Over the last couple of months, my iPad has been encased in a total of four different cases, three of which have been folio-style, and the other a simple hard shell.  Each has been used for around four weeks and has seen action both inside and outside the house.  The final case I used was the one you see here, the Powis iCase.

Powis’ background is in book binding, so it’s perhaps not that surprising to find the Powis iCase is strong, durable and attractive, however I wasn’t expecting the level of versatility the iCase offers.  Now, with a normal folio case, you have a choice of two or three positions for you iPad, but the iCase gives you nine!

There’s no cheating either, as there are really nine different positions to support your iPad in, ranging from a slightly raised typing angle to an upright portrait view.  While several of these positions are achieved using the fold-back front cover, others use an ingenious stand built into the rear of the case.  The two-piece stand is spring-loaded and has two different rake settings, which provide six different viewing options and angles for an iPad mounted in the case.

This isn’t a gimmick either, as not only does it look well-designed, but it actually supports the case perfectly, and you’ll never get that awful feeling it’ll topple over at the merest hint of a breeze.  This is helped by the longest edges of the case being finished with a rubber strip, giving them a huge amount of grip.

Our Powis iCase is finished in black leather, which conceals the black stand and black rubber edges nicely.  Other colors are available, but the stand and edging remain black and so slightly spoil the sleek look.  Opening the iCase reveals a striking red leather liner, and in this case shows one of the personalization options available to buyers.  The leather has been stuck down rather than stitched, but it’s very secure and hasn’t frayed during our test.  We mention this as two other folio cases we’ve tested have looked decidedly worse for wear after a month, but the Powis iCase looks exactly the same as it did when it arrived.

The iPad itself clips into a hard plastic tray which provides access to all the buttons and ports, while holding the tablet securely in place.  It’s a bit of a fiddle getting it in and out, but at least you’re safe in the knowledge it’s not going to work its way free on its own.  Hidden away under the tray is a small polishing cloth to clean the iPad’s screen, which is a great idea, but the cloth itself is a little too small.

It’s difficult to fault the iCase, and there are only one or two areas we found problematic.  The first was the positioning of the 30-pin connector dock hole, which is very slightly off-center and therefore comes perilously close to not allowing the standard charger to fit, and may cause a problem if you’re using a non-standard plug.  Secondly, the plastic strip on the folio’s inside cover left a mark on our iPad’s screen, like it had been ever-so-slightly rubbing against it.  While a polish with our MOBiLECLOTH sorted it out, an iPad without a screen protector fitted may not be as lucky.

Despite the Powis iCase coming to the end of its evaluation, it’s going to stay where it is, protecting our iPad.  It looks great, the real leather feels good to the touch, and the build quality is superb – plus the sheer variety of viewing positions means that no matter where we’re using it, there is always a suitable option.  For us, right now, the Powis iCase is the one against which all other iPad cases will be judged.

The Powis iCase is priced from $59.95 to $99.95, depending on the personalization options and leather type you select.  The model you see here is a medium grain black leather case with a red interior, which costs $59.95, plus $9.95 for the interior personalization. You can order you own direct from Powis here.