Decent Protection But Terrible Design
By Chris
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2025-09-24
I've owned Otterbox Defender cases for several devices in the past and always been happy with their protectiveness, build quality, and design. This has been quite a letdown in comparison. I tried two different examples of this same case and reached identical conclusions with both.
These cases feature three main components: the inner plastic shell, the outer rubber layer, and the detachable plastic cover/kickstand. I owned the Defender case for my previous iPad) (a now-ancient 1st Generation iPad Pro), and it featured the same three basic components, all of which felt very sturdy. On this case, however, I can't give the same praise.
The inner plastic shell on my previous Defender case was very sturdy (almost annoyingly so—separating the two halves to remove the iPad was actually a challenge). This one is much easier to take apart, which you could argue is an improvement. With the rubber outer layer affixed, it's not like the inner shell needs to be all that secure, as all the joints are covered up by the rubber. My only real complaint about this part of it is that when putting the case together, the latches are so weak that they sometimes pop on their own, so you need to be be careful. Again, once the rubber layer is on, this is a non-issue, but it's something to be aware of.
The rubber layer on this case seems to have a little too much slack on the back side—even after making sure it's securely attached at all the intended points, the flat back portion is a little loose. This won't affect the protectiveness of the case, but it's going to annoy you if you're someone who wants everything to fit perfectly.
The worst part by far, though, is the detachable screen cover/kickstand. On my old case, there was a folding mechanism on the inward-facing side of the cover that had two positions: up (to prop up the iPad) and down (for storage). You could use the iPad in either portrait or landscape orientation, and both low and high viewing angles were available in either orientation. The hinge occasionally would detach, but it never broke—I could always just pop it back into place. On this case, the kickstand mechanism is on the outside of the cover, and operating it is infuriating. It has several detents, ostensibly so you can adjust the angle while in the landscape orientation, but moving between the detents with any level of precision is nearly impossible. EVERY time I go to use it, it gets stuck in a position I didn't want it in and I have to wiggle it a bunch to get it out of that position and into another. When I want to close the kickstand, it's the same process. Most of the angles are useless—unless you use one of the fully- or nearly fully-extended positions, the whole iPad moves worryingly at any touch or movement, even on a flat desk. The old design allowed you to place the cover flat on your lap or a soft surface like a bed and prop the tablet up (again, either in a low or high viewing angle), but since with this design there's no longer a large flat surface under the kickstand, you can't safely use it on anything but a desk or counter top.
My final gripe is their implementation of Apple Pencil storage. I don't know that I blame Otterbox as much here, as incorporating the ability to charge a docked Pencil was probably a challenge, but their solution comes up short. There are two spots for your Pencil—the first is in its magnetically docked charging position. There's an opening in the back cover that allows the Pencil to click into place for storage. It's a bit annoying that there's essentially just a Pencil-sized hole in the cover (theoretically reducing its protectiveness), but it works okay. There's also a hinged cover along the side of the case itself that opens to allow space for the Pencil. When the cover is off, it works fine. It feels a little flimsy, but it's functional. Its biggest problem is that, when the outer cover is attached to the back (for use in kickstand mode) it limits how much this hinged cover can open, meaning you can't actually access your docked pencil easily with the back cover on. In kickstand mode. You know, how you'd actually be using the iPad. This is infuriating.
I do not know what possessed Otterbox to ruin what was previously a flexible and very useable design. Since there's been such a large gap in time between iPads for me, I also can't say at what point they changed to this design. The price they charge for these cases should inspire nothing but confidence in their protection and functionality, but they left me feeling only frustration and buyer's remorse. What's even sadder is I'm genuinely not aware of a better case out there. Every one I've tried is compromised in one way or another. The fact is this case, with all its flaws, is still probably the best protection you can get, and that might be the biggest disappointment of all.
