Premium Leather iPad Pro Bag

FAQs

Does this MacCase iPad Bag hold the Magic Keyboard?

Yes, our new iPad bag does hold the Magic Keyboard as well as other Apple tablet keyboards and covers. There is also a dedicated place for the Apple Pencil and the included pouch holds your AC adapter and cable.

Do I need an iPad bag?

Having a specific iPad bag can be the safest way to protect and transport your Apple tablet, especially for the larger, more vulnerable 12.9 Pro model. A tablet-specific bag should have a place for the Apple Pencil and the AC adapter.

Can I put my iPad in my backpack?

You can put your iPad in your backpack but a little forethought will go a long way to insure your Apple tablet is transported safely. Make sure there is nothing in the pack that can come in contact with the screen and possibly crack it.

Is it better to have an iPad case with a handle?

While an iPad case with a handle can expand how and where you take you iPad, the first priority of any tablet case should be to protect your investment. Also, think about if having a case with a handle will better fit your needs.

Do I need an iPad carrying bag?

A specific iPad carrying bag can be the best way to carry you Apple tablet in a safe and efficient way. A carrying bag will typically have a strap that will allow the bag to be worn as a cross body or shoulder bag.

2023 Leather iPad Bag - Behind the Design

This is 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 Bag for the 12.9-inch Pro tablet.

JKD: This new iPad bag replaces a model in MacCase’s lineup that was, by your own standards, not successful. What have you done with this new model that is going to change that?

MS: First off, it’s much, much simpler. It’s as simple as I could make it without sacrificing the features and functionality that I believe most customers want. It’s smart. It’s light. It’s comfortable. It’s also very minimal.

If you have a lot of other things to carry besides your tablet, this is not your case. But if you’re out for the day and you want to write or draw, it’s perfect. If you’re on a plane and you want to have your tablet on you and not have to pull it out of some overhead bin, this is your iPad bag.

JKD: So let’s talk about the design. It’s much more like a sleeve than a Flight Jacket. Why the departure from the Flight Jacket aesthetic for this cross-body bag?

MS: The hardest designs in the world to do are the simple ones. It’s easy to do busy things with busy details and busy patterns. The more you take away, the more you have to get right. There is no place to hide. Things like the proportion of the elements have to be in harmony. If there are details, they need to serve a purpose. This gives the design character and authenticity.

So as you take more and more things away, the truth of what you are creating is revealed. I jettisoned the removable storage pouch and the associated clip. The flap is now magnetic not Velcro. Simplify, simplify, simplify. At the same time, our central-mounted Pencil holder continues our brand character and aesthetics.

I believe the overall design reflects the evolving nature of how people are using their tablets. Lighter, simpler, and easier to maneuver. This is a case you can use every day and one you can trust to protect your Apple tablet.

An iPad Case with a Handle

JKD: One thing you kept was the handle. Why?

MS: I think having an iPad case with a handle is necessary for this type of form factor. We made a messenger bag for many years without a handle of any kind and people complained there was no easy or comfortable way to get it out of a car or overhead bin. We learned a good lesson there.

A feature like a handle is mandatory. It sets the case apart from a sleeve. It adds so much functionality. It allows the case to be dragged across a surface like a car seat when getting out of a cab.

It allows the case to be picked up vs. having to grab the body of the case itself. Having an iPad case with a handle prevents unnecessary pressure having to be applied to the screen. This is important for a tablet with a screen the size of the 12.9-inch. You want to minimize such pressure.

Moreover, having the loop at the top adds an aesthetic feature as well. There is an elegance that the loop brings to the design that is just not there if the handle is not a part of the case. The arc at the top of the case created by the handle is completed by the arc of the bottom edge of the flap. There is symmetry there. It's nice.

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

The iPad Pro Bag You Can Use Everyday

JKD: You've mentioned that this is an iPad Pro bag you can use every day. How do you see it fitting into people's lives?

MS: I see it fitting in in several ways and for several different customer groups. Let's take the first customer. We'll call her Carol. Carol is a character designer for animation features, video games and graphic novels. She's grown out of the nylon bags of her college days and early career.

She needs an iPad Pro bag she can throw over her shoulder every morning whether she's headed to a coffee shop to check email, to meet with other animators to work on sketches or on her way to making a presentation to clients. She needs a safe place for not only her tablet but the Apple Pencil as well.

This case excels in all of these areas whether she is walking, driving or flying. She has everything she needs to get the job done in a compact, protective yet professional package.

The next customer is someone named Brett. He is a writer and like Carol, can work from almost anywhere. He writes using the Magic Keyboard so he needs an iPad Pro bag that will transport and protect this accessory. He needs a case that can go with him into meetings and look professional yet be highly protective on the road if he's researching a story.

Lastly, we have Ann. Ann needs her iPad Pro bag to be protective while going back and forth to work and when she brings it to a friend's house. The case does everything she needs it to do. It's befitting someone who understands they purchased the most expensive tablet computer in the world. She's smart enough to know not to look for the cheapest bag she can find to protect it.

