Integrated Hand Strap - I stitched a piece of leather on the inside of the iPad Mini case so you can slide your hand in to hold it when the cover is folded back. This feature was inspired by something I found up in a little Alaskan town a few years ago that I knew I would use one day. It makes for a really secure one hand grip for almost any size hand. If it doesn’t fit you, then you may have a bright future in the circus or the NBA.
Shock Protection - My iPad Mini leather case is reinforced in all the right places for strength and stiffness. The outward facing seams make for great shock protection against bangs and drops.
Full Grain Leather - Only thick Full grain leather; not weaker Top grain, Genuine or Bonded. The top layer has the toughest and tightest fibers of the leather (grain) and the pores that take in your oils when touched. That's why my full grain Mini iPad case ages so nicely.
Industrial Thread - tout industrial marine-grade Polyester UV resistant thread. It's used for airbags, sails, work boots and other heavy-duty applications. There's none better that I know of. I ought to keep an extra spool in my truck for towing.
Fully Tanned Leather - Good tanneries remove all natural oils and preservatives from the hide and then soak and tumble it for up to twenty hours until the new liquids reach the middle. Cheap tanneries only tumble them long enough to color the surface and leave the middle to dry up and crack.
Leather - 100% Hypoallergenic four to five ounce (2.0mm to 2.2mm) thick Full Grain chrome tanned leather. Usually, cowboy and work boots are made with 1.8mm - 2.0mm thickness. And, our leather isn't "buttery soft" (fibers separated and broken down by hours of tumbling and stretching at the tannery). It's your job to tenderize it with use.
Thread - The double zero continuous-filament Polyester thread we use on our leather iPad Mini case is a little thicker than what is used on most boots. It's impressive and expensive. Common thread is made of short little fibers wound together into one long thread. This thread is made of long continuous fibers that won't fall apart in a strong wind. Polyester thread is the only thread I know of that doesn't deteriorate with exposure to sun.
How can I get my spouse to understand that I need this?
Here's your rationale: Buy the best, cry once. It's all about the cost per year. In college, I bought a pair of very expensive shoes for my job as a waiter. I couldn't afford them, but I bought them anyhow. They were really light and comfortable and took me through two years of waiting tables and one year as a limo driver and another year of occasional use. And then they still looked good for a month of Sundays. Cost per year was about $25. Most of the other waiters bought a new pair of $55 heavy and uncomfortable shoes every 6 months because theirs wore out and looked ratty by then. One of the principles understood by the successful is this: If one buys quality from the start they save money. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. This will be one of the most savvy investments and inexpensive leather pieces you'll ever have. And remember, you must truly love yourself before you can love others. A few other things to think about: you'll be more popular. Everybody isn't buying one. I'll invite you to my birthday party. What's wrong, you chicken?
Which color should I get?
Pick the one that fits who you are. I've observed what Saddleback owners tend to be like based on the color they have chosen over the years. The category below that fits you best is probably the color you'll enjoy most. Remember, your first inclination is usually the correct one.
Tobacco Light Brown (Sanguine)
Easy going
Laid back and casual
Likes old Land Cruisers
Forgives quickly
Creative (enjoys writing)
Loves big dogs
Traveler
Never met a stranger
Low maintenance
Lots of random thoughts
Inventor
Funny
Loves the outdoors
Adventurous
Only wears clothes because you have to
Carbon Black (Phlegmatic or Choleric)
You look good in a thick black leather jacket
Rides a cruiser type motorcycle
Wear thick black framed glasses
Drives a Volvo or Saab
Perfectionist
They know your name at the coffee shop
Sci-Fi or Foreign Films are your favorite genres
Are very interested in Oriental culture
Prefer cats over dogs
Loves modern contemporary style square furniture
Chestnut Reddish Brown (Choleric or Melancholy)
Professional
Highly educated
Belongs in a Mercedes Benz or Jaguar
Classier than most
Perfectionist
Has excellent taste in dressing and decorating
Great sense of humor
Intellectual
Smokes a pipe instead of a cigarette
Appreciates the finer things
Dark Coffee Brown (Phlegmatic or Choleric or Melancholy)
Loves the outdoors
Is the best friend of many people
Reads a lot of books
Loves big dogs
Intellectual
Loves adventure
Independent
Musical
If you still aren't sure, then just buy all four colors.
Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?
Absolutely not! With some pigs we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but the cows do not require any special handling.
Where can I see the leather in person?
I don't have any of the items in stores and we're not big fans of folks coming to our home in San Antonio because of the weirdo factor. My sister, Patricia and her husband (my Chess and Scrabble nemesis), send out the leather from their place near Ft. Worth, Texas, but again, because of the weirdo factor they're not setup to show either. If it helps, everyone tells me that they look better in person.
Perfect Case
Received my Classic iPad mini case yesterday. Nothing but good to say about this case. My iPad fits perfectly. Case is securely held inside. There is no issue with seeing the time as mentioned in other reviews posted. Superb quality with great leather smell. Love the chestnut color, very professional looking. I would definitely recommend this product.
Long Overdue Praise...
