Looking For a Way to Improve Your iPad Smart Cover? Check Out Smarter Stand (Review)

Apple sold more than $1 billion worth of Smart Covers in 2011 and let’s face it…it’s far from perfect. As a cover it is a great accessory with the magnetic wake up and the microfiber lining is gentle on your screen, but Apple also markets it as a stand and that is where the Smarter Stand comes in to make the Smart Cover, well, smarter!

The brainchild of Dotan Saguy, an app developer out of Los Angeles, Smarter Stand is a Kickstarter project that was fully funded before the time has expired. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best, and that is the case with the Smarter Stand. Apple’s Smart Cover only operates as a stand in 2 positions. The first has your iPad lying basically flat, and the second has it standing straight up where it feels like it could fall over at anytime. The Smarter Stand package consists of two clips and a non-slip pad that let you position your iPad in easier to use angles.

 

 

So how does it work? The clips slide on to the Smart Cover (or Apple’s new Smart Case) and you can leave then “stored” on the folds. To use the Smarter Stand, you simply slide the clips to the positions needed to obtain the viewing angle that you want for your iPad. There are three options as seen in the image below:

When we first heard of the Smarter Stand, we admit that we were skeptical. There are many different cases made by third party manufacturers that act as great stands for the iPad, so what makes the Smarter Stand special? The main reason to buy the Smarter Stand is exactly why it is marketed, because people love their Apple Smart Covers and just wish they had more flexibility as a stand. We tested the Smarter Stand clips thoroughly and were impressed with the functionality and ease of using them.

 

The 33 degree stand position pictured above was our favorite and the one used most often. One question that we had (but didn’t ask) was why wouldn’t we just use binder clips as SO many Smart Case users have been doing since the case came out. The developer addresses that on his Kickstarter page and basically says that you can use those binder clips as long as you know that you will eventually damage your Smart Cover (and perhaps your iPad screen) and let’s face it…how bad does it look carrying around your $500+ tablet with 2 binder clips stuck on it?

We know that there will be people saying that this is an unnecessary product and that it’s overpriced for a few pieces of plastic, but we actually liked the functionality of the Smarter Stand and thought that the $12 price tag was not too steep for something you would use every single day. Is the Smarter Stand for everyone? Nope, but for those people who love their Smart Cover or Smart Case and just want them to be more functional it is a wonderful addition to your line of iPad accessories.

Overall, we give the Smarter Stand an 8 out of 10 stars….and wish we had thought of it instead of Dotan!

Want to get in on the Smarter Stand Kickstarter project before it ends? CLick here to visit their page and learn more.

 

What do you think? Would you buy this to make your Smart Cover smarter? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter @RealGeeksFeed