OTTERBOX DEFENDER SERIES Case for iPad 2/3/4 Alpenglow (Peony Pink/Gunmetal Gray)

This review is a comparison of the new Otterbox Defender vs. theGumdrop Droptech case and our experiencewith both. Hubby and I have had Gumdrop cases on our ipads since we bought them in October of 2011. We bought iPad 2's at that time but I have since upgraded to an iPad 3. He still has the 2. We loved our gumdrops for a long time but recently mine started getting saggy on the backside of the iPad and the silicone stopped laying flat on the front of both of our cases. I had already removed the screen protector when I bought the iPad 3 because it made the retina display very grainy and pixelated. Hubby kept using the screen protector on the iPad 2. I decided I was ready for something new so I researched and concluded we could give the Otterbox a try. I ordered him the black and hornet yellow version and ordered myself the gray and pink (alpenglow) version. I also ordered my son the gray and white version for his ipad mini we just bought him. Boy oh boy what a difference! The Otterbox is far superior to the Gumdrop for several reasons! First of all the level of protection is much greater. The Otterbox is smaller,lighter and easier to hold,yet,it is firm and denser and clips together much firmer. I wouldn't be scared to drop my ipad down a flight of stairs in this thing! Anyway, when my hubby took off his military green gumdrop case there was moisture all over the back of his ipad and mold growing! He had to scrub it with cleaner to get it off. The gumdrop does not have a hard shell on the back under the silicone so I guess maybe humidity can easily get trapped between the back of the iPad and the case. There was no mechanical damage to his ipad though. We believe that if we wouldn't have discovered this, it would have eroded his ipad. BAD!!! Mine had a couple of small bluish moldy looking stains inside the silicone of my pink Gumdrop case but there was no apparent trapped moisture or mold on my ipad. Neither of us has ever spilt liquids on or near our iPads or dropped them. We are very careful with them and keep them immaculate. He does take his along with him around town in his work truck a lot. We can't figure out why there was moisture other than a bad case design. Anyway, we got our Otterboxes and the built in screen proctector is great! I purchased a zagg invisi-shield prepared to cut the protector out of mine to keep the clarity of the retina display. To my surprise my ipad is still so beautiful with the built in protector so I will not need the zagg. Also, the sound is much louder and nicer as the Otterbox shoots it out to the side and the plastic port seems to magnify the sound. The gumdrop shoots it straight out the back and it is muffled sounding. Here are my two complaints about the Otterbox cases. Although the screen protectors are very responsive, I am finding I have to really pounce on the space bar, I guess since its right next to the edge of the frame, to make it work and there is a slight tapping sound in areas but not enough to matter. ...No where near as bad as a Griffin Survivor. The other frustrating and highly aggravating thing is the air bubbles under the screen protector. I watched some You Tube videos to find out how to cure this and on my case it worked like a charm on the first try... I used eyeglasses cleaner on the front of my ipad and then on the inside of the otterbox screen with a microfiber cloth...perfection! however, I tried that on hubby's and my sons with no luck at all. Ended up lightly poofing baby powder on the screen protector to get rid of the air bubbles. I even called otterbox and the baby powder is what they told me to do. I don't like having to use baby powder on the iPads. The screens look great though. You could always cut it out and use a zagg like I was prepared to do if you have problems with air bubbles. The home buttons are much tougher than I'm use to but I don't mind that. Overall great case and I am glad I decided to try them. I highly recommend giving Otterbox a try if you haven't already. Love the bright vivid colors and the hard clip on cover/stand is awesome! It is very sturdy and the sleep wake function works great.

This is the third case I've had for my iPad 2 since I got it in 2012. The other cases provided okay protection, but both fell apart at the seams and stopped effectively holding the device up at an angle for ease of use. This time around, I decided to look into an OtterBox case because I got one for my phone a couple years ago and it has withstood several drops, leaving my phone perfectly intact each time. Yes, this OtterBox iPad protective case is much more costly than other cases, but I honestly feel the quality/brand is worth the price. Before I decided on this particular case, I read reviews, of course. (If you haven't read any other reviews yet, find the one by the woman who forgot about her iPad on top of her car and drove away allowing the device to fly off onto the road. No damage to the device because it was protected by this OtterBox Defender series case. Just amazing.) Some people said they've had to apply more pressure than normal with the protective screen in place, but I am NOT finding that to be an issue. One touch is all it takes--the overlay isn't even noticeable in my opinion. The only thing that requires a little more pressure is the home button, but I don't see that as an issue at all considering how well my iPad is now protected. If you are wavering on purchasing this case (or any other OtterBox product) for your iPad, I recommend taking the plunge and ordering it right now. You won't regret it. This product is top-knotch and will probably outlast your device.

I love these so much I have purchased two of them! One for me, one for my mother. Otterbox products are always high quality and they do not disappoint with the ipad case. There is a hard, plastic frame that is wrapped in a heavy-duty silicone for shock absorption. If anyone has an older otterbox for an iPhone you will know about the tacky silicone that stretches out over time. This silicone (or whatever material it is) is not like that. It is very sturdy and I doubt it will stretch out. All of the ports have covers so you can keep them protected when not in use. There is a hard, scratch-resistant screen protector that will protect your screen so you don't need to buy the film, adhesive screen protectors. Sound quality is fine because there are holes for the speakers, all ports are easily accessible. There is also a hard, plastic cover that protects the screen when not in use. It also doubles as a stand that lets you have a few angles for both portrait and landscape orientations. When you don't want to use it as a stand it just clips on to the back of the ipad. Some people have told me it feels a little bulky and heavy but honestly, i like that it feels sturdy. Im confident that if I drop my ipad it will survive the fall. It looks great and feels great. I use my ipad almost everyday on a long commute and it hasn't aged a minute because of heavy wear and tear! I would recommend this to anyone. Pros - Very Sturdy - Built in Screen Protector - Does not affect any functions - Versatile Stand/Cover Cons - Moderately Bulky

Strong durable case. Perfect for keeping an iPad safe!

