The iPad Pro 11-inch Gen 1 and Gen 2 Case - A Familiar Story
If you own a 2018 or 2020 11-inch iPad Pro, you have probably already been through at least one case that didn't make it. Maybe two. Maybe five. A $20 "genuine leather" folio that looked credible in the listing photos. Arrived quickly. Felt reasonable for the first few weeks. Then the tray started to give at the corners. The cover stopped closing flush. The stitching began separating at the spine. You replaced it. The replacement lasted about as long. This is not a coincidence. It is the economics of a market where most buyers replace cases every 6 to 9 months without questioning why. Cases designed to that replacement cycle are not designed to last beyond it. The materials are chosen to survive the unboxing, not the second year of daily use.
Where Cheap 11-inch iPad Pro Cases Fail
The Tray Gives Out
The 11-inch iPad Pro has a large, thin glass panel and an aluminum chassis that requires a tray engineered to its specific geometry. Polycarbonate fatigues under repeated flex. The cutouts for the charging port and cameras as well as the corners are the weakest points, stress concentrates there every time the case flexes due to the tray being designed in a static environment, not for the dynamic real world. Six to twelve months of flexing and drops and the tray cracks at those points. The iPad is no longer held securely. The case is finished.
The Cover Separates
Cheap leather on iPad cases is almost never full-grain. It is bonded leather, scraps and fiber compressed and coated to look like leather in a photo. Bonded leather does not age. It delaminates. The coating peels from the corners first, then the spine, then the front panel. The stitching, which was decorative rather than structural, pulls away as the substrate beneath it fails. The case looks fine at 90 days and looks abandoned at 180.
The Stand Stops Holding
Most 11-inch iPad folio stands are a single fold with no engineered resistance. They hold one angle on day one and a slightly different, looser angle on day 90. By the end of the first year the stand no longer holds position without being propped against something. The feature that justified the purchase is gone.
The Magnets Fade
Low-cost magnetic closures use low-gauss magnets that lose holding strength with repeated opening and closing. The cover that snapped shut confidently in month one drifts open in a bag by month six. The screen that was protected is now exposed to whatever else is in the bag.
The MacCase Premium Leather 11-inch iPad Pro Case Built for the Buyer Who Wants to Stop Replacing Cases
This is a legacy model for the 2018 Gen 1 and 2020 Gen 2 11-inch iPad Pro. Apple no longer makes these tablets. We no longer make this case. Limited stock remains, available in vintage brown at $99.95, marked down from $169.95. The construction is identical to the full-price models. The only thing that changed is the price.
The Tray is Engineered for the Real World
The MacCase polymer tray is not a hard plastic shell. The polymer material flexes with real world use. It is engineered specifically for the 2018 and 2020 11-inch iPad Pro chassis and will never experience the degradation of typical poly-carbonate cases. The tray geometry incorporates corner torque resistance, the shape counteracts the rotational force that causes corners to crack over time. The tray is set back from the case edge 10mm so the structural cover panels absorb impacts before it reaches the iPad.
The Leather is Full-Grain, Not Bonded
The MacCase 11-inch leather case is handcrafted from ethically sourced, vegetable-dyed, soft-hand full-grain leather. Full-grain leather does not delaminate. It does not peel. It does not separate from the stitching. It ages, developing a patina unique to how its owner uses it. The contrasting white stitching is structural, passing through full-grain hide at a stitch count designed to hold for years, not months. The ultra-suede interior will not scratch the iPad's display or aluminum finish.
The Stand is Infinite Angle Adjustability
The MacCase cover provides adjustability from near 90° to near 20°, a continuous range rather than a fixed fold. It holds position across that range and continues to hold position after years of use because the mechanism was engineered to maintain resistance, not just provide it on day one. For Apple Pencil work, document review, or video, the correct angle is whatever angle you need, not whatever angle the case allows.
The Magnets are High-Gauss
High-gauss magnets keep the cover closed reliably during transport and trigger the auto on/off sleep/wake function. They maintain holding strength over time. The cover that closes securely today closes securely in two years. The screen stays protected in a bag, in a backpack, and on a desk.
The Apple Pencil is Protected in the Charging Position
The MacCase 11-inch leather case protects the Apple Pencil while it charges magnetically on the side of the iPad. Most leather folios leave the Pencil exposed at the case edge, one brush against something else and it's on the floor. The MacCase cover geometry shields the Pencil in the charging position without a separate holder or any additional step. For daily Pencil users, this is the correct solution.
The Warranty is Limited Lifetime
The MacCase Premium Leather 11-inch iPad Pro Case is backed by a limited lifetime warranty at the clearance price. MacCase has been making Apple-specific cases since 1998. If you need the warranty, the company will be there. The seller of the $20 case almost certainly will not be.
FAQs
What is the MacCase leather iPad Pro 11 Gen 1 and Gen 2 case?
The MacCase Premium Leather iPad Pro 11 Case fits the 2018 1st generation and 2020 2nd generation 11-inch iPad Pro. Handcrafted from ethically sourced, vegetable-dyed full-grain vintage brown or top-grain pebble black leather with an ultra-suede interior. Protection Rating 7.25/10—Impact 8/10, Scratch 8/10, Corner 8/10, Water 3/10. Infinite Angle adjustability, Magnetic Accessory System with 4 optional add-ons, and Apple Pencil charging protection. Limited inventory at $74.95, marked down from $169.95. Limited lifetime warranty.
What is the best 2020 iPad Pro 11 case?
The MacCase Premium Leather iPad Pro 11 Case, handcrafted leather, 95% better drop protection via offset tray design, limited lifetime warranty, $74.95 while supplies last.
How long has MacCase been making a leather iPad Pro 11 inch case?
MacCase has been making leather folio cases for the 2020 11 inch iPad Pro since they were first introduced in October 2018. MacCase has been making iPad cases since they were first released in 2010.
Do the iPad Pro 11 1st Generation and 2nd Generation Fit the Same Case?
Yes. The 2018 1st generation and 2020 2nd generation 11-inch iPad Pro share identical exterior dimensions:
247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm. The MacCase precision polymer tray fits both generations with full port access, full camera integration, and Apple Pencil charging protection. If you have either the 2018 or 2020 11-inch iPad Pro, this case fits.
What iPad Pro 11 Models Does This Case NOT Fit?
The MacCase Premium Leather iPad Pro 11 Case does not fit the 2021 M1 3rd generation, 2022 M2 4th generation, 2024 M4 5th generation, or 2026 M5 6th generation 11-inch iPad Pro. Apple changed the dimensions with the 3rd generation redesign in 2021. If you have a 2021 or newer 11-inch iPad Pro, see the current MacCase leather 11 iPad Pro case instead. Check your model in Settings → General → About before ordering.
How long has MacCase been around?
MacCase created the Apple-specific case market in 1998 and started making iPad cases in 2010. This 2020 iPad Pro 11 case represents a decade of experience in Apple tablet case design.
Why should I choose MacCase?
MacCase only uses ethically sourced full or top grain hides for all their Premium Leather models. The leather comes from ex-Hindu dairy cows and only becomes available after the cows pass naturally. MacCase is known for their handmade, exquisite quality. They combine smart engineering with old-world craftsmanship to deliver an outstanding user experience backed by a lifetime warranty. Under normal use, the product should last as long as you own your 2020 11-inch iPad Pro. This is the main difference between what MacCase does and the plethora of low-quality, disposable cases available on marketplace sites.