The Speck MagFolio Lounge Is An iPad Case That’s Ideal In An Armchair [Review]

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Works wonderfully on your lap.
Works wonderfully on your lap.

The Speck MagFolio Lounge is a slim-fitting iPad case that’s designed for use outside of the office. Its “lap-perfect” design promises to nestle perfectly on your thighs while you reply to your emails or catch up with your favorite shows from the comfort of your living room chair.

Like the rest of Speck’s new iPad cases, the MagFolio Lounge features sleep/wake magnets inside its front cover, and a handy magnetic tab that keeps the case closed when your iPad’s not in use.

This case combines a hard plastic cradle with a soft, “vegan leather” cover to provide you with strong impact protection and a folding stand that boasts two viewing angles. It also offers access to all of your iPad’s ports, buttons, and switches.

The MagFolio Lounge sounds like the perfect case for a couch potato, but is it worth its $50 price tag?


The Good

Speck’s accessories are almost always designed with looks in mind, and the MagFolio Lounge is no exception. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the prettiest iPad case I’ve ever used — what with it being half plastic, half leather — but it’s certainly not ugly.

And its form-fitting design provides a perfect fit for your beloved tablet without adding too much weight or bulk.

It’s practical, too. The plastic cradle provides impact protection for the back and rear edges of your iPad, while the soft leather cover provides enough protection for the front and doubles up as a flexible stand.

The front cover also boasts a contoured design that means it sits nicely across your legs for typing from your chair. It’s elevated more than most iPad cases, so you can type comfortably without having to hunch over your device to see what’s happening.

You can use use the MagFolio Lounge to stand the iPad for watching movies. However, it won’t sit on your legs like this — you’ll need a flat table for that. But no matter which way you use the stand, you can be sure it’ll stay in place thanks to that magnetic tab, which will attach to the back of the case.

That tab also ensures the case stays closed when you want it to, and stops the covering from opening up when you drop your iPad on its face.

The Bad

While the MagFolio Lounge is great on your lap, it’s not so great on a desk. Because the stand provides such a steep angle, it’s not comfortable for typing on a flat surface, and your wrists will soon begin to ache. You can counter this by using a Bluetooth keyboard, but it’s still something to bear in mind if you use your iPad on the go to work from the local coffee shop.

Another thing you’ll need to keep an eye on is that the MagFolio Lounge’s vegan leather does scratch quite easily. You shouldn’t see too many problems throwing it in and out of a bag, but slide it across a desk with something sharp underneath and you’ll know about it. I made the mistake of doing this across an iPhone’s SIM ejector tool, and my case felt it.

The only other reservation I have with the MagFolio Lounge is its price. At just under $50, it is a little pricey. As I’ve said in previous reviews, it is from a name you can trust and you can be sure it’s built to last, but I do feel it could have been a little cheaper.

The Verdict

The MagFolio Lounge is the first iPad case I’ve had that I can use to type comfortably in my armchair or in bed on my lap. The typing angle is perfect for this, and it means you don’t have to lean over your device to properly see its display.
It’s also stylish, strong, and durable. Another hit product from Speck.

[xrr rating = 80%]

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