Travel Tech: Handmade iPad Case Marries Analog and Digital (Perfect For Valentine's Day)

Valentine's Day edition Dodocase seen here; photograph courtesy Dodocase

By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our must-have gear gallery >>

When I first slipped my iPad into the hardback Dodocase ($60), I fully expected to remove it after a few days or a week of testing. Percentage-wise, it wasn’t that much bigger, but compared to a naked iPad it seemed so. Apple’s own case slips over the iPad rather condom-like and barely increases the heft. By comparison, the Dodocase felt substantially more...substantial.

But Apple’s case gets dirty and smudgy easily and doesn’t even sport nerd style, let alone the Bay Area bookworm aesthetic. Three months later, the Dodocase still lovingly embraces my iPad. I couldn’t be happier—whatever hesitations I had about size vanished as soon as I felt the wonderful tactile feel of carrying and holding a hardbound book. It was like the perfect marriage of analog and digital, the mashup of a tome and the pixelated portal to the e-world.

Dodocases are handmade in San Francisco using traditional bookbinding technique, and they look and feel almost identical Moleskines, only larger. The iPad nestles into a carved bamboo tray and is held with grippy rubber inserts at the corners. There have been reports of the rubber wearing down over time, but I rarely remove the iPad and so haven’t experienced any issues. My iPad nestles snuggly and seems to be happy in its cradle, with no tendencies to crawl out.

Functionally, if you open the Dodocase and flip the cover back, it will provide a slight tilt for typing. In this, it is inferior to the Apple case—Dodo provides an inch of lift, while Apple gives 2.25 inches. It’s an issue, but far from a deal breaker; simply slip a magazine or two under the case and typing gets a lot more comfortable.

The verdict? I’m calling the Dodocase nearly flawless. It’s worth every penny.

Comments

[Hai]

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[iphone case]

The case is very nerd-chic and the Valentines edition is adorable! I especially like how it looks so similar to a bound hardcover book. I'd love to have one if the sticker price weren't quite so high. I wonder if there's a similarly styled case for the Kindle?

[Calvin Klein]

beautiful but dangerous travelling
Cool

[ACME BPO Consulting]

I think its better if there's an ipad inside the case :)

[Phol45]

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[Kyle Williams]

Bought my Dodo case a week after my Ipad. Loved it at first. But it quickly fell apart. I did not remove my Ipad more than twice ever, yet the rubber corners that are placed for a snug fit quickly lost their adhesiveness to the wood of the Dodo case. The wood corners of the Dodo case which are glued together started to separate after a short time (3 weeks or so). I only used this case around home and inside my backpack for to and from class.
Essentially, Dodo case, started great, ended terribly. Not worth the 60 bucks.

[vasiliu leonard]

Rare stuff hand made...if ar really.

[ipad cases]

My sister has this DODOCASE for a while now and I ask here if the rubber grips are really that weak. She said as long as you take care while removing the ipad from the case. She usually remove the ipad once a month for cleaning purposes.

[ft lauderdale web design]

Looks good Is it water resistant?

[Finanzas]

It looks like this little addition is perfect for all of us technology addicts out there who cannot live without our iPads... will oook into buying this myself very soon. Thanks for the insights and for the informative post!

[Avaliable Jobs in Los Angeles]

Very nice wish I had one.

[Kath293]

This is a great gift idea!

[Erric]

great!
that's so useful for us
this is really a good post

[leila_kiss]

Wow!!it's so useful and pretty!i like it very much!!!i want to have one

[Arcae Phase]

Great Blog - I traveled all my life but now i"m to bussy working I wih i could travel again
games for boys

[Andrei Salceanu]

Wish i found this a few days ago before Valentines :(

[VanisaPascal456]

My mom's iPad rarely leaves the house. She uses one of those wooden book stands for her ipad. When she goes out, she prefers a thin case that she can slip into her bag. So, this may not be the case for her, being a little bit too bulky.

[MikhailPolips123]

I would loved to see a pic of the inside with and without an ipad. The carved bamboo tray bit intrigues me.

Thank you for the post, this is refreshing to most new posts about ipad cases that are all rooted in the same design, just different colors.

[map of europe]

haha awesome. Not only inventive but truly innovative and CHEAP to boot. Love it. I am inspired!

[John looking for paid travel]

Good idea as a gift for valentine.Thanks for this.

[Thomas]

I recently purchased an Ipad and I think this would be a really great case for it. I wonder if they carry this at my store...

[Honeywell 50250]

I actually use an soft leather brief case to carry my iPad around in. It fits perfectly has a handle and a strap so I can carry it or wear it over my shoulder and cost me nothing as I recycled it. Looks great too

[Susan]

The case is very nerd-chic and the Valentines edition is adorable! I especially like how it looks so similar to a bound hardcover book. I'd love to have one if the sticker price weren't quite so high. I wonder if there's a similarly styled case for the Kindle?

Susan - Paralegal Schools Specialist

[CCIE]

Perfect for valentines. Hope my Mr. Nice Guy this February 14 will surprisingly hand me this one.

[Egypt For Tours]

travel is my life, i love traveling
thank you for this