The Good: The SurfacePad’s genuine leather finish feels great in the hand and embedded magnets in the front cover make for a clean & elegant design.
The Bad: While the typing experience was nice, the SurfacePad could benefit from stronger magnets (in the typing position) and improvements to the kickstand’s stability & positioning.
The Bottom Line: If you’re happy to compromise on total protection, Twelve South’s SurfacePad is a really well designed and high quality cover for iPad Mini.
I’ve had the pleasure of using some very good iPad covers and cases, yet no matter how good they are I always end up missing the thin & compact form factor of my iPad Mini. I suppose it’s just a personal preference for the time being; I’m happy to compromise on protection (yes, I know it’s risky) for a better experience using the device.
That’s why I was excited about the SurfacePad by Twelve South: a slim $69.99/£59.99 cover that wraps around the front & back of the iPad with genuine Napa leather, without adding any significant bulk to the device.
Setup
The SurfacePad uses an adhesive to stick to the back of your iPad Mini, and getting it on to your device simply involves aligning the back of the SurfacePad to the back of your iPad and then pressing it down.
There won’t be any residue left behind from the adhesive and it’s possible to remove and reapply it time after time, as long as you cover the adhesive to prevent it from drying up (just use the same plastic film that came with it).
Design & Build Quality
Seamed design on the back of the white SurfacePad for iPad Mini.
Let’s get this out of the way: if you’re looking for a case or cover with protective qualities, this isn’t it. The SurfacePad does prevent surface scratching to the back of the iPad and its display, but it won’t protect the device from a drop — that’s where cases from the likes of Maroo and STM are better suited.
However, as with most other Twelve South products, the SurfacePad for iPad Mini excels in the design department. Covered in genuine Napa leather, the SurfacePad feels soft & luxurious to the touch and is lovely to carry around. The outside of the cover has been kept simple to maintain the SurfacePad’s sophisticated look, with just a logo on the front cover and a seamed design going down the back.
It’s worth noting that the white SurfacePad tends to attract dust and dirty fingerprints far more easily than the black & red versions, but it cleans up well with a microfibre cloth and some dust spray.
Upright viewing angle & the SurfacePad’s microfibre interior.
The SurfacePad’s soft microfibre interior may look simple at first glance, but Twelve South have incorporated a very clever feature in to its front cover: magnets that help to adjust between viewing angles.
Unlike other cases where you’ll find numerous grooves embedded into the cover, the SurfacePad uses these magnets to support the 70° & 60° (upright) viewing angles and a typing position that’s supported by an integrated kickstand for an improved, more stable typing experience.
It’s a really nice design that keeps the SurfacePad looking clean and elegant, so well done Twelve South.
Using The SurfacePad
SurfacePad in typing position & upright viewing angles.
In actual use, the magnets supporting the upright viewing angles worked well and kept my iPad sturdy, even on bumpy train rides when I was tapping away at the screen.
When switching to the low-angled typing position though, I struggled to use the SurfacePad without the integrated kickstand. Watching YouTube videos wasn’t a problem since I didn’t need to touch the device, but any mild tapping on the middle or top of the display would make the iPad fall flat — something which quickly became frustrating. Once I flicked out the SurfacePad’s kickstand it became easier to touch the iPad’s display without it toppling over constantly, and typing became so much more enjoyable whether on my lap or a table.
The kickstand would sometimes slip out of place, so there’s certainly room for improvement there, but overall I can comfortably say that it’s one of the nicest typing experiences I’ve had on an iPad cover/case, in terms of stability and comfort anyway.
Besides that, the embedded magnets also allow you to sleep/wake your device when you open & close the SurfacePad’s cover. The magnets are strong enough that it can get tricky to pull open at times, but I see that as a good thing. After all, the last thing you want is a flimsy front cover flapping around everywhere!
Verdict
I’ve been really happy with my experience of the Twelve South SurfacePad. The combination of embedded magnets and an integrated kickstand makes typing on my iPad Mini comfortable, and the leather finish looks and feels fantastic in the hand. A recommended purchase for design-conscious iPad owners.
ORDER FROM AMAZON U.K. ORDER FROM AMAZON U.S.