Cases for your iPad 2

Today I came across a lust-worthy designer iPad 2 case - Capulet's Alison leather case. The Italian calf leather case comes in four colors - the seafoam below, a putty, an eggplant purple, and a snakeskin pattern. If only I had an extra $316 hanging around I'd be clicking to purchase right now!

While that beauty may be a pipe dream, I am in dire need of a good case for my new iPad 2. After all, Apple product accessories are almost as fun as the technology itself! Below are a few of my favorite cases for the iPad 2 - from the utilitarian to the stylish to the just straight up uber-cool (ahem, Portenzo & Miniot). 

1. The Apple Smart Cover ($39 for polyurethane, $69 for leather) - the most popular case right now, and Apple's best self-designed case so far. The case magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad 2 and covers the face/top glass surface only. It has additional magnets that automatically shut off your screen when closed (and wake it up when you open it!). It rolls to prop the iPad up for typing or watching media. Overall a great case available in 5 polyurethane colors and 5 leather colors. Downside: it doesn't protect the back of the iPad

2. Speck's PixelSkin HD Wrap ($49.95) - functions just like Apple's Smart Cover, but includes a back cover as well. Looks great but only comes in 3 colors and I'd want to hold one and test it out before I'd buy (it looks a bit stiff/plastic-y)

3. iLuv's The Smart Back Cover  (Price TBD) - incredible! It solves the big issue with Apple's Smart Cover and is available in all 10 matching colors. This isn't available for purchase yet but I'm definitely going to grab one of these

4. Incase's Eley Kishimoto Sleeve ($59.95) - I think that Incase generally has the best breadth of cases for Apple products, but they always take a month or so with their cases for new product launches. Their iPad 2-specific cases aren't out yet, but this and the next iPad sleeve work perfectly for the iPad 2. I love this Eley Kishimoto print which is available in black and white too!

5. Incase's Neoprene Sleeve Plus ($39.95) - a bit more subdued (if you can call neon green subdued) and $20 cheaper than the Eley Kishimoto above. This is another great Incase option that will fit your iPad 2 with its Apple Smart Cover on. It's offered in black, neon green, and neon pink

6. iSkin's Memo ($110) - Another leather option, this one's a third of the price of Capulet's Alison. This leather is probably a bit more durable too. It's available in 5 colors

7. Keen's iPad Sleeve ($15) - The best low-cost option! This case is a steal compared to the others out there and you can feel good about the purchase as it's made from repurposed/recycled neoprene. Available in four colors, this should fit your iPad 2 with your Apple Smart Cover on it as well

8. Portenzo's Notebook Style iPad 2 Case ($59.95 + additional for personalization and other features) - love love love these moleskin notebook lookalike cases. You may have heard of DODOcases which look very similar to these, but Portenzo is hands down the best. DODO cases have a tendency to fall apart vs. Portenzo's super high quality and durable cases. I had one of these for my original iPad.  Have fun with embossed personalization on the outside of the black leather book and with customization of the inside jacket color. The only downside: not the best for angling/standing up the iPad. 

9. Miniot's Cover for iPad 2 (web store coming, only available through their eBay store for ~$91 including shipping) - Gorgeous case from Holland made of real wood. The cover flexes and behaves much like Apple's Smart Cover, propping the iPad up in different orientations.