Some time ago I reviewed the Lifeproof case for my iPad mini, which was a fully armoured case which offered unprecedented levels of protection, and provided the much needed piece of mind while it was being used by my little boy, but with the drawback that considerable bulk was added to the overall size and feel of the device, and to be honest the size and feel of the iPad mini is one of its major selling points.
So when my little one wasn’t using the iPad (i.e. when he was sleep in bed) I would fit the apple smart cover and a gear 4 rear shell, which made the mini feel small and thin again, but offered little more than scratch protection. As you can see below
Here at Coolsmartphone Towers were contacted by tech 21 asking us to review their screen protector and rear case for the iPad mini, so I took up the challenge to carry out the review.
One of the main selling points of the Tech 21 products is its impact protection, something that the company call Impactology™
Screen Protector
On unpacking the screen protector I was instantly struck by how different this protector looked compared to others I have bought in the past. The packaging states “ Absorbs and dissipates the force away from the point of impact. Every layer has been chosen for its perfect optical clarity”
1. A hard top layer spreads impact force
2. Impact protection layer. Bulletshield™ featuring BASF protection polymer absorbs impact
3. Soft base layer further absorbs impact force.
So as you can see from the literature, its all about protecting devices from impacts.
The screen protector feels really thick, and to be honest I thought too thick, but I would give it a try, fitting of the screen protector is the same as many others,
Step 1 – Give the screen a really good clean, I use Brasso Gadgetcare to clean my device screens
Step 2 – Get inside a atmospherically sealed laboratory to ensure no dust partials are in the air and thus land on the screen (or the bathroom with the shower running)
Step 3 – Peel off one side of the screen protector and lay it on the device, forcing out the air bubbles with the supplied piece of plastic
Step 4 – Peel off the other side of the screen protector and and remove any air bubbles
Well the screen protector fitted really well with no bubbles and the extra thickness actually helped with the positioning, as it wasnt “floppy” and sticking down in all the wrong places.
As I said earlier I had reservations using the screen protector, due to its thickness, but once on the mini I couldn’t tell it was there (which is exactly what you want from a screen protector) there was no lag in responsiveness of the device, and it felt the same as the glass panel under the finger tips.
Rear Cover
Tech 21 call this cover “Impact Mesh” and again there is a lot emphasis about device impact protection
1. Integrated with D30® impact material that absorbs and dissipates shock away from your device when dropped.
2. Compatible with Apple Smart Cover®
3. Slim-fitting, lightweight impact protective cover
4. Access to all ports and controls
Fitting of this cover is a breeze, just pushes nicely on the back of the mini, the material feels very premium and very non slip and grippy in the hand, it does add a little to the size of the device ( we are talking millimetres here )
Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the corners of the case have even more re-enforcement to provide yet another layer of protection in theses vulnerable areas.
Now, unlike the review I did on the Lifeproof case where I watched Netflix underwater to test its waterproof-ness, I’m not going to deliberately drop my ipad on the floor, but the fitting of the rear mesh case does allow me to continue to use the smart cover and give me some protection reassurance.
Update: I’ve dropped my iPad mini, let me just say this wasn’t to test the case it was a complete accident. I dropped the mini outside from about 5 feet ( my hands just stopped working ) straight on to the pavement, in what can only be described as a device killer. I stood there in terror looking at it, too scared to pick it up, when I did the device had survived albeit with a dent in the side, which I convinced had the rear mesh not be on would have cracked the screen.
Its quite hard to picture a dent
You can get the Tech 21 screen protector from Tech 21
And the impact mesh case from Apple.com