iPad Accessory Review: AUTUM Turncoat Case

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Our friends over at AUTUM are back with yet another awesome product. Just to refresh your memory: we first met the company when they announced release of the Strait Jacket sleeve for the iPad. That was followed by Straight Jackets for the 11 and 13″ MacBook Air. We were quite taken with the design, fit and finish of each; Judie and I continue to enjoy using ours on a regular basis.

Then the company announced the limited production run of the Heretic sofa. This was the point at which we knew that we liked this company, their aesthetics and their sense of irreverence a lot. After all, who creates fine seating from, believe it or not, a metal coffin?

Now they’re back with yet another product and it’s fantastic. The Turncoat is an artistically designed sleeve/case for both generations of the iPad.

Let’s take a closer look to see why we are both seriously “in like” with this new iPad accessory.

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From AUTUM:

With a rather irreverent design; the Turncoat functions with the simplicity of a sleeve while offering the protection of a more robust case. A single cut of 6 oz, domestically tanned leather accommodates your iPad 2 with or without a smart cover. Four hand fastened duty snaps securely hold everything in place and allow for quick access from the top or bottom.

Features:

Hand Made USA

Easy Access

Limited Production

Scratch Free Suede Interior

4 Hand Fastened Duty Snaps

6 oz Domestically Tanned Leather

Exact Fit for iPad / iPad 2 With or Without Smart Cover

Complimentary Priority Shipping for Domestic Orders

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As we’ve come to expect from AUTUM’s products, even the packaging is top-notch. Like the Straight Jackets we received, the Turncoat arrives in a plain brown box that is sealed on both ends.

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Opening the box reveals the turncoat neatly wrapped in tissue paper; it gives the impression of opening a high-end gift and simply adds to the experience.

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Opening up the paper reveals the Turncoat. It is gorgeous! The leather is soft, luxurious and it smells fantastic! =)

The leather is dark and rich, and after using it a few days it begins to some small rub marks, but these only add to the character of the case.

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We weren’t surprised to find that the fit and finish on the sleeve is perfect. After all, this is a high-end luxury accessory for the iPad, and aesthetics are just as important as functionality when it comes to AUTUM’s products. Once again they deliver!

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One of the signature features of all of the company’s products is the simple embossed name somewhere on the front of the leather. In this case the word AUTUM is embossed just below the meeting point of the two “wings”, centered between the four snaps on the case.

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Speaking of the snaps: they are both functional and part of the case’s design. They bring a tremendous amount of interest and uniqueness to the Turncoat, while giving you the flexibility to open up either side of the case or, if you so choose, both at the same time.

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Open one wing and you pretty much get a traditional iPad sleeve. You simply slide your device into the case, pull the wing down and snap it closed.

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As closer look at the interior

 

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Or you can open both wings and have complete access to the interior of the case.

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The Turncoat is designed to work with the original iPad as well as the iPad2, with or without the Smart Cover.

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The iPad slips inside and fits perfectly.

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As you can see, with both “wings” open and one of the interior flaps raised, the fit and finish of the Turncoat is precise.

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Of course, the turncoat also works with the iPad2 when not protected by the smart cover. When using it like this, however, we recommend placing the iPad face down so that the screen is protected by a smooth, unbroken piece of leather.

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So what do we think of AUTUM’s latest offering? If you have to ask that you haven’t been paying attention! 😆

Judie and I love it.

Once again AUTUM has found a way to take the increasingly commonplace iPad case to an entirely new artistic level. By using gorgeous materials, a unique design, and excellent artisans for crafting the final product, they have created a case that will be as attention drawing as it is functional. No, such qualities don’t come inexpensively, and this is yet again the case with one of AUTUM’s products. The Turncoat has an MSRP of $144. That’s certainly not inexpensive, but for that money you get a luxury, limited edition case for your iPad — one that will fit either generation device.

Unfortunately interest has already been so great that the site indicates that “Due To Exceptional Demand: Please Allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery”. You can order one here on the AUTUM Website.

MSRP: $144

What We Like: Gorgeous leather; neat, unusual design; excellent workmanship; unusual and attention-grabbing; works with iPad and iPad2

What Needs Improvement: Pricey and Back-ordered for 4-6 weeks

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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.

1 Comment on "iPad Accessory Review: AUTUM Turncoat Case"

  1. I’m torn with cases lke this [any slipcase]- it looks lovely and well made, but when using my iPad, where do I put it? Are there any play-through cases that are as well finished as this? When travelling with my netbook, the case gets in the ay, or dropped, and I can the same happening with this.

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