Buying an iPad Mini Case in 2023
Your new iPad mini 6 case is beautiful and feather-light right out of the box. It’s also incredibly fragile, and you might be almost afraid to pick it up. Before you really get begin using your iPad mini, you’ll want to purchase an iPad Mini case.
But buying a great iPad case for your device turns out to be easier said than done. To begin with, there are so many cases for the iPad Mini it’s hard to hone down on the right one. Scrolling through the Amazon marketplace, you’re likely to feel information overload. What is the appropriate response in this situation? When all is said and done, does it really matter? What if you bought the first case that came up in your Google search—- would you live to regret it later?
Finding the best case for your lightweight iPad mini 6 case may be overwhelming, but it isn’t rocket science. And yes, if you buy a random case off Amazon, you are very likely to regret it later. There are cheap cases put together in sweatshops from the poorest quality material available. There also high-quality case engineers from top-notch materials and high-quality workforces. The differences speak for themselves— in one situation, you get a shiny-looking product that begins to deteriorate within a week; with the other, a robust cover that looks as good as new two years down the line.
How to find the best cases? Research, research, research. But we know you might not have time for all that, so we’ve done the work for you and come up with three of the best iPad cases for the mini 6 that you won’t regret buying. Shortlist:
- ESR Ascend iPad Mini 6 Case
- Speck Balance Folio for the iPad mini 6
- Zugu iPad Mini Case
If you can afford it, we recommend the Zugu— full-featured and easy to use, it also provides the robust protection you want on your iPad case.
ESR Ascend iPad mini 6 Case
If you’ve got a budget of less than $20, the ESR iPad mini 6 case is a good option. There’s nothing fancy about this lightweight case, but it’s sensible. A well-designed option that can help you keep your iPad safe.
The case protects both front and back: in the back, there’s a hard polycarbonate backing to protect your iPad’s aluminum behind from unsightly scratches. A trifold flap covers the screen when not in use, and is held in place by magnets. This same flap forms a stable, two-position stand when folded.
Cons? Thin and lightweight is good, but some reviewers suggest maybe this case is a little too thin and would have done better with rubber edges, for instance. Still, for a $15 case, this is a great choice.
Speck Balance Folio for the iPad mini 6
Pay a little more, and you can get more robust protection with the Speck Balance Folio. This case is compact and durable, and it provides 360-degree protection for the iPad mini. Designed to keep the iPad inside it safe even when dropped from 4 feet. It has bumpers around all edges and corners and a latch closure to keep the screen covered when not in use. There’s also a slot for the Apple Pencil so that you have a place
What’s not to like about this case? There’s no magnet to keep the screen protection flap in case, and, by extension, no auto sleep/wake function. Though the stand is sturdy and robust, it isn’t that flexible: you’ll have a few viewing angle options. But you probably can’t get it exactly the way you want. Still, it’s a nice handy case for your iPad mini.
Zugu iPad mini Case
The Zugu iPad mini case combines top-notch protection (military grade) with some strong magnets and a host of special features that make the case a pleasure to use. The stand doesn’t support just two or three angles, but up to seven. There’s also a built-in magnetic mount– stick your iPad mini up on any metal surface (the refrigerator, for instance) and it’ll stay right where you put it, safe from jolts, spills, and other accidents.
The Zugu iPad mini case also has a slot for the pencil and features auto sleep/wake when you open or close the front flap. It’s a small thing, maybe, but saving yourself two seconds every time you open or close adds up to a significant amount. That front flap is held in place with super strong magnets, so it stays secure close when you want it closed and opens effortlessly when you’d like it open. It comes in six color options: stealth black, berry purple, cognac brown, pine green, slate blue, and scarlet red. They’re all great, versatile shades you can’t go wrong with.
The makers of the Zugu case are so sure it’ll keep your iPad mini safe that they promise they’ll pay your AppleCare + repair bills should your iPad Mini suffer an injury while in its case. They’ve done the math and decided the odds are small enough they’re happy to foot the bill. That’s assuming you have the insurance— but get that, and a Zugu. And you’ll have 100% peace of mind that nothing can hurt you.
There you have it: the top three iPad Mini cases for any budget. You have the pocket-book-friendly ESR Ascend, the sturdier Speck, and the top-of-range Zugu. You can use your iPad mini without a case. Some do. But they’re playing a risky game. If you care about protecting your investment, you’re going to want to buy yourself an iPad case— and, if you can swing it, an iPad mini 6 case that provides military-grade protection you can count on.