I received my iPad Mini Case from Saddleback around the middle of March, and was admittedly a bit disappointed due to the tight bezel issue. Saddleback's Customer Service team was great, and after acknowledging my issue, sent me a UPS pick-up slip to return the item. Being the procrastinator that I can be sometimes, I did not yet return the item. I did however, purchase another case from another quality company. The case did fit the Mini better, but obviously would not offer the same drop protection as the Saddleback case. I thought, as a pretty careful individual, this would not be an issue. I thought wrong.
Today, I clumsily dropped my Mini in the other case, on pavement. Thankfully it still works, but the case has a slight ding, which will drive me crazy. I did learn an important lesson. My Mini needs better protection. Re-enter the Saddleback Leather iPad Mini Case. Not only does it cover the newly acquired flaw, but I am confident that it does offer the absolute best protection for my iPad against future dropping incidents. I will gladly accept the slightly blocked screen as a trade-off for the added protection.
I also want to give kudos to the Saddleback Customer Service team. They were a pleasure to deal with, and certainly did their job with a smile. I will certainly purchase other Saddleback products (I have my sight on a wallet.) in the future, and I would love to find a way to be a part of their team. Saddleback must be a really special company to work for, as evidenced by the quality of their products, and especially their people.
iPhone 4 Case
I bought this case in October 2010. Since then it has been in daily use. Firstly with an iPhone 4 and now with a 4s.
Initially it was a tight fit but over time it stretched a tad and now the phone slides in easily. My phone still sits snugly in the case and does not fall out when dropped.
Access for the charging cord is just fine.
It is a wonderfully tactile case. After two and a half years it is supple and has become smooth and shiny in places. I think it gets better with age and use.
Birthday gift iPad mini case
My husband presented me the mini iPad case from saddleback for my birthday. My first thought was wow! The attention to detail leather quality and the stitching all packaged to fit my mini iPad. What I could I say to an amazing gift but thank you.
Mini iPad case
Heard/read a few negative comments, and was debating the purchase. Glad I went with my gut and general company and previous product experience! I cannot live with my iPad and this case, is fabulous. No issues. In fact better than hoped for.... With ALS, drop everything....and this case has given my expensive device the nine lives it didn't deserved! Thanks again!
Treat Yourself!
Hands down the sleekest, sickest iPad mini case on the market. Expertly crafted and fits like a genius. This is my first purchase from Saddleback and will be a customer as long as I consume. These folks are pros! The competition is a cigarette butt: they've been smoked.
Perfect!
As usual, perfection! Top quality, fits beautifully (without the not being able to see the clock issue mentioned in other reviews), and super protection. Couldn't be more pleased!
ipad mini case issues
I want to start off by saying, I am a huge fan of Saddleback, and I only found out about them in the last two months. After I received by ID Wallet, I started ordering other items like crazy.
It pains me to share anything negative, but I feel I need to. And I have NOT spoken yet with customer service, but I intend do.
I ordered a black iPad mini case, and it definitely has the issues mention below. The leather frame around the screen is too small - it cuts off a significant portion of the screen. But mine is actually too LOOSE inside. The iPad slips around a bit.
I think the leather around the ipad is a little too thick, but the hinge is a slight issue too, unless it breaks in a year or two down the road. When you close it, the cover doesn't lay flat across the screen right from the hinge. It arcs UP from the hinge before it comes back in contact with the screen about 2/3s of the way across.
Regardless, I LOVE this case, and I do not regret purchasing it, I just think Dave needs to give it a few improvements.
Fits like a glove
I received my ipad mini case today, and I was expecting the minor issues of tight fit and screen being slightly blocked. I am happy to report that neither issue has materialized. The color (Coffee Brown) is very deep and the finish is very nice.
Perfect
Was waiting for SB to make an IPad mini case and once it was available I ordered it right away. I got mine in Tabacco Brown, the attention to detail, the sweet smell of new leather is incredible like the reviwer before me mentioned. When I recieved my cover it was alittle hard removing the cardboard insert and I was worried it would be too tight for the mini, but like all new leather a little pre-breakin to the leather case and voila! the IPad mini slips in smoothly. I'm extreamly glad that Dave included an inside hand strap for secure on the go use of your mini and a one strap closure. The only reason I don't give this case a 5 star rating is due to the leather bezel covering a portion of the IPad mini screen (can't see the time or use some of the side of the keyborad when typing), both in standard and landscape mode as couple of reviewers mentioned before me, other than that its a great case and I can live with the imperfections, its what makes this case perfect for me.
Fernando
Great!
Great overall product. Very well made and smells amazing! Again the only minor issue I have is that it could have another cm clearance on both of the long sides. It is sometimes hard to see the very top or bottom of the device. A place for a stylus would be nice but isn't 100% necessary. I will still recommend this product to everyone I know though! Much better than a sleeve.
Nice product
This is a very nice product - excellent craftsmanship, and the smell of new leather is incredible. I got mine in Chestnut and it's a really deep and rich color. The stitching is impeccable. Another reviewer commented on the tight fit, and it really is a very snug-fitting cover. I'm hoping it loosens up a bit over time, because I'm a little concerned about safely getting my mini tablet back out of the cover. I like the closure, and the hand strap on the inside is a great idea. If I had one suggestion for improvement, I wish there was a loop on the inside to hold a stylus. I have fat fingers and use a stylus, and it would be nice to have it tucked neatly inside instead of dangling from the outside strap. Other than that, I'm very satisfied with this product, and the pricing makes it a great value for your money. Well done!