These are just 3 examples of the type of users we thought about when designing the bag. It's a great little shoulder bag that is at home in so many environments.

The Best iPad Travel Case

JKD: You mentioned traveling by air. Do you see design as the best iPad travel case?

MS: Well, "the best" is highly subjective as we have discussed before. I think it's a great iPad travel case for anyone flying. Here's why. You can use it with a roller as a carry-on bag. If you are going to work, say draw or write, on the flight, then its compact nature excels.

Once you get to your seat and your roller is stored in the overhead bin, you can slide this case off your shoulder and into the seat-mounted storage pocket. It's not much thicker than a few magazines so it's not going to eat up all your knee room. 

Then when you are ready you can pull it out, take out your iPad and get to work. The silent magnetic closure is not going to wake up whomever is sleeping next to you. You can even use the case as a lumbar support to help your posture in those awful airplane seats. I have done this many times with some of our other models. They work great for this!

JKD: So is it just for flying then?

MS: No, far from it. Say you get to your destination and check-in and want to take a walk and check out some sites. Again, as an iPad travel case, it excels. You throw it over your shoulder and it looks like a normal shoulder bag. It's not going to attract any unwanted attention. As an iPad travel case, everything that makes it great for traveling to someplace makes it great once you get there and want to explore.

It's light, compact, and vertically-oriented which means it's extremely comfortable and highly protective.

A Simple iPad Shoulder Bag

JKD: You're very big on options. You like to give customers a choice and let them add the features they want to need. How does this iPad shoulder bag carry on that tradition?

MS: In one way it breaks with the tradition and in another, it carries it on. I'll explain. If the goal was to design an iPad shoulder bag that was simpler than the old model, you're going to be taking things away.

I have explained how we did this earlier. If you're going to be removing parts, especially parts that add functionality, then you risk the design being "less than". What I mean by "less than" is, it's less than what many customers need or want.

People like places to put things but not to the point of those places becoming cumbersome. There is a balance. It's important to get that right. For this cross-body bag, we removed the front-mounted pouch and replaced it with a new one that mounts on the shoulder strap. 

The key is that it's included in the base model. The pouch is not an option. It comes as part of the base design. As does the shoulder strap. I felt that these add the functionality that our customers expect in an iPad carrying case, especially one worn as a shoulder bag.

The accessory pouch is perfect for the AC adapter and cable along with some screen cleaner and a cloth. It's removable if you don't need to have it with you. They are 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 an exterior pocket for slipping your sunglasses or earbuds into. With this design, we're bringing all the functionality and customization of the older model to this one without the complexity and cost. It's a win-win.

The options we are offering include our matching shoulder pad and iPhone case. The iPhone case is strap-mounted like the accessory pouch. You can fit them one atop the other or have one on each end of the strap. Having them one on top of the other creates quite a unique look.

When all is said and done, the customer can put together an iPad shoulder bag that they can bond with, a case that will be there for them for as long as they need it. 

A Protective iPad Case with Shoulder Strap

JKD: What about protection? How is the new case protective?

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, the Magic Keyboard and all your other items.

We use the foam layering system we innovated many years ago which allows us to make our cases very light AND protective at the same time. Unlike so many companies in this space who are new and are guessing if their designs will work, when you buy a MacCase, you're getting 25 years of real-world experience in protecting Apple portables.

We know our designs work. We know our materials are some of the best. We know our designs are engineered to perform and protect for a very long time. And we know this because we've been doing it for 25 years. You learn some things about how to make a quality iPad case with a shoulder strap along the way.

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 removable shoulder strap allows you to wear it cross-body or over the shoulder, whatever is most comfortable. 

JKD: Even though you simplified the design, it still looks like a MacCase. How to do achieve this?

MS: We have a lot of equity in the visual vocabulary of our designs. Most leather bags are pretty dull looking. They are either very plain 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 manufacturers whose products are visually interesting in an authentic way AND look like they belong in the 21st century. This is rare.

Summarizing This Bag for iPad Pro 12.9

JKD: If you were going to sum up this bag for the iPad Pro 12.9, how would you do it?

MS: The first thing I would say is the this is not only a bag for the iPad Pro 12.9 but for all Apple tablets and for any tablet around 13-inches and under. Did we size it first and foremost for the 12.9-inch? Yes. Does it work with the Magic Keyboard and other accessories for the 12.9-inch? Yes, but I think the overall design and protection it provides creates a great bag for the iPad Pro 12.9 and beyond.

Adding to that, our newest iPad carry bag is a timeless design of 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 this new bag looks pretty good too. 

Designed for a wide range of Apple tablets and accessories, this iPad Pro bag will hold the Magic Keyboard and all other Apple keyboards and covers. While designed for the 12.9-inch, it can hold smaller models as well.

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 quality of the case 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 harm's way.  A solution like this is far superior to something like an elastic loop sewn to the outside of the case hoping the Pencil doesn't slip out.

JKD: Thank you for your time.

MS: You're very welcome.