by iPad stands come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, materials, and prices, as you can see with these two. They both work in roughly the same way, but while Element Case goes for luxury, Onanoff’s Dock Minimal aims for versatility at a much lower price.
Each stand features a cradle for your iPad, holding it in landscape or portrait, while a kickstand on the back of the cradle adjusts to several viewing angles. Each of the six holes on the back of the Dock Minimal holds the kickstand at a different angle, and you can get more angles from placing the stand vertically on the table, although not every kickstand hole supports the stand that way. A snap-off piece lets you install a 30-pin or Lightning cable, if you want to charge or sync. The stand will cover the iPad’s speaker in some configurations, although it’s usually easy to just reorient the iPad to avoid this. As a bonus, there’s even an iPad stylus tucked into the end of the Dock Minimal’s kickstand, so you always have one handy.
The Dock Minimal is hard plastic with a rubbery material on the inside, but it doesn’t feel as luxurious as the spendy Joule II, which has a plush “microsuede” lining and a beautiful exterior of CNC billet aluminum. From the precision-cut speaker amplification holes to the graceful curved edge under the iPad’s Home button, every detail makes this seem well-made and expensive. You can even get it in a shiny nickel finish with leather interior for $40 more. The kickstand attaches to the cradle at a hinge, so it adjusts to several angles and it’s easy to get it placed just right. The speaker holes only come into play with the iPad in portrait orientation (maybe for music, but never for movies, in other words), and they boosted the sound a little but still not enough to make listening to the iPad speakers worthwhile.
The bottom line. If luxury is your middle name, the Joule II may well be your iPad stand, and its quality won’t disappoint. But the Dock Minimal works just as well, and we love the hidden stylus.
Joule II iPad Stand
Element Case
www.elementcase.com
Price: $109.99
Requirements: iPad
Pros:
