We loved meeting Ali Yildirim and his team from BeyzaCases during CES 2013. We love their gorgeous leather case and appreciate their advertising on Gear Diary. Their new offerings are the epitome of luxury and make using your various electronic devices even more pleasurable. You can read all about our time with Ali and his team here. We walked away from our time at the BeyzaCases booth with a number of their current products. One of the more unusual is the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini. Available in black, tan, brown and camel. Priced at more than $150 the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini is luxury at its finest.
Let’s start with the leather used to create the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini. It is gorgeous. As the company notes, only the finest leather is used. If you love leather that is smooth, unblemished and has a rich, deep color you will love this case.
The BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini is one of the more unusual sleeves we’ve seen. The sleeve portion of the case is pretty much what you would expect- a sleeve into which the iPad easily slips. The sleeves cover, however, is an entirely different story. It comes halfway down the sleeve and offers a great deal of visual interest. The cover is secured to the sleeve using a technique first developed by Lydians to sew saddles and was developed by Asian cultures over thousands of years. (I know about this because I read the BeyzaCases website.)
The cover is secured to the sleeve using a special “lock bolt” in which the “extra” leather on the cover slips into the logo-embossed strap on the sleeve. Like the sewing method used on the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini, the “lock bolt” is rather unusual in both design and function. At first I found having to slip the lower piece of the “lock” into the “bolt” by first lowering the flap and then “backing” the lock into the lock a bit cumbersome. After using the sleeve for a few days however this became second nature. I do love that, when closed, the bolt is completely hidden.
The inside of the sleeve is a soft inner lining that protects the iPad mini from dust and scratches.
The BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini is the very definition of a luxury item. It costs about half of the least expensive iPad mini and only protects your iPad while the tablet is actually inside the sleeve. It works fine if you have a protective skin or rear shell on your iPad but doesn’t work with any kind of full case. It is classy and immediately recognizable as a high-end product. The “lock bolt” method, which can be a bit tricky to use at times, is a bit of “form over function” but it is exquisite form. In other words, if you are looking for a simple, practical sleeve the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you want a sleeve for your iPad mini, don’t want something pedestrian, love quality leather goods and aren’t on a budget the BeyzaCases Sarach Series for iPad Mini is a winner. Check it out here on the BeyzaCases website.
MSRP: $179.95 (but is available for $152.95 for a limited time)
What I Like: Beautiful leather; Soft, protective interior; “lock bolt” secures the cover in place; BeyzaCases quality
What Needs Improvement: Pricey; “Lock bolt” can be tricky to use; Only protective when the iPad is inside the sleeve
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample