a good option to consider. Silicone cases rarely exude quality, but add less bulk than a folio while often supplying better protection from dust and light scratches. The Cygnett SecondSkin Ink case is a higher-end silicone model, selling for around £20.
What the extra £10 over a cheaper silicone case gets you are higher-grade, thicker silicone and a more carefully-moulded design that fits snugly. There are the standard cutaways for the speaker, camera, connections and the screen lock switch, as well as neat moulded controls atop the volume and power buttons.
The surface of the silicone is very soft – reminiscent of soft-touch plastic – and the only variation is offered by the pattern on its back, and it’s very subtle. The back is peppered with crosses and a single “O”. Not quite a game of noughts and crosses, but something like it.
While the case hugs the tablet’s curves tightly, it loops around the front fairly significantly, by around 10mm. However, it looks fairly good, avoiding ruining the look of the iPad. It also acts as an additional protection for the glass screen layer – put it flat on its front and it’ll rest on the silicone, not the screen.
Silicone cases add less bulk than most other types, but as it uses thicker silicone than some, the Cygnett SecondSkin Ink is not the lightest around. It weighs 151g, but you’ll only notice the difference if you try to hold it one-handed – which we think the iPad 2 is a little too heavy for anyway.
Among cases that try to add as little chunkiness to the tablet as possible, silicone offers a decent amount of protection. It absorbs shock better than a hard plastic case, although if you want serious armour for your iPad 2, you should look for something a little larger and more robust.
At £20, the Cygnett SecondSkin Ink costs about as much as we’d be willing to spend on a silicone case. It’s not compatible with the Apple Smart Cover and if you’re willing to forego the back design you can get something similar for around half the price, but it’s one of the better silicone cases you’ll find.
Verdict
Injecting a lump of silicone with personality is hard to do, but the Cygnett SecondSkin Ink iPad 2 case gives it a shot with an inoffensive back design. It’s a little expensive for what’s little more than an above-average silicone sleeve, but its finish and thickness outclass bottom-rung options.
How we test tablets
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
