Get A Handle On Your iPad With The TabHandler [Review]

By

tabhandle_001

TabHandler byTabHandler
Category: iPad Grips
Works With: Any tablet
Price: $30

This is the TabHandle, an absurd-looking appendage that sticks to the back of your iPad and adds a spinnable, posable handle/stand to the mini, Air, iPad Fat or Kindle. And while it does look very odd, one touch of it and you’ll love it.

What It Is

The TabHandler is a lightweight plastic handle that attaches to a swiveling turret that is permanently attached to the iPad’s back with 3M adhesive pads (they can be removed without residue, and reused to some extent. Plus there are two spare sets in the box). The handle has hinges at its base, so you can put the iPad at literally any angle you want, often with multiple options as to how to manage it.

The handle part can be removed by turning it to line up with a cutout on the disk, and then finagling it out. Even when lined up, you have to do some work to get the handle off, which means you don’t need to worry about it ever happening by accident.

The Good

The turret stays stuck on there
The turret stays stuck on there.

Whether you’re sitting, standing or walking, the TabHandler has you covered. Because of the three-legged (counting the iPad’s corners as two of the legs) layout, it’s always stable, even on a bed or a sofa. You can choose either a narrow or large “wheelbase” just by changing the angle and twisting, so you can prop the iPad at any angle on any surface.

But it also works as a handle. The most obvious use is to just grab it in your fist and use your other hand to tap the screen, but you can also close the handle almost all the way and then hook it over your open hand, which is really great for reading. You can also set it at any angle on your desk, with the handle close-in for cramped desktops or extended to get a more stable base than you’d get with any typing case.

The grip is comfy, too, and the resistance of all parts is nicely tuned, with enough force to keep things in place, but not so much that you have to yank anything to move it.

The Bad

Do you really want this on your iPad? All the time?
Do you really want this on your iPad? All the time?

The disk is permanently attached, which means you have a carbuncle stuck onto the back of your iPad at all times. This means you can’t use any case other than a smart cover, and even putting it into a pocket (in your pant or a bag) is tricky. The circle does actually make for quite a pleasant grip when in use, but if you ever take the iPad out of the house you’ll want to think twice about the TabHandle.

The Verdict

I loved the TabHandler for the first day, right up until I went out for a coffee. And when I got home I pulled it off (carefully, as the adhesive really does stick, and it feels like it might rip the back off your iPad). If you only use the iPad at home, or if you have a specific use for it (like you do a job where you’re always walking around and using an iPad), then go ahead. The TabHandler is the best and most useful iPad handle I’ve tried.

But if the thought of a plastic disc permanently attached to the back of your mini makes you cringe, then avoid this. Or buy it (it’s only $30) and stick it to the back of a cheap shell case to make it more detachable/attachable.

Despite this hindrance, I’m giving it an “excellent” rating because it does the job it’s designed to do very well indeed.

in-pocket

Product Name: TabHandler

The Good: Amazingly good at its job; a really useful addition to the iPad.

The Bad: The puck that holds it in place can’t be removed.

The Verdict: A great price for a great accessory, but be sure you don’t care about the little stick-on turret staying in place.

Buy from: TabHandler

[rating=excellent]

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