Cases for iPad, Galaxy Tab, Surface and Lenovo Tab — folios and covers for office and meeting room use, sleeves for transport, and rugged cases for warehouse, field and clinical work, from 8-inch to 13-inch.
Buy by model and generation, not by screen size
This is where most orders go wrong. Two tablets with the same 11-inch screen do not take the same case: camera arrays, port positions, speaker cutouts and the magnetic strip a stylus charges on all differ between an iPad Pro and a Galaxy Tab, and often between consecutive generations of the same model. A case listed as 11-inch is shaped for one specific device. Confirm the exact model and generation — and where a fleet has been bought over two or three years, check whether it is actually one model or several.
Folio, shell, sleeve or rugged
A folio covers the screen, protects it in a bag, and folds into a stand for typing or video calls — the default for office use. A shell or back cover protects the chassis but leaves the screen exposed, so it suits devices that live in a dock or a kiosk mount. A sleeve protects only in transit and offers nothing while the device is in use. Rugged cases are a different category rather than a tougher folio.
Rugged cases are specified by how the device is handled
For stock-taking, deliveries, workshops and clinical rounds, look for a drop-rated case with reinforced corners, a raised screen bezel and, where the device is carried all shift, a hand strap or shoulder strap. Some include a built-in screen protector and some deliberately do not, on the basis that a separate protector is easier to replace — the product description states which, and it is worth reading rather than assuming.
Check the stylus and keyboard before ordering
If the tablet uses a magnetically attached stylus, the case has to leave that strip usable — a case that covers it stops the pen charging. The same applies to pogo-pin keyboard connectors on the back or edge. Where a detachable keyboard is already in use, a keyboard folio may replace it rather than work alongside it.
Brands
eSTUFF, Targus, Urban Armor Gear and Apple, alongside cases from Lenovo, Wacom and CoreParts.
Trade pricing and business accounts are available for UK organisations, and bulk orders are welcome — request a quote.
