Tuesday, July 24, 2012

papernomad (review)

For the past week I have been using an iPad case from a company called papernomad™1. What first attracted me to the product wasn't the aesthetics of the case itself, but the environmentally sensitive design. Most people do not think of damage to the environment when buying things like a case for an iPad or an iPhone, so it is up to the manufacturer to step up and do this thinking for us. This is exactly what papernomad™ has done. A lot of cases are made out of plastic which causes a lot of damage to our environment, but papernomad™ is crafted from 100% natural resources.

papernomad™ was also a 2012 REDDOT DESIGN AWARD winner.

The Material


The case uses what is called Virgin Kraft Paper for the outside of the case, the inside of the case uses sheep's wool and the strap is made from hemp fibers. I know what you are thinking, how can a paper case protect my $8292 iPad? A couple of things about the material of the case; the Kraft paper is tear-resistant, it is even somewhat water proof, if you spill something on the case it will not be damaged. Just let it dry and after a few hours you will never know that anything ever spilled on your papernomad™ case. Unless , of course, it is coffee. You might have some staining issues then, but you get the point.

The strap of the case has a very small magnet inside and when it touches the front of the case which also has a very small magnet it will snap to it to keep your iPad secure in place and keep it from sliding out. The strap also doubles as a way to remove the iPad from the case, when you tug up on the strap it pulls the iPad up out of the case. Similar to those straps on electronic devices that allow you to remove the batteries from the device.



The Design


If you are an artist or love to doodle you can draw or color on the case, after all it is paper. If you check the papernomad™ website you will see some beautiful animations of cases that have been graffitied with some inspiring artful drawings and stickers. When I showed my daughter the case, then the website, after about 30 seconds she asked if she could color my review case. I guess not only will the papernomad™ case protect your iPad but it could also be considered fun for the whole family, as well as a 'green' product.

The Quality


I am very impressed with the quality of the case, the design of it is amazing. When toting my iPad around in the papernomad™ I felt a bit of nostalgia. It reminded me of my high school years, using paper covers on my text books. I guess just the feel of the case brought that out. I did stretch my papernomad™ case by trying to use it on my iPad 13 then swapping to my iPad 2 and 'new' iPad (3rd Generation). Even after it being stretched out a bit I never felt my 3rd generation iPad was going to slide out when walking with my iPad tucked into the papernomad™ case. The magnets are not that strong but they still do the job. I feel very confident using this case as my everyday case to protect my iPad.

The Comfort


The papernomad™ case does not add any bulk to carrying the iPad at all. It still feels just as thin as carrying just the iPad, of course it is a little thicker but you will not noticed it in your hands when walking around with your iPad in the case. The case does not have any slots for any of the ports on the iPad but if you insert your iPad into the case with the headphone jack facing up you will not have any problems keeping it in the case and using your earbuds or headphones. I have a pair of SMS Audio Hybrid Headphones and I never experienced any issues using the headphones in either mode (wired or wireless with adapter) while it was in the papernomad™ case.

Pros:

  • 100% Natural Product

  • Environmentally conscience product

  • Sleek design

  • Different

  • Protects the iPad

  • Well Designed

  • Artistic

Cons:

  • Magnet is not that strong

  • If you use it with an iPad 1 it will stretch the case and make it loose fitting for the iPad 2 or new iPad



Final Verdict:


If you are wanting something environmentally conscience that will do a terrific job of protecting your investment then grab a papernomad™ case for not only your iPad but also your Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iPhone and iPod. They make cases for the entire Apple lineup of portable devices. I can't write enough about how impressed I am with this case. I have tried plenty of cases for my iPads over that last 2 1/2 years and this is probably the first case that I will actually stick with. This is nothing more than a case, but a damn fine one at that!


You can find out more about papernomad™ on these terrific websites:
papernomad Website
papernomad Story
Like the papernomad on Facebook
Watch the  papernomad videos on YouTube
Follow papernomad on Twitter

Disclaimer: I contacted the company and asked for a review product, I was not paid for this review. I found it to be something I was interested in and wanted to review it for myself.

1 That is how the company spells papernomad, with a lowercase 'p' and all one word.
2 I have a 64GB, LTE iPad (3). iPads start at $499 for the current model.
3 The case is designed for all 3 generation iPads.

** Quick note, the papernomad case is designed for all 3 generations of iPad. In the video I mentioned it was only iPad 2 and iPad (3rd generation).

Check out my gallery of the papernomad™ case. (Click to Enlarge)

papernomad

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