My wife dropped her iPad and broke the screen. The case she had it in looked nice but was no protection at all. The otterbox does exactly what it says, it defends the iPad from drops and spills. I think they call it an Otterbox because like an otter pounding on a clam with a rock it is so hard to open the first time you use it;. However there is a video that explains the process, and once you do it it makes perfect sense and is easy. No real reason to take it out of the case except to save weight, but having dropped an iPad and paying up the yazoo to replace the screen I don't think this one is ever coming of of the case. Also it makes a handy stand and the cover has magnets to automatically turn it on or off. My wife keeps trying to peek and make sure it is off, but that is like trying to check and see if the light in your fridge goes off when you close the door. All in all a good investment.

I just received it on the third week of September, 2012. It fits well and looks great in my new iPad. A little heavy but worth your peace of mind. I am free to take it anywhere knowing is well protected. I also bought the utility latch and it makes a terrific combination. This works well for family with children and active people. If you are going to use it at home or office only it may not be the best for you. But if you like to take lots of pictures and videos outside and work on the go it works great! Little fingers on the screen wiped out easy. The hard cover is great when you are carrying out in a bag and as stand. The view on the screen protector is very good and so far very responsive. 95% of the time works really well and occasionally you may have to do it again a couple of times. All and all I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you Amazon for great price in both products!

I am extremely happy with this purchase. However, it is very important that you know what to expect when you buy the OtterBox. 1) The instructions that came with the item are not clear. I went to youtube and reviewed a tutorial there. This helped and I was able to install my iPad very easily. 2) This case comes with an attached screen protector that gets finger prints on it really easily. You may want to use a soft cloth to clean both sides of the screen protector and your iPad before you install it. You may also want to use rubber clothes (as was recommended in the tutorial I viewed). 3) The Otterbox adds significant weight to the iPad. I expected this going in and was not disappointed but if you are looking to keep the item relatively light, this may not work for you. 4) Once you put the item in the case you pretty much will want to leave it in the case. It's not very difficult to open and close the Otterbox but if you need to put the iPad on a docking station regularly, this case may not work for you. 5) The Otterbox comes with a stand that doubles as a cover for the screen. The stand is sturdy and works as designed. I just wish there was some way that the stand could attach to the case. I know I'm asking for a lot but when I use the iPad in portrait with the stand, the stand doesn't work so well. 5) Overall, I am very pleased with the Otterbox. I feel confident that if I ever drop my iPad again (yes I have dropped it more than once - another reason why I decided to stop taking chances and buy the case) I have a fighting chance that the iPad will not break.

I had purchased the OtterBox for the IPhone 4 and like it, so when I got my new IPad, I had to purchase this product. Point blank - the OtterBox for the New IPad is 100% better than the one for the IPhone4. The one for the IPad fits very well. Like a glove. The rubber surface is of better quality. I've had to purchase about 4 for my IPhone because after using it for a while, the rubber becomes 'flimsy' so you have to replace it. The rubber surface on the IPad case is so tight that it hasn't lost any of it's shape from day one! The case is very tight and I had to struggle with it to open it the first time in order to slide the IPad in...but once I opened it, and put the IPad in...it fits very well. I am so satisfied with this produce. It protects your IPad really well. I would recommend anyone to purchase this product if you have the new IPad. Mine still looks brand new because of this product.

This works just fine for your iPad. It's hefty and at times clunky. And sometimes the buttons stick but if your looking for something that will protect against the dropsies, this one is for you. Update: If you have children, this case is fantastic. I would say that it's five-star worthy. And that's why I've bumped it from 4 to 5. The clunkiness I can handle but the amount of drops, bangs, crashes, and hullabaloo that this thing has been put through and still manages to protect the iPad inside.... unbelievable. Excellent product. Would buy again.

In terms of providing protection, this is an excellent product. Initial concerns, such as the screen, proved to be unfounded. I am quite comfortable with the screen. The real defect in the product is the soft grey silicon cover. Over time, and I have had this product for 6 months, the silicon loses its shape. It does not fit tightly and snugly all around. The corners start to separate from the hard plastic shell. Very unfortunate and I hope this will be fixed. That said, I use the iPAD for several hours every day. So this concern probably wont show up with occasional use.

This case is amazing i bought it for my ipad 2 about a year ago and it took some nice beating from my daughter and still surviving. The only issue is that my daughter had 100 of scratches on the screen protector that came with it. I wish i can find the same type of screen protector to replace the one i have. other than that i am really happy with this purchase.

This has been my 5th OtterBox purchase - this one was for my wife and she loves it. She adores the colour combination and the great protection the case provides. I did not appreciate that the cover doubles as a stand - our kids figured that out while watching a movie on Netflix! Thank you Amazon on the crazy prompt overnight delivery & OtterBox for continuing to produce quality products.

Wow it certainly protects my ipad4. Nicely too. Easy to put together. Adds weight though. It's heavy duty. However, and it's a BIG however, the on/off button is a killer with someone who has any carpel tunnel type hand/finger issues. Wow is it EVER hard to turn on and off. It's work!! I can only hope that it loosens up over time otherwise, I am going to HATE that button. All the other buttons are excellent, except the on/off button. Be warned!!! Edited to add that the on off button does loosen up but it took a LONG time!!! It's the end of October now.