The Reflex series for the iPhone 4 is the case my wife still uses on a daily basis, and I use it when playing games on my white iPhone 4. Needless to say the Reflex series is popular in my household, and when I saw the press release for an iPad 2 version I got excited. OtterBox limits their output to a few designs for each device, and this keeps both quality and innovation at a peak. The Reflex is no exception to this rule, and has quite a few new features not seen elsewhere.
The case is a two-piece slider case that connects at the middle with a few well-placed indentations. To stay in place it hugs the iPad 2 closely all along the sides, and it is really sturdy. As sliders go this is a well constructed fit. There are cut-outs for the mute/rotate switch, headphone socket and charge socket. The volume controls and silent button are covered with a thin layer of rubberized silicone, and are still highly responsive. The round cut-out around the camera is deep, and covered with black rubber that doesn’t interfere with the lense. The final cut-out is the one that is the most inventive. Instead of having an opening in the back for the speaker OtterBox has created a unique way of directing the sound forwards. This is brilliant, as otherwise most of the audio is lost in my lap or pillows. Now two large openings aimed towards the user extends beneath the iPad 2. This gives the case a small extension in the lower right corner.
For protection the Reflex series is truly at the top tier of the market. The case bulges out slightly at the corners giving extra protection, and adding grip. For grip the back is covered with rubber around the edges. This gives the case a lot of friction when lying on the back, and hence this is not prone to gliding of tables or angled surfaces. When dropped the case absorbs the impact if any corner hits the ground first. If it drops straight down on the back or front the case slides apart to absorb the impact. As the screen is protected by an extra edge that keeps it from smacking into the ground this works really well. My children have tested this case out for a couple of weeks with a couple of drops a day as result. Nothing has been damaged, and the case looks and behaves in pristine condition.
To maximize the level of protection to the level only reached by the OtterBox Defender, and Gumdropcases Drop there is a versatile front shield included. This screen protector is also a stand that can be used in both landscape, and portrait mode. It is sturdy enough to use when typing. It takes some own thinking to truly figure out how this works, as the instructions with the case are kind of limited. A plastic hook through a thin opening is all it takes to transform from screen shield to a stand. As a screen shield it works really well. Just hook the plastic prong around one edge, and massage the corresponding rubber pieces over the edges. The only thing that is a bit of a nuisance is the fact that the cover creates weird moist patterns on the screen of the iPad.
The final concern I do have with the Reflex series is the fact that the charge socket is too narrow to allow me to use the VGA adapter, and the headphone socket is a bit narrow as well not allowing cords from studio equipment to be used. When doing a presentation it is still really easy to just slide off the case, or that part of the case that isn’t compatible. Not a big problem, and to most users it never will be.
The Reflex series for iPad 2 is one of the best protection solutions available. Having a clever detachable screen shield is also a huge plus when it can double as a stand. It is easy to recommend it to most users, and as it is lighter than the other cases in the maximum protection category it certainly has a large market to cater to.
Final Rating
Reflex Series for iPad 2 at OtterBox.com $69.95
