I got an iPad last year for my  birthday and have been looking for the perfect cover ever since. I tried the one that it came with – the light cover that merely covers the screen. But, if you do something stupid, say, drop your iPad, the flimsy cover doesn’t protect the it at all. I used that case for a little bit and I soon realized that I would need something better, something more protective. So, I embarked on a search for the perfect cover. This search too me on a journey where I tried out 6 different possibilities.

At first, I thought my iPad just needed a better cover, one that was more robust, one that was better at protecting the iPad or one that might bounce if (or, really, when) I dropped the iPad. I bought a Casecrown leather case similar to the one I have for my iPhone and started using that. I couldn’t figure out what the credit card holder did (other than hold credit cards). I couldn’t figure out why the credit card holder was elasticized. I’m still not sure what it’s supposed to do. I didn’t use that for very long because I wanted to use a wireless keyboard with my iPad. (I’m not so fast at typing on the iPad or iPhone screens. For my typing style, the onscreen keyboards are either too sensitive and they put in repeat letters or they are not sensetive enough and miss letters. Not so much fun to edit those tomes.) So, I kept searching for the perfect iPad cover.

Next, I thought my iPad needed its own carrier that would fit the iPad and the wireless keyboard. I bought a small Samsonite bag (Style # 938390X, SKU0-23572-46704-0 – this one is close to it). This bag was very functional and could carry other things too, like chargers and cords. (I also put in memory cards and other things when we drove across country.) This bag was great on it’s own and could function as a purse if you really didn’t mind the briefcase look as a fashion statement. I stopped using it when I came back from our trip because I use a regular briefcase for work and didn’t want to stuff the mini Samsonite bag into my briefcase.

In the meantime, I had gone in the total wrong direction of ordering and Incase bag that could carry the iPad, the keyboard and a few other things like the charger. It ended up being more padded than the Samsonite bag and more tailored to the iPad itself, but in the end, it was too big (3 inches deep) and didn’t fit into my briefcase even if I had wanted to try to stuff it in there. (The Samsonite one was much better and had a shoulder strap and could be stuffed into my briefcase more readily.)

I abandoned the search for the iPad’s own case and went the route of trying to find a purse that would fit the iPad and keyboard plus a couple of other things. I went down to Ross or TJMaxx and searched for the perfect iPad purse. I found a Travelon black messenger bag that was small and would fit both the iPad and if necessary, the keyboard. With this bag, I discovered that if I am taking my iPad, I am usually taking a few other things and should just stop trying to stuff everything in a small bag and take my briefcase in the first place.

At the same time I was trying to find a cover, I was trying to find a better keyboard (one that wouldn’t stay on all the time and turn my iPad on unwittingly every time I bumped it in my purse or bag). I found the ZAGGmate which is a wireless keyboard and cover together. This protects the iPad and allows me to type more efficiently than the wireless keyboard or onscreen keyboard. I haven’t used anything else since I found this solution!

If you have an iPad accessory you can’t live without – leave me a comment and tell me about it!