This bamboo iPad Air Smart Case has a roll-off cover, and we want it now

By Trevor Mogg October 23, 2013

grove wooden ipad case bamboo air — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Check out our Apple iPad Air tablet review.

Apple pulled the wraps off a new 9.7-inch iPad on Tuesday, revealing a device 20 percent thinner than its predecessor.

Now, if you’re keen to get your hands on the new iPad Air, the last thing you want to do is to put all the bulk back with the addition of an unwieldy and weighty case that hides all the beauty of the new design. With many years of design experience, the folks at Grove – an outfit based in Portland, Oregon – know what it takes to create a sturdy yet attractive housing for your precious tablet, and one that thankfully won’t break the bank.

Blending lightweight bamboo with tough maple wood, the team have come up with a striking design for its new smart case, which fits the new Air as well as the iPad Mini (both generations).

At less than half-an-inch thick, the Wood Smart Case adds very little to the dimensions of the slimmest ever 9.7-inch iPad, allowing you to enjoy the new form factor secure in the knowledge it’ll be able to comfortably withstand a knock or two inside its sturdy wooden home.

And here’s another neat part – this case bends. That’s right, when you heard “wooden case” you probably imagined a nicely fashioned plank of wood, tough but stiff and inflexible. Not Grove’s case.

Its clever design means you can roll back the cover to rest your iPad in three different standing positions, ensuring the most comfortable experience possible when using your slate.

As you would expect, the case provides access to the tablet’s ports, rear camera, and flash, while wooden buttons have been worked into the design for the volume and power buttons. The tablet also switches on and off automatically depending on the position of the screen cover.

Ultrasuede throughout the interior of the case ensures your device slides in and out of its housing with ease, with the tablet held in place by strong, rare-earth magnets.

Hand-crafted by a small but dedicated team, the new smart cover and stand, with its attractive yet functional design, certainly looks like a great match for the new iPads.

Grove’s iPad Air smart cover costs $100, with the Mini one coming in at $80. Shipping time currently stands at 4-6 weeks.

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