iPad Accessory Review: monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell

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A few weeks ago we posted the news that a new series of carbon fiber shells were coming to market for the iPad and iPhone. The shells, called HoverCoat, come from monCarbone and are available for pre-order now. The iPad shells have an MSRP of $89.99. Is a shell that only protects the back and sides — but does nothing to protect the screen — worth close to $100??? Read on to find out.

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From The Company:

Carbon fiber is the ideal material to appeal to high?end users in the electronic accessories market, according to monCarbone. The precision engineering of carbon fiber provides high tensile strength and durability greater than the properties of steel! Through its unique crisscross pattern, it also provides an elegant look and the feel of luxury.

“Previously used only in the aerospace industry, top racing cars and high?end sports equipment, carbon fiber is virtually unbreakable and offers sports car styling,” Ming continued. ‘iPad users don’t want just another run?of?the?mill plastic or silicon cover to protect their device! They want something that truly stands out in a crowd, without adding bulk and weight, to maintain and protect the beauty of their device – and HoverCoat is the solution!”

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Features:

Hand Crafted, tailor-made iPad case cover

Reinforced scratch resistant finish

Made from 720,000 carbon fiber strings

Complete access to all iPad controls

UV resistant features prevent discoloration of the case under sunlight

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My Take:

With the HoverCoat stats matter. The shell is just 0.6mm thick (less than .03”) and weighs less than 42 grams (less than 1.5 oz). That means when you first take it out of the box it feels light as a feather. It is a snug fit, and yet it —

…covers the iPad device snugly and flawlessly. Intelligent design allows complete access to controls and ports…

The review unit we received is the company’s “Mystery Black”. This is the matte finished carbon fiber. The company also sells one in “Midnight Black” which is the glossy finish we normally associate with carbon fiber. At first I had a mixed reaction to the matte finish on this shell. I’m used to a glossier finish and wasn’t sure I liked the matte look and feel. After using it for a while though, I’m sold on it. It looks nice, feels great, and it offers superb protection without calling attention to itself.

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The shell is stamped with the company name and logo… but  it’s on the inside, so it’s there but unseen when using the case. I love that!

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As you can see here, the shell is perfectly molded to the back of the iPad; it turns up to cover the sides at all points, except those that need to leave access to buttons and ports.

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Carbon fiber can impact signal strength apparently, so the HoverCoat has a series of holes punched out where the 3G antenna is on the iPad WiFi + 3G. I’m not noticing any signal degradation while using it, however.

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As noted, the cutouts for the buttons and controls leave complete access to the device.

As an aside: If you take a close look above the “Di” in the water mark above, you will see a good example of something that WOULD NOT be there had I been using the HoverCoat a few weeks ago. 🙁

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Here is a view from the top. Again, you can see the precision taken to ensure the buttons and controls are fully accessible.

The HoverCoat is a pretty amazing accessory for the iPad. When you first hold it … it feels like nothing. It is so light and thin that you can’t imagine it offering any significant protection. But it is its thin/light aspect that makes the HoverCoat so unique. It fits the iPad like a second skin, adds no noticeable bulk or weight, it protects the sides and back perfectly , and because it is carbon fiber it is super strong. Unlike skins such as Clear-Coat or the ZAGG leatherSKIN (both of which I like very much), it offers immediate protection to the sides (the Clear-Coat has side protection but needs to be applied separately, while the leatherSKIN does not protect the sides at all), and it is easily removed and then put back on.

Another nice aspect of the shell is that I have yet to find a case that doesn’t work while the HoverCoat is on. That means I can get screen protection when I want it, or I can have everything but the screen protected when I want that. Oh, and if you are wondering if the iPad will work with the keyboard dock while the HoverCoat is on… wonder no more. It works perfectly.

So is the HoverCoat worth an MSRP of $89.99? Considering what the 64GB WiFi + 3G iPad costs, it strikes me as a fairly reasonable insurance policy. When you consider that the leatherSKIN I previously reviewed cost $49.99 and it isn’t reusable, I think the monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell is a worthwhile investment.

The monCarbone HoverCoat for the Apple iPad is not cheap… but it is awesome!https://www.zagg.com/us/en_us/leatherskins/ipad

The HoverCoat can be ordered directly from the monCarbone website.

MSRP: $89.99

What I Like: The HoverCoat is super light and thin; it protects back and sides; it’s easily put on and taken off; it adds a nice textured grip to the back; it looks cool

What Needs Improvement: It’s pricey; the carbon fiber may affect signal strength

Now that you are done reading this review, make sure to jump on over to the company website. It is artistically done and decidedly NSFW.

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

9 Comments on "iPad Accessory Review: monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell"

  1. iPad on Eqentia | August 14, 2010 at 10:11 pm |

    iPad Accessory Review: monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell

  2. geardiary: iPad Accessory monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell – http://bit.ly/baqPnv

  3. RT @GearDiarySite: iPad Accessory Review: monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell http://goo.gl/fb/jR1v3

  4. Bem legal!!!!… http://fb.me/xEa6Us17

  5. Looks like a nice case for the iPad, but spendy. "iPad Accessory Review: monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber Shell" http://is.gd/ei5V2

  6. No padding on the inside of the shell, is that right, Dan?

  7. Chris Choi/??? | August 19, 2010 at 1:37 pm |

    #monCarbone HoverCoat Carbon Fiber case: the ultimate iPad case for carbon fiber freaks. http://is.gd/eoJhZ #clien #???_ #???_

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