Tech Review: G-Form iPad Sleeve
There is a company out there called G-Form and they mean business. They were kind enough to send me one of their iPad protective sleeves and to say I’m impressed is an understatement.
Tablets of any type are an investment and the iPad is no exception. For those of you who have joined the cult of loyal followers like me, protecting that beloved tablet is really important. There are hundreds and hundreds of iPad cases out there and some of them are really good. G-Form has taken a balls-to-the-wall approach to cases that redefines that normally tired and overplayed word ‘extreme’. This case is tuff. I’m talking Mil-Spec tough. For those of you who have never heard the words Mil-Spec, it’s short for Military Specifications, and these are a set of standards that the military establishes for products to make sure they can withstand the rigors of the many military operations. Although G-Form doesn’t advertise this product as Mil-Spec, it really should.
G-Form got its start as a maker of knee, shin and elbow pads for skateboarders and bicyclists. While it seems like an unlikely heritage for an iPad case, it actually makes perfect sense. G-Form has used innovative out-of-the-box thinking to apply proven RPT – Reactive Protection Technology – to seemingly unrelated products to produce high quality protective gear that is not just for knees anymore. As you can see from the pictures, the G-Form sleeve is not your father’s iPad sleeve. When I first received it, I was impressed not only by its minimalist packaging, but it’s ultra modern and functional Tron like appearance. The shape of the padding provides protection and a surprising bit of unintended functionality as well.
No matter how you handle the case, vertically or horizontally, the shape of the padding provides a sturdy and comfortable hand grip. When I first encountered this product, I watched a YouTube video where an eight-pound bowling ball was dropped three feet onto a sleeve with a iPad inside, causing no harm to the case or the device. Re-visiting the G-Form site, they have a video review posted that not only shows a full grown man jumping on a G-Form sleeve with combat boots, but that same man running over the G-Form sleeve with an iPad multiple times All of this having no effect on the iPad and the car only slightly blemishing the G-Form case. Just when you thought these folks were crazy for doing all of that to their product and the over $500.00 iPAD, they drop an iPad screen down from 60 feet causing no damage to the slate, heck the drop doesn’t even interrupt the movie playing on it at the time. That really is nothing short of amazing.
For me, the tests have been much less extreme. Being a frequent traveler, I devised a few tests that would replicate the types of perils the G-Form case would encounter during multiple airline trips. I will admit I did not subject the case to the rigors of airline baggage handlers as I’m a carry-on kid, but I know those baggage handlers would have been hard pressed to do any harm to the G-Form sleeve. I placed the sleeve with my iPad in the outer most pocket of my fully loaded carry-on bag, then proceeded to drop the bag from it’s standing height as well as overhead height. These tests simulated the normal drops this pad would have to endure during a typical journey. Following the G-Form testing teams lead, I turned on a movie before performing the drops. Guess what my meager 30lb bag cause no damage to the case or its’ precious contents.
These rather simple and, in retrospect, unchallenging test led me to my final test – a field test. I am writing this article from Tanzania in East Africa. To me a trip to Africa is about as good a field test that I can give. Sure a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan would be better, but based on my current job, Tanzania is the best I can do. One thing I failed to mention was the two colors the G-Form case comes in black and a kind of safety yellow. As you can tell from the picture, I have the safety yellow version. Normally I would opt for the tactical black color, but the safety yellow is actually better for me. When flying I normally place all of my electronic goods in the seat pocket in front of me so I have easy access to them during a flight. Everyone has left or know someone who has left something in a seat back pocket or someplace on an airplane. The safety yellow color is not only cool looking, it makes it hard to leave on the airplane.
My G-Form case did its job and it did it well. I arrived in Tanzania safely with an operational iPad. To save space on this trip, I decided to use my iPad as my camera. Because of this choice, the G-Form case became even more important. Last weekend I decided to take a ferry from Dar Es Salaam to the fabled Island of Zanzibar. This of course is a once in a lifetime opportunity so I had to take my iPad and my trusty G-Form case. The picture of me holding the case was taken on the ferry leaving Zanzibar. As you can guess, the case did everything it was designed to do and the peace of mind it provided me on my trip would have been worth the cost alone.
The G-Form iPad sleeve is not the perfect case but it comes real close. There are a few drawbacks that I can see, one being that the case does add bulk to the impossibly thin iPad. This would turn some people off, but to me that is the cost of doing business when it comes to the amount of protection this case gives. G-Form is getting ready to release a portfolio version of their sleeve which will add to the overall functionality of this product. The only thing I would add to this would be some D-rings or nylon loops that would allow a person attach a strap to the G-Form case. I could have used that on my Zanzibar trip and feel it would allow me to keep my device close at hand while keeping my hands freed up.
G-Form have developed a tank, practical iPad case that works. The case is not bullet proof but it is awful damn close. The iPad sleeves retail for between $59.95-$69.95, with the soon to be released iPad portfolio lists at $79.95. While this might sound expensive, it isn’t. The amount of protection the product provides, combined with its quality, makes its cost a non-issue, an investment.
Head over to G-Form to see for yourself.
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