I want to share our experiences with cases to save you guys some money as I know many of you are looking for that case that’s going to save your kiddo’s iPad, but which one? The contenders seem to be the Griffin Survivor (or link for a black one) and the Otterbox, from what I have seen and heard. They both claim to do a great job protecting against lots of wear and tear and both come with stands.
So, we bought a Griffin Survivor for our daughter’s new iPad mini, pictured above. We have never had a Griffin before as we’ve always gone with Otterboxes. The Griffin was cheaper on amazon, so we thought we’d give it a try. We’re pretty disappointed in it. The hard plastic shell that you put the iPad in, is so much thinner than all the Otterboxes we have had. The rubbery, plastic part that goes on the outside almost feels a bit thicker but there are flaps covering some of the holes that seem like they would break off easily. One of the flaps covers the camera and you have to try to hold it back while you take a pic, which is a pain. Then we get to the stand. This is a must for my daughter, Abbey, with autism. As you may be able to see in the picture, her Otterbox for her old iPad one in the background is duct taped. After many new stands, we finally gave up and taped it. I have seen the stands for the newer iPads and the iPad minis by Otterbox and they seem much stronger. The stand for the Griffin is very weak and I think it props it up too high. Also, the stand for the Otterbox also serves as a cover that snaps over the screen, when on the go, very important for putting Abbey’s iPad mini in her purse as she has no idea about being careful with it, that it could break. All this to say, we’ll be getting an Otterbox for her iPad mini, as soon as we can! Hope this helps and I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on cases, we can learn from each other!:)
P.S. All of this goes for the cases for iPhones too! We have always had Otterboxes and I bought a Griffin survivor for my son’s iPhone 4….not good. The same with all of the above, plus the rubber that covers the power button at the top keeps pushing down on it on it’s own and trying to turn it off:(
abbeysvoice 
MS
March 24, 2013 at 9:56 pm
I have a purple Griffin case. I teach students with autism, and also work in homes with students who cannot attend school because of illness. I’ve been using my iPad with them since I purchased it, though didn’t get the Griffin case until one specific student accidentally pitched my iPad across the kitchen. It is amazing! I admit the tab over the camera is annoying, but none of them have come off. My other annoyance is that I often hook my iPad to the whiteboard in my classroom so we can all use it, but I have to take the case off for the adapter to fit. Beyond that, the case is fantastic! I also do disaster services work for the Red Cross, and have taken my iPad with me… No issues. One student has the Otterbox case, and we are always having problems holding it, making it stand, etc.
mbrooks2b
March 24, 2013 at 10:07 pm
I’m so glad it’s working out better for you. Wonder if the version you have is the same, is it for the newest iPad mini? My daughter couldn’t do much, in the way of pressing, doing puzzles, etc.. on it without the stand falling over all the time. The newest version of the Otterbox for the iPad mini has the most amazing stand…essential for my daughter. Also, the stand also serving as a protective shell to pop on the front when she puts it in her purse, to go to stores, etc…really keeps the screen safe, another essential for us!:) Thanks!
mbrooks2b
March 24, 2013 at 10:12 pm
Yes, Pictello is amazing, Abbey does well with this app as well!