Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad - accessory review

YouTube Link

The Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad not only does a great job of protecting your iPad, but it gives you a little extra room to stick some of your accessories in as well. The case is made of a fabric material that is pleated on the front. This is what allows you to have a zipper compartment in the front to stick your other gadgets in.

The inside of the case is a foamy white mesh material. It's extremely soft so you don't have to worry about it scratching your iPad. It's also a loose fit, which means you won't damage your iPad while taking it out and putting it back in the case. There's always a down side to a case not fitting snugly though, and that's if you forget to zip it and pick up the case by the wrong end, it's very likely your iPad could go crashing to the floor. We didn't have this happen with this case, but I could see that being a problem as the material on the inside doesn't offer any grip.

The way we cast that fear aside was to put a silicon case on the iPad and then put it in the Belkin Max Sleeve. The silicon provides the grip and solves the issue. I know a lot of people wouldn't want to buy 2 cases so it isn't an ideal situation. My advice? It's a great case worth the money, just be careful how you pick it up, or make sure you always zip it up.

Other than the sliding out of the case issue, this is a great case and well worth the money. It offers superior protection in an unobtrusive form factor. Even though it's small, it still lets you stow away other objects, which is nice. If there's any girls out there like me that hate carrying around a laptop/iPad bag and a purse, this is awesome. Simply throw your phone, credit cards, etc in the front pouch and you're good to go.  You can purchase the Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad from the TiPb Accessory Store.

Pros

  • Allows for extra storage room in the front pocket
  • Material on the outside is easy to grip on to
  • Material on inside won't scratch your iPad

Cons

  • Inside material is a little slick so forgetting to zip up could cause an iPad to fall out
  • Zipper on front pocket is sometimes a bit hard to pull

[gallery link="file" columns="2"]

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.

8 Comments
  • Neoprene outer not bad. You can hand wash it with mild soap. 37 bucks just a tad high. How about 29.99, and a free wipe cloth. To bad it does not come in colors, but by the time I get an iPad(holding out for 2gen) there will be colors. Very nice presentation with the Allyson cam.
  • Does it have room for the Apple Bluetooth keyboard?
  • I actually don't like that there are rivets in the entire case and only one rivet is the pocket. It would be pretty cool if the pocket was the only rivet. The material is great though and the inside is similiar to another Belkin one that I've seen.
  • It claims the rivets are there so it can expand. It may be able to take a keyboard, but may look overstuffed. Time for Allyson to find a keyboard to test.
  • I’ve one of these. It’s really cool. But the real name is Pleat Sleeve for iPad; not Belkin Max Sleeve. IT comes in TWO colors. Black and plum. I’ve got the plum one and it looks great. I
  • If this doesn't work with the keyboard, what does?
  • I used to be so annoyed beacuse I couldn`t resolve this situation. Then I found your site in yahoo and problem is solved. Many thanks!
  • France is fabulous country that is certainly located in the Alps and offers lots of romantic destinations for that tourists.