Review: ClamCase Pro for iPad Air

ClamCase was one of the first companies to make a keyboard case for the Apple iPad, turning the tablet into a laptop computer. Their latest release, ClamCase Pro, is 25% thinner and 45% lighter than the previous model. The case also features a patented 360-degree rotating hinge so users can flip their iPad around and display it as a stand or angle it for typing. Let’s review the features of the ClamCase Pro again before moving on to our full review.

Features:-

• Spacious island style keyboard
• Aluminum and polycarbonate enclosure
• Patented hinge with infinite viewing angles
• iPad wakes and sleeps automatically
• Easily insert and remove iPad
• Bluetooth auto pair
• Auto on/off keyboard

Review

Design & Build Quality

The ClamCase Pro is definitely not the lightest keyboard case that we have tested. Weighing at 1.5lbs, the ClamCase Pro has an aluminum and polycarbonate construction, which makes the case very sturdy. That aside, the ClamCase Pro fits our iPad Air extremely well.

The precise cutouts provide easy access to all the iPad’s buttons as well as the charging port, headphone jack, rear camera and speakers. It allows users to fully utilized their iPad while offering maximum protection. However, we did notice that the silent/screen rotation switch cutout is missing. While we do know that Apple removed the switch from the iPad Air 2, the ClamCase Pro that  we had was designed for the iPad Air, so it should have the cutout.

Overall, aside from the weight, the ClamCase Pro for iPad Air has a really great design with superb build quality.

Battery Life

ClamCase claims that it takes two hours to charge the ClamCase Pro, which will give users 100 hours of usage or up to 6 months of standby time. We tested this and it gave us approximately 95 hours of usage and about 2 hours to recharge from empty. This is great as it gives users significant amount of usage before needing to recharge them.

The ClamCase Pro also has a standby mode so if users forgot to switch the keyboard off, it will automatically turn off after an extended period of inactivity, thus help saving the battery.

Features

As mentioned before, the iPad fits extremely well into the ClamCase Pro. The case features a patented hinge, which allows users to fold the keyboard all the way to the back, making it possible to use the iPad without the keyboard. We did notice that the hinges have considerable amount of friction, so there shouldn’t be issues of the top case not staying in place while using it in the keyboard orientation.

The keyboard is about 85% of the size of a standard keyboard. We really liked that the keyboard has the quiet key design and we definitely have no problem typing on it. The keyboard also has a top row function keys, which is extremely helpful as it provides various shortcuts for iOS, ranging from the Home to Siri to volume controls and such.

We did notice that there is not a way to use the iPad in portrait mode while using the ClamCase Pro. While we don’t think that this will be a major issue, it would be nice to be able to have both landscape and portrait mode available to users.

Final Thoughts

The ClamCase Pro is definitely one of the best keyboard case for the Apple iPad Air. While the whole setup is not as lightweight as we would like it to be, users should still be able to slip it into a bag without much hassle. With the patented hinge, users can have any viewing angle they want.