At first I would like to thank Otterbox for offering me a sample of their iPad 2 Reflex Series Case for testing and reviewing.

 

About Otterbox:

 

We've Got Technology Covered!

 

"Known as an innovator of protective solutions for the leading global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors, we've got technology covered!

 

Starting with something as simple as a box, OtterBox was created in 1998 and built upon fundamentals of hard work, creativity and perseverance. Our cases are dedicated to all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle and like our customers, we've been there too!

 

The "innovative spirit" of founder and CEO Curt Richardson has promoted the development of our product lines from waterproof boxes into four lines of device-specific cases for today's hottest technologies.

 

Similar to an otter's fur, our original line of cases is waterproof. So to incorporate that element with the fun and playful disposition of the animal our CEO and his wife came up with the name OtterBox while brainstorming company names during a drive to Denver, Colo.

 

Like the animal that is our namesake, we're a fun, creative bunch that likes to work hard and play hard too. We have in-house sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, web design, graphics, supply chain, human resources and our own warehouse.

 

OtterBox is located in one of the greatest cities in America - Fort Collins, Colo. Ranked #1 in 2006 and #2 in 2008 on Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live" list, Fort Collins has easy access to the Rocky Mountains for biking, hiking, running, camping, kayaking, boating, skiing, snowboarding and other activities. Many of us use our cases every day, in the office, outdoors and around town and serve as excellent "guinea pigs" for new product testing.

 

Throughout the years, we've listened to customer feedback and attribute the evolution of our products to consumers who've challenged us to take the idea of a protective case to the next level.

 

At OtterBox, it's not one person changing the world of cases, it's a team!"

 

Product Features:

Reflex Zones™ in corners

Slick exterior

Easy snap-off access for docking

Included snap-on touch screen shield doubles as a viewing and typing stand

Unique audio routers direct sound toward you for excellent listening pleasure

Product Specifications:

COLORS: Black

WEIGHT: 10.3 oz / 294 g

DIMENSIONS: 10.07 in x 7.85 in x 0.87 in / 255.70 mm x 199.43 mm x 22.11 mm

The Reflex Series case from Otterbox for iPiad2 is shipped inside a cardboard box with a transparent plastic window on the frontal side, so we can see how the product looks like even before opening up the packaging:

 

 

 

The main case components are explained on the back of the box, in many different languages:

 

 

 

By opening the packaging, we reveal the components of the product and we also get explanations on how to proceed opening it:

 

 

 

The first item that we get out is the dock, which also acts as a screen protector when we are travelling; we will get back to it later to see how we can operate it:

 

 

 

By removing the dock, we reveal another set of instructions, which tell us how to open up the case, how to install it, how to operate the dock and, of course, how to sit the iPad 2 on the dock:

 

 

 

The Reflex Series dock is split into two parts for easy disassembly purposes:

 

 

 

Both top and bottom sides have underneath a soft felt lining to prevent scratches to the back of the iPad 2 surface:

 

 

 

Here is a close look of the openings this case provides:

 

Mute button, Camera

 

Audio jack

 

Data/Charge connector

 

 

Unlike some other cases, this one redirects the audio pathway to the front:

 

 

 

As previously mentioned, the case is split into two components and here we can see the joining points:

 

 

 

Besides the hard plastic surface, the case comes with rubber coating on the laterals and in the corners:

 

 

 

Next, we pass on to the next item that is shipped along with the main product and this is the thin film screen protector; it is packed as we can see inside a cardboard envelope:

 

 

 

Opening the envelope we can reveal the squeegee, and on the right there is the film itself along with a cleaning cloth:

 

 

 

After these items have been removed, we can see other instructions inside which tell us how to install the film:

 

 

 

As most of the protective transparent plastic films present on the market, this one also comes with side number 1, which is first to be removed and the second side, 2, which needs to be peeled off after the bubbles have been eliminated with the squeegee; a nice addition to the screen protectors offered by Otterbox are the handles on the both sides, which help us position the screen easier, without touching the surface of the screen protector that will make direct contact to the iPad 2 screen:

 

 

 

The case installation can be done very easy by sliding first one half of it on the iPad 2's body and after that the second one until we hear a small "click":

 

 

 

 

After the case has been installed, we can look closer and discover how some of the main iPad 2 components have been protected; both the Sleep/Wake buttons and Volume Rocker are fully covered by rubber and more force is needed to register the presses:

 

Camera, Sleep/Wake button

 

Mute button, Volume rocker

 

Audio jack

 

Data/Charge connector

 

By turning the iPad 2 on the other side, we can see that some part of the case also covers the front, for extra protection:

 

 

 

The dock that comes with the Reflex Series is made from black rubber and plastic, with a flexible part; the iPad 2 can be placed on it in two different positions: one of them is more suitable for watching slideshows, movies(and it can be positioned in both portrait and landscape modes), and the other is better for typing:

 

 

 

 

Here is the iPad 2 sitting in the typing position:

 

 

 

And of course, the iPad 2 sitting in the landscape position for watching movies, individual photos or slideshows:

 

 

The Reflex Series iPad 2 case from Otterbox is built from high quality materials and has a lot of nice features like its modularity so we can disassemble it quick in case we need to charge the iPad 2 inside a dock or the redirection of the audio path to the front, which does not change or distort the quality of the audio signal.

Otterbox thought that it is better to cover the Sleep/Wake button along with the volume rocker completely for additional protection; while this is true, we will also see that pressing these buttons requires more force than before, but this is not something we can't get used to after a short while. The only problem I have found was with the audio jack opening; because of its shape, not all jack plugs would fit in, especially the thicker ones.

As mentioned before, the Reflex Series case is also supplied with a screen protector, which is easier to apply compared to the regular screens on the market, thanks to the additional white handles; however, to decrease the mounting difficulty even further, it would have been nice to see on the protective layer numbered 2 a small guide made from both white and black dots or lines (for white or black iPad 2 tablets), so we could align it to the tablet screen perfectly or almost perfectly. In its current state, it is a little difficult to see if the protective screen has been aligned correctly, especially on the white iPad 2 version.

Before starting the screen protector mounting process, we must make sure that we are in a dust free environment; a good way to obtain something like this is to go in a bathroom after someone has recently showered or we could put some water inside a recipient and boil it, to develop steam which should eliminate most of the dust particles.

The dock that is supplied with the Reflex Series is easy to work with, but not so much when we want to place it on the iPad 2, when we are using it as a screen guard while traveling. Also, because it is not directly linked to the case, we need to deposit it somewhere when we're not using it, so it would consume unnecessary extra space.

The Reflex Series Case from Otterbox has a price of €69.95 which puts it on the more expensive side regarding accessories for the iPad 2.

 

Otterbox iPad 2 Reflex Series Case Recommended For:

 

I would like to thank again to Otterbox for their support and for making this review possible!