Premium Leather iPad Pro Bag

Meet Our Leather iPad Pro 2020 Bag for 12.9

So you've walked up and down the bags and cases isle of your local big box store and saw nothing. You've spent hours crawling from website to website and found… nothing. You've got this bright, shinny and vulnerable new Apple tablet that you need to protect AND transport.

Every case you've seen is either poor quality, a poor value, extremely unattractive, or all three! Maybe you don't know exactly what it is you're looking for, but you will know it what you see it, right? Well take a good look at our iPad Pro 12.9 Flight Jacket. 

The MacCase Premium Leather Flight Jacket is a leather iPad Pro bag of timeless design and uncompromising quality. We chose each hide with great care. Then we stitch them together one at a time, by hand, with great passion to create some of the most sought after and desired products in the soft goods industry. We think they look pretty good too. 

The original MacCase Premium Leather Flight Jacket has been called the "greatest laptop case ever designed". Our model designed specifically for Apple's largest tablet is designed to be the best iPad Pro 12.9 bag, period. Yes, it will hold the smaller iPads as well. 

Are you someone for whom the offerings in the brick and mortar stores and other websites has left cold and wanting something better? Do you have a Gen 1 or 2, Gen 3 or perhaps the new 4th Generation 2020 tablet that you're looking to transport and protect? 

Each version of Apple's largest tablet will fit this vertical case. It's a design that will endear itself to you. With it's beautiful hides, world class quality, superior protection and attention to detail, it's an 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2020 bag wth a handle that you'll be proud to own and use each day. 

Build the iPad Pro Bag to Meet Your Needs

At MacCase, we believe in choice. We like making our products, especially our Premium Leather models, as affordable as possible. This is not easy to do when you start out with some of the highest quality, most durable leathers available. Then cut and assemble them by hand into some of the finest cases and bags available from anyone at any price. 

One way we keep our prices affordable is to build a full featured base version of  of a particulate design. Then you can add the additional features and options you feel will provide the most benefit to you. This adds up to a product with real value to you and one well worth paying for. Our bag for iPad Pro perfectly reflects this product philosophy. 

We asked our customers what features they wanted in our new iPad Pro 12.9 bag and they responded with some great ideas. Many of the features were things we already were working on.

Many of those features are built from the ground up into the base version of this design. Details like our new, dual business card holders, lightweight shoulder strap and integrated Apple pencil pocket are all included in the base model. 

Integrated Pencil Holder

The Pencil pocket is worth noting. Many bag and case companies have addressed the storage and transport of the expensive Apple Pencil by simply sewing an elastic loop to the outside of their already existing cases. At MacCase, we like to do things a bit more intelligently.  

The Pencil holders on all our iPad Pad 12.9 cases are completely integrated into the actual case design, not stitched on as an afterthought. The visual theme of our entire 12.9 design grew out of the vertically oriented, centrally located Pencil pocket.

This is reflected in the contrasting white, vertical stitching of the front flap and front panel. The Pencil is stored safely and securely under the flap and out of harms way.  A solution like this is far superior to something like an elastic loop sewn to the outside of the case hoping it doesn't slip out.

As stated above, we like choice. We like offering customers the option of adding features and accessories to their cases without forcing them to pay for the options they might not want. This the impetus behind all of the options available on our iPad Pro 12.9 crossbody bag with handle. You can literally build the case of your dreams. 

iPad Pro 12.9 Crossbody Bag - Add Your Options

So you love the idea of the vertical orientation, custom fit and world class quality but want a backpack too? Are you looking for a place to put your iPhone that's safe and easy to reach? Want the luxury of more storage space on some days but not burdened with dragging around a larger bag all the time when you don't?

All these amazing features and more are available if you want them. When you start with a great design that first and foremost protects your hardware, you can add these kinds of features and build the bag to meet your specific needs. If your goal is to have the best crossbody bag for iPad Pro with all the functionality, usability and comfort you desire, you've come to the right place. 

The optional large storage pouch expands versatility allowing you to customized the amount of storage space you need on any given day. The backpack straps clip on to allow hands free use of the case converting your case into a backpack in seconds.

If you have any questions about how these options work, how they work together and most importantly how they can work for you, use the contact box below or give us a call at 760.729. 0620.

iPad Pro Leather Bag - Behind the Design

The latest in a series of interviews about the story behind the design of MacCase products.

For this interview, we are again speaking to MacCase President and Chief Creative Officer Michael Santoro about the company's new iPad Pro 12.9 Flight Jacket.

JKD: Getting into this bag design, you did some different things with this piece but visually, the case still looks like an "FJ". Why?

MS: Why does it look like a "FJ" or what's different about it?

JKD: Um, both? (Laughing)

MS: Ok let's start with the visual. I learned a lot about brand character, working in the car industry and designing cars. Look at BMW. There is a linage that goes back decades. They have cues that appear in all their cars. It doesn't matter if the design is an entry level, base model, a $120,000 7 Series or a futuristic show car.

They will all have a twin kidney grill and the "Hofmeister Kink" which is the kick up in rear quarter glass. These are the design cues that relate whatever BMW does now to all the BMWs that have gone before. 

Many car brands have similar design cues that visually tie what they are doing today to what they have done in the past. It helps the person viewing the design to connect the brand to what they are looking, at no matter how radical. 

Our leather iPad Pro 12.9 crossbody bag, as do all the 12.9 cases, have the design cues that we have developed that speak to our brand character. This is important.

There are also functional elements that are specific to and paramount on the 12.9 cases. I wanted the new designs to be easily recognizable as MacCase Premium Leather models that have these new 12.9 functional elements incorporated into them. 

iPad Crossbody Bag with Pencil Holder

JKD: Such as?

MS: All the iPad Pro 12.9 cases and bags have a holder for the Apple Pencil. Based on the feedback I have received from customers who have looked, our solutions for storing, transporting and protecting the Pencil are the best. 

So the challenge in designing this cross body bag for iPad Pro 12.9 was to take a functional element, an important pocket, and add it to an already established visual vocabulary. The goal is to integrate this new functional element into the design. In essence, make the Apple Pencil holder  look like it's always been there. 

A certain width was established for Pencil holder. The same width is used on each case. A proportion is created using this width to break up the surface on other panels such as the front flap. Under the flap, this proportion is mirrored and becomes the actual pocket for the Pencil. 

It's a visual cue that says "I'm for the iPad Pro" and in a subtle way, separates the 12.9 cases and bags from the other Premium Leather models. It makes it unique. I think the integration into this design has been particularly successful because all the elements in play have a dominate vertical axis.

Again, I understand that this is a subtle difference between the 12.9 model and say, the 13" MacBook Pro model, but it's there. The goal of the design for this bag for 12.9 inch Apple tablet was to make it work functionally for owners and then make it look like a MacCase Premium Leather model. We built the new design around adding the functionality of protecting, storing and transporting the Pencil. 

This came after the fact of establishing the main compartment of the bag as the place to protect, store and transport the Apple tablet itself. Using the form from the MacBook Pro Flight Jacket, we proceeded to integrate the Pencil holder into the design. 

Creating a Leather iPad Pro 2020 Bag

JKD: Do you think you have been successful?

MS: Well, that is what's great about our customers. If I've gotten it wrong, they'll sure let me know! (laughing). The bag is testing well and the feedback on the other Pro models has been outstanding. I think this 12.9 design will become a beloved model. 

JKD: So getting back to the design...You didn't push the design because?

MS: We have a lot of equity in the visual vocabulary our of designs. Most leather bags are pretty dull looking. They are either very plan and the manufacturers hope you just appreciate the fact they are made of leather, or they have lots of really old details that make them look like they are from the 1850s. 

MacCase is one of the few full leather line manufactures whose products are visually interesting in an authentic way AND look like they belong in the 21th century. This is rare.

JKD: Why?

MS: Because it is very hard to do. Making the car design analogy again, it's easy to do a "me-too" design that people are familiar with and it's easy to do a really advanced design. It's extremely hard to do a production car that has the emotion of an advanced design yet still visually familiar enough to allow people to feel comfortable. That's a hard line to walk. 

I could have done a crazy design for this bag. I wanted to make sure that the options were going to be the feature. In order to introduce a bag with 5 options, I wanted to make sure the customer wasn't left scratching their heads wondering why it looked so different.

iPad Pro 12.9 Crossbody Bag Options 

JKD: Tell us about the shift in the approach to the options.

MS: We introduced our Premium Leather Briefcase, the vertical model, that featured a series of new options that allowed the customer put the bag together to meet their needs. Our MacBook Pro Flight Jackets offer a few options, but the Briefcase took this to a new level. I wanted this level of customization for the 12.9  cases too. 

JKD: How was this achieved?

MS: For the MacBook Pro models, the main flap is secured with velcro and the removable, storage Pouch is secured with a stainless steel finished clip. For the iPad Pro 12.9 cross body bag, we flipped it around. 

The main flap is secured with the same clip we use for the vertical Briefcase and the optional small and large pouches are secured with velcro. The customer can choose to add the pouches that they want to, one, none or both, whatever fits their needs. Switching how we secured the main flap made adding more options financially viable. 

JKD: What have the customers been ordering?

MS: Like always, it's a mix. Some customers order all the options, both pouches, some order just the large some just the small. Almost everyone orders one or the other. People like options. 

JKD: Tell us more about the Pouches. What are the differences?

MS: The Large is about 50% bigger than the Small so you can do much more with it. But, maybe it's not something each and every person wants to carry around each and every day. Hence, the small option. 

They are both cut from the same hides as the main body of the bag. They are fully lined and padded and feature YKK zippers. No shortcuts. They match perfectly and feature that central stripe detail I mentioned before that tie them visually to the main body of the bag. 

JKD: Can these Pouches be used on the MacCase MacBook Pro models?

MS: No. Not on the current MacBook Pro design. Moving forward, there is a good chance the option-rich design of the Pro will be expanded across the line. 

iPad Pro 12.9 Leather Backpack

JKD: What other optional besides the Pouches are available?

MS: Well we have our 2 colors: Black or Vintage. We have the 2 pouches, our shoulder pad and the backpack strap set. The backpack options really changes the way you can use the bag.

Everyone love the hands free feeling of a backpack and our backpack strap set has been a very successful option since day one. For the cost of the strap set, it's like getting a whole other bag. Customers love this one. About 65% of people who buy this bag, order the backpack strap set as well. 

Lastly, we offer our new iPhone slip case that slides onto the shoulder strap putting the case right where you want it. So when all is said and done, the customer can put together a bag that they can really bond with, a case that will be there for them for as long as they need it. 

JKD: What about protection? Is the new case protective?

MS: Wow Jody, you've asked me some hardball questions in the past. Why are you suddenly going so easy on me?

JKD: Aren't customers concerned about protection?

MS: You know nobody does a better job of protecting Apple portables than we do. The new design is one highly protective piece for the iPad, the Pencil and all your other items. The 12.9 is a large tablet. It's a big piece of glass and it's heavy. This case, like all our cases, does the job. The design works.