Leather Bezel Problems
The idea is there but the execution just misses. Imagine sitting with your iPad mini in its beautiful Tabasco brown case, watching Dave's antics as he teaches why he doesn't use zippers in one of his ledgendary videos when you realize you need to check the time so you don't forget to pick up your son from school....but you cannot see the time! Why not? Because the blasted leather bezel covers the screen! This is my story as an iPad case owner. I sent pictures of this problem to customer service, and to their credit, they sent me a replacement cover. Unfortunately, the replacement also covers up the screen. I can only come to the conclusion the iPad mini cover needs to be redesigned so the bezel is not so wide. They should be able to do real world testing to see this issue.
Previous review deleted at my request
I had posted a review earlier this week about why I felt the the iPad mini case only deserved 2 stars. That review basically put forth that I was sadly disappointed with my mini case once it had arrived. It was my very first Saddleback product - I had read so many good things about them - but I simply found the fit for the mini to be poor. This was due to a couple of things. First, I found it to be QUITE snug. I had to monkey-arm the cardboard insert to get it to budge, and once I had my mini in the case I felt like there was a potential for damage to the mini because it was so difficult to remove. It seemed like either the screen could get damaged since I had to squeeze so hard to pull it out, or the lock button might suffer damage as it slid in and out. This may change with a proper breaking in, but it made me nervous nonetheless. The second thing that bummed me out about the fit was the leather material around the screen. Mine had a tendency to obscure the title bar when in landscape mode. If the mini was properly seated in the case, it overlapped a smidge on all sides. My particular case, however, would slowly push the mini up toward the opening and exacerbate the problem. I like to see what time it is on the iPad when I have it in landscape mode, so this was a deal-breaker for me. It might not be for you.
So, you see I've bumped my original review up 1 star. Why is that, you ask. Well, I have found that Saddleback definitely does offer stellar customer support. Remember, this was my first SB purchase so I had nothing personal to base my experiences on. When I got in touch with them via the online chat tool to complain about the fit of my mini case, they were quick to make arrangements for me to return it, but they didn't offer to pay for shipping. I felt that because it was a fit issue, and not a golly-gee-I-just-want-a-snazzier-color issue, that they ought to pay for its return trip home. It is much easier to print out a label, slap in on a box, and drop it off. It is a different beast - at least for me - to make the time to go to a post office/UPS/FedEx location to make arrangements and pay for shipping. Yes, this is laziness on my part, but also a matter of principle.
When SB read my review, they not only thanked me for posting it - they value a round opinion on their products - but also immediately sent me a return shipping label. Ding ding, we have a winner folks. That is the type of customer service I had read about online when researching SB products, and that is the type of service that would bring me back in the future despite my poorly fitting mini case.
Many thanks to Kelly, and kudos to SB for standing behind what they make/sell. Above all, please don't think that they would remove a review willy-nilly because it gives them heartburn. I asked them to take the old review down - lacking an update tool - so I could give them full credit for their hard work. And I may not recommend this particular product, but I do recommend SB.
I pad mini case
I have recieved my ipad mini case a couple of days ago, and personally this was exactly how i hoped it would be. I decided on the dark coffee brown case, seeing that i already have a tobacco brown ipad 2 case. I am so happy with the case, the workmanship screams quality. I would recommend this product and any Saddleback product as such 1000x over and over!!! Thanks Dave for the exceptional products!!!!
Like its big brother..but improved
I replaced my 3rd gen iPad with an iPad Mini, and when this case was announced knew I'd be getting another Saddleback case for it.
Given the quality of the iPad 2/3/4 case, I knew it was going to be good. What I didn't realize, however, is how much a few subtle tweaks to the design have improved the product.
1. I was concerned they wouldn't be able to reinforce the bezel strips with the metal insert that makes them nice and stiff and prevents the case from squirming when holding the iPad in use..well, they've done it, and this case is just as structurally stiff as the previous case.
2. There are small metal inserts in the edge of the cover, and most importantly, in the single large strap - this keeps the tip of the strap straight and stiffens it, ensuring it remains easy to insert into the strap loop on the back of the case as it wears in.
3. The hand insert on the inside of the cover is fantastic. Might not have worked with the weight of the larger iPad series, but on the mini, it's a great new feature.
4. Most importantly - this version of the case does not have the neoprene padding sandwiched between the outer cow and inner pigskin lining. This makes the case lighter, slimmer, and retains the excellent feel-in-hand of the mini in a way that the larger case didn't. Everyone I've shown the case to has commented on how it keeps the iPad Mini feeling slim, which was a concern of most people I showed the iPad 2/3/4 case to. The mini case still offers excellent protection - I don't think, given the smaller size and lighter weight, that you're trading off any protection at all.
Perfect Fit
Great fit! Really makes the iPad classier. Never will have to get another case this one will last forever!
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