5 Reasons You Don’t Need an iPad Case

iPad cases prevent a lot of damage during unfortunate accidents, both to the device and your wallet, but are they really needed?

The main reason why users put cases on their iPads is because accidents happen. Obviously, people don’t actually try to purposely drop their tablets, but if someone bumps into you, knocking your iPad out of your hand, you’re kind of screwed, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set my iPad down, only to realize moments later that it goes falling to the ground because I didn’t really pay attention to where I set it down at.

This is a great reason to get a case for your iPad, but even after I’ve dropped my iPad several times and all four corners are dinged up, I still refuse to put a case on my device, mostly because the cons far outweigh the pros of iPad cases.

Here are five reasons why I don’t have an iPad case, and you might be able to relate to some of these as well.

Cases Add Bulk and Weight

The iPad Air is one of the thinnest tablets on the market, and because of that, it’s a dream to hold in your hands.

However, tack on a case and you now have a hunk of plastic that makes your iPad a lot bigger in size and makes it weigh more, depending on the case. It’s a lot harder to slide in and out of your bag, especially if you have one of those silicon rubber cases that pretty much makes that impossible to begin with.

With a case, I no longer feel like I own a quality tablet, but rather a hunk of plastic that’s uncomfortable to hold.

Cases Aren’t Accessory Friendly

Because of the iPad’s popularity, there are a ton of accessories you can get for it. Some accessories that are fairly popular for the iPad are the Olloclip lens kit and Apple’s own smart cover, both of which are accessories that don’t work at all when your iPad has a case.

Granted, you can get the Smart Case, which has a Smart Cover included, but that’s about as far as I’ll go as far as cases are concerned, if I do ever want to put a case on my iPad for any reason.

Furthermore, I discovered that some Lightning cables and audio cables wouldn’t fit in their respective ports because the case’s port holes sometimes aren’t big enough. I ran into this problem with an AmazonBasics Lightning cable, and a few of my audio cables were too big to fit in the headphone jack because the case was in the way.

This was one of the big reasons why I decided to go caseless with my iPad, simply because I needed accessories to work without a case getting in the way. I found myself constantly taking the case off of my iPad in order to get an accessory to work, but I finally just left off the case and I haven’t looked back.

Cases Hide the Beauty of iPad Design

The iPad is one of the best-looking tablets on the market. It’s one of the few devices that uses an aluminum and glass combo all the way around, which gives it a premium look and feel. Why would anyone want to hide this?

As aforementioned, the iPad’s thin design makes it really comfortable to hold in your hands, and the feeling of aluminum on skin is a sensation that isn’t far from magical, so why in the world would I want to replace that feeling with a huge piece of cheap plastic?

Sure, leather cases are a good alternative, because there’s really nothing quite like the texture of leather (and don’t get me started on the smell). However, no case will ever trump the design and look of a naked iPad.

Cases Don’t Offer 100% Protection

Obviously, iPad cases are meant to protect the device that it’s enclosing, but it won’t prevent damage from every accidental drop. Depending on how you drop your iPad and the way it lands on a certain type of surface, a case might not do much in the way of protection.

For instance, a case can absorb some of the shock from the impact, but if the iPad lands just right, it can still crack the screen or scuff up a small area of the device that isn’t protected. All it takes is some luck (or lack thereof).

Of course, having an iPad case is better than not having one at all when it comes to accidental drops, but users tend to get a bit cocky and are more lenient when it comes to caring for their iPad, which opens the door for a higher percentage of accidents, and just one lucky accident is all it takes for an iPad to break somehow, with or without a case

Cases Can Be Expensive

You can get some really cheap iPad cases, with many of them simply made out of cheap plastic that really don’t do a single thing when it comes to actually protecting your iPad against damage. If you really want a quality iPad case that actually does its job well, you’ll be looking to pay at least $50, and that’s still on the cheap side.

OtterBox is considered one of the best case makers around, and even some of their most basic cases start at around $40, but if you’re wanting ultimate protection, you’ll be paying at least $80, with some cases going as high as $90 with extra bells and whistles for the larger iPad models.

With the money that you spend on a case, you could just buy AppleCare+, which costs $99.

From Apple’s website:

Every iPad comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support. AppleCare+ for iPad extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPad and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a $49 service fee plus applicable tax.”

This would allow you to enjoy your iPad without the bulkiness of a case, and at the same time protect you financially from accidental drops.