Rock Light & Cool Apple iPad 2/3/4 Slim Keyboard Folio review

Slim folio case or bulky keyboard case? A simple game of rock, paper, scissors should easily decide this debate. The Rock Light & Cool case features a dust/waterproof silicone keyboard with scissor-cut keys, including several buttons dedicated to the new iPad (or iPad 2) functions. Sure, paper beats rock, but this design is paper-thin compared to many other keyboard cases on the market.

Editor's Rating 

The Light & Cool folio case is a PU leather construction available in cream or slate grey. Rock created this case for the new iPad, yet the form design also applies to the iPad 2. It’s a bit of a squeeze to insert the tablet, even for the slimmer iPad 2, but the result is a snug-tight fit. The bezel is lined with soft touch micro-suede, and has all the openings to keep the tablet fully functional. Only the cutout for the speaker grill is slightly off, but doesn’t actually effect the sound quality. The loose spine is the real issue because it keeps the cover from staying aligned with the backside. The cover strap does little to help matters, something a couple of magnets could have fixed instead. Even more confusing since there is an abundance throughout, including one for auto sleep/wake function, four more for the flush-mount kickstand, and eight heat-resistant magnets for the removable keyboard. The Bluetooth QWERTY-style keyboard contains 81 buttons, including 13 shortcut keys dedicated to the new iPad function (11 will work for the iPad 2). It is made of hard silicone that is dust and water-resistant. The stiff plastic-like keys do make a clicking sound, but they won’t scratch the screen surface during case closure. Recharging lasts 4-4.5 hours, yet the removable design allows the encased tablet to still travel while the keyboard is charging from a laptop/desktop PC (USB charging cable included). No confirmation from the brand (and the instruction pamphlet is written in Chinese), but based on the recharging time, up to 90 hours of usage between charges seems like a safe estimated-guess. The case measures 13” deep and 10” wide in tablet stand mode. Just one display angle (55 degrees), but the support is rock-solid on a level surface. And kudos to Rock for incorporating a slot on the kickstand, which holds the cover strap out of sight.

Pros

• 2012 Golden Case Awards winner for Best Keyboard Case
• Extremely slim & lightweight design
• Comfortable buttons with detachable keyboard
• Auto sleep/wake cover
• 17 shortcut buttons

Overall: GOOD

Plain and simple, the Light & Cool case is rock-solid in all categories. If it comes down to a match of rock, paper, scissors to settle a folio or keyboard folio case debate, you can easily win by choosing this Rock Light & Cool iPad 2/iPad 3 keyboard folio case design.

Features

• Works with Apple New iPad 3 and Apple iPad 2
• Ultra-slim, lightweight, water resistant PU leather folio with etched surface
• PU leather tablet bezel frame with suede interior lining
• Cutouts for camera, speaker, charger, hold/volume buttons & headphone jack
• Retractable closing strap
• Includes magnetic kickstand
• Slim profile silicon keyboard with plastic keycaps
• Detachable bluetooth keyboard on heat resistant magnets for convenient typing angles
• 81 keys with 17 shortcut buttons
• Inbuilt lithium battery with 4 hour full recharge time
• LED battery lights
• Auto wake/sleep feature
• Extremely lightweight & slim
• Includes USB charging cable

Specifications