iLuv Portfolio iPad 2 Case Review

If you buy the official Apple accessories for your iPad 2, such as the clever Smart Cover, you’ll quickly spend almost as the iPad itself cost. The iLuv Portfolio case is one way to avoid such credit card-crushing problems. It costs just over a tenner from the right retailer and looks like it could have cost a fair bit more.

The iLuv Portfolio is one of the cheapest ways to get a traditional folio-style case for your iPad. This book-style design fully encases the tablet, with a front cover that flips over to the back when you’re using your iPad.

There’s a seam along this front flap too, letting it fold up in on itself and jam into another little flap on the back. And, hey presto, you have an iPad stand. This makeshift stand features in just about every folio stand you’ll find for your iPad 2.

The iLuv Potfolio isn’t about innovation or originality, though. Its aim is to get you a decent quality case on the cheap. ‘Nowt wrong with that. What you miss in the process is real leather construction and clever additions like magnetic clasps and the Smart Cover-style sleep function that puts the iPad 2 into standby when you close the case. The clasp here is a standard popper, the one bit of individualist trim being the bar of silver atop the clasp, which bears the iLuv logo.

None of what the iLuv Portfolio misses out on is visible from a distance, though. You could fool friends into believing it’s a real leather case should you choose, but its pleather bod becomes pretty clear as soon as you hold the thing. The fake leather here has little of the softness of the genuine article, but the only way to get something softer at this price is to opt for a silicone skin, which rarely offers the additional functionality of a folio.

Folio cases do tend to be a little heavier than simpler styles, but we found the iLuv Portfolio fairly lightweight. When folded back, it doesn’t add too much girth to the tablet, either – a common problem with folio designs that try to do a little too much for their own good.

Using synthetic materials, the durability of the iLuv Portfolio doesn’t match a real leather alternative, but build quality is good. It should last as long as your tablet does with good treatment.

Verdict
The iLuv Portfolio iPad 2 case is not desperately exciting, but it has one important factor in its favour – value. Available for under £15, it’s one of the cheapest folio-style cases you can buy. It lacks the smooth, soft feel of a real leather alternative, but if buying an iPad has already emptied your wallet, it’s a great way to get full body protection for your new baby.