iPad Case/Accessory Review- Joby gorillamobile Yogi for iPad

I love the products put out by Joby. The first time I saw them their rather unusual tripod, the gorillamobile, I wasn’t sure what to think. It didn’t look like any tripod I had seen and I quickly discovered that it wasn’t. Each leg had numerous segments which allowed it to be more flexible than any tripod I had ever used. It has seen a good deal of use and the legs have not loosened at all. When I saw the company come out with a number of iPad cases I was not surprised to find that they did not follow the typical path. No, their cases don’t look anything like the other cases out there and that’s a good thing. I saw both up close at CES and have enjoyed trying out the Yogi for iPad for the past few weeks.

This is a simple product but is remarkably useful!

The Yogi for iPad comes in a plane box. Inside you’ll find a hybrid case/shell and two connected legs. There is nothing else because nothing else is needed.

The case is made from hard plastic with a softer, more pliable material around the edges. This helps protect the iPad and ensures that the iPad doesn’t come out of the case unless you actively want it to come out. It is a rather nice system for protecting the iPad back and sides of the iPad and is usable as a case in and of itself. The hard plastic is a bit slippery but the second material makes it easily gripped.

As you can see the dock connector is left open but you will not be able to use the majority of docks while the iPad is in the case. You can also see the softer material that grips the iPad firmly.

The mute switch/rotation lock is left open and accessible although it is a little harder to reach because it is now recessed. The volume rocker is covered but fully functional as well.

At the top of the iPad the 3.5 mm headphone jack and microphone are left open and accessible while the sleep wake button is covered but fully functional.

What makes this case different is the leg accessory that is made from two connected legs that used the same design as the gorillamobile but are significantly larger than their older but smaller cousin.

The legs are connected by a clip that attaches to the case and, because the case has an attachment receptacle on both the portrait and landscape sides of the iPad it can be removed and used in either position.

Once the legs are placed in the proper position the iPad is held at that angle and there is absolutely no movement unless you physically change the angle yourself.

That means you can use the iPad while it is in landscape and angled for viewing content.

Or you can adjust it to a steeper angle if that is more comfortable. If you move the legs from one connector to the other you can then stand the iPad up in a portrait. Here too you have the option to put the iPad at any angle you choose.

Or, if you need to work on the iPad, you can put the legs and back to landscape and put the angle much flatter than you would were you viewing content. I found that I was able to achieve the perfect angle for typing comfortably on the screen and, much to my surprise, the iPad didn’t shift as I type on it. That’s the beauty of this system–the segmented legs are flexible but not loose.

The options for how you can use your iPad when in this particular case are numerous.

You can use it to secure your iPad on a treadmill so that you can view content while you run.

It works surprisingly well.

You can hang your iPad on your arm–or on anything else that you might want.

You can even where the iPad as a necklace although I wouldn’t encourage this outside the privacy of your own home.

All in all, this is a really creative accessory for the iPad. The case itself is actually quite nice and would be worth getting on its own. In conjunction with the legs it creates a combination that will allow you to use your iPad in countless ways. Rather than being stuck with a stand that gives you one, two or maybe five different positions this combination offers you countless possibilities.

My in-laws have been looking for something like this so I think I’ll let them give it a try. I suspect I won’t see it again. 🙂

Details and ordering are available on the Yogi for iPad product page at Joby.com.

MSRP: $49.95

What I like: the case is nice on its own; when used in conjunction with the legs the possibilities for where and how you can use your iPad increase significantly; works with both landscape and portrait

What Needs Improvement: absolutely nothing, this product delivers exactly what it promises and then some; f my previous experience with the products holds true here it will work just as well in six months as it does out of the box