At first glance, the TabStrap looks like a bandage on the hand of a wounded iPad user. It’s not, yet the person who uses an iPad as their main source of personal computing might find it just as much of a lifesaver.
The thick, adjustable wool strap connects to a base that suctions to the back of an iPad. The hand goes through the strap, giving the user a secure grip on the iPad as they swipe, write, draw or tap apps while standing or walking.
TabStrap, designed by Hamburg, Germany’s Pack & Smooch, has other functions, too. Pinch the Merino felted wool strap and it becomes a base that positions the iPad at the right angle on a desk or table. It also has a secure holder for the Apple Pencil.
The materials are simple: wool, leather, Velcro and a microsuction tape that sticks securely to the iPad’s smooth surface without leaving adhesive residue. (It’s similar to the microsuction sheet used in the excellent iPhone wallet cases by Edward Field.)
TabStrap comes in two color combinations. The Blonde has a gray strap with light-brown leather; the Brunette is made of black felt and a dark-brown leather.
Get a grip with the TabStrap iPad holder
Pack & Smooch make cases for MacBooks, iPads and iPhones, using natural materials and constructing its products by hand. The TabStrap campaign on Kickstarter is being managed by Jan Sapper, another iPad accessory designer. (Sapper created PaperLike, an iPad screen cover that gives Apple Pencil users the feeling of writing or drawing on something with a paper-like texture.)
TabStrap is available for pre-order on Kickstarter for $85. Pack & Smooch estimates the iPad accessories will ship by May.
Seeking about $2,500, the TabStrap’s makers already have 133 backers and $11,557 in pledges with 40 days to go in the campaign.