Tuff-Luv Tri-Axis case for HP Touchpad review
One of the first things I think of when I get a new device is how to protect it for everyday wear and tear. For a tablet or smartphone that usually means a case and/or screen protector. I have both on my EVO, but decided that for my Touchpad that just a case would be enough protection. I am not the type of person to throw $500 devices around without a thought for their safety so I don’t need the most protection, but just any case won’t do. I was perfectly happy with my Touchpad sans case for the first month or so, but that first scratch on it’s back made me run to Ebay and buy a cheap $10 case. As soon as I put it on I started looking for it’s replacement. It was exactly what a cheap $10 case should be, ill-fitting, akward to use, and just plain cheap. Using that cheapo for a month made me realize the true beauty of the Tuff-Luv Tri-Axis case for my Touchpad. Hit the jump and you will see why.
Build Quality
The first thing I thought of when I pulled my Tough-Luv Tri-Axis case out of it’s packaging was “holy cow that’s a lot of velcro!” I soon found out just how useful all that velcro can be however. Before we get to all that, I want to talk about the quality of this case first. I immediately grabbed my Touchpad and slipped it into it’s new home. I noticed right away how well it fit. In order to insert the tablet you simply un-velcro one little strap, slide the tablet into the case, and then velcro it into place. The case fits like a glove. All the ports are lined up perfectly, and all the buttons are easily accessible. You might think that all cases will get the holes right for ports and buttons, but I know from experience it’s harder to get right than you might think. Tuff-Luv nailed it.
The case is made of genuine leather, and you can tell that it’s quality just by touching it. It feels very rugged, and able to stand up to every day wear and tear. With all the flaps and pieces, there are plenty of opportunities for bad stitching. I’ve been using the case for a few weeks now, and there are no loose stitches that I can find anywhere. There are two snaps, and they aren’t going anywhere either. Overall this case is made with quality materials and should last a very long time. Just in case something does go wrong, this case comes with lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials.
Daily Use
Most tablet cases also double as a stand, and this case is no different. However where this case differs from most other cases is the sheer number of positions you can put it in. This is where all that velcro comes into play. As you can see in the picture setting up the case as a stand is as simple as unsnapping what I will call the leg, and then taking the velcro at the end of the leg and the velcro on the back of the case and put them together. Which velcro tab you choose to use will be determined by what viewing angle you want. There are six different angles to choose from. These all work great in landscape mode, but what about portrait? Well that’s why the case’s cover has a couple flaps that you can fold back to help it stand up in portrait mode. However the one thing about velcro is that it can be quite loud in a quiet room. In the middle of a meeting or lecture is not the time to be ripping that velcro to stand your tablet up. You will want to make sure you do that before the meeting starts.
I love to use my tablet while sitting on the couch watching TV with my wife. All the different angles and ways you can set the case up mean that no matter what I’m doing on my tablet, it will stay put right where I want it. In fact that exactly’s where I wrote this article, sitting on the couch. It easily and securely stays right where I want it, in either portrait or landscape mode.
I was a little confused with one thing that comes on the Touchpad version of this case. There are a few slots stitched into the inside cover. It took me a little while to figure out what could go in them. I finally figured that they were made for SD and miniSD cards. I don’t really get why they are on the Touchpad case because it doesn’t have an SD card slot. I don’t know if somewhere along the line HP was supposed to put in an SD card slot, and then decided not too, but it’s a little bit of a waste to have left them in the case. They don’t hurt anything though, and maybe somebody will actually keep some SD cards in there.
There are a couple things that I personally don’t like with this case. The first is that it is not compatible with my Touchstone. That means that every time I need to charge my tablet, I have to take it out of the case. It’s not a huge deal, but just a slight annoyance. The other thing about this case, and most of them for that matter, is that the way you have to slip the tablet into the case means that there is a strip of case around the edge of the screen. Luckily this case fits so well and doesn’t slip so it doesn’t interfere with actually using the tablet. Those are just a couple minor annoyances for me, and they might not bother you at all.
Conclusion
I have really enjoyed using this case for the last few weeks. I have felt that my Touchpad has been safe and secure. The many different viewing angles has meant that it was always at the perfect angle for whatever I was doing. This is a great case, and Tuff-Luv has this available from their website for about $70 US normally, but it is currently on sale for 50% off. You can also get this case in faux leather for about $50 US. Tuff-Luv is based out of the UK, but I had no problems getting my case shipped to the US. If you are looking for that perfect case for your Touchpad, give the Tuff-Luv Tri-Axis case a try, you won’t regret it.
[Tuff-Luv Tri-Axis Case for HP Touchpad]
