Filofax Malden iPad case

I reviewed the Pennybridge iPad case earlier this year. The Malden I'm reviewing today is very similar in design except it is made from the lovely soft buffalo leather which the Malden range is renowned for.

The iPad case offers a place to hold your iPad with access to all of the controls and the camera, whilst on the opposite side there are a range of card slots and a pocket to hold a notepad if you wish.

There is also an A5 organiser which slots in to an outer edge pocket. This organiser is fitted with 20 mm rings, smaller than an normal A5.

The rings themselves fit on to a black plastic stiff card and then there is a leather cover that wraps around the rings to form the spine and front cover.

The cover is very soft and pliable, the inside is lined with a contrasting textile lining.  The organiser cover has a padded section that cushions the rings against the iPad screen.

A fixed elasticated pen loop is located on the inside edge of the card slots and will take a wide range of pen sizes.

The frame around the iPad is quite think leather but if doesn't intrude in to your use of the iPad at all.

On the outside of the case on the rear there is a  slot pocket which could be used for loose papers etc.

Conventionally the iPad is on the right and the organiser and/or note pad is on the left. But I discovered that you can invert the case and without removing the iPad, just have the home button at the top, the screen auto rotates around and then if you prefer you can use the case with the notepad on the right and the iPad on the left.

The notepad slot is open top and bottom so that will work either way up.

With the organiser rings only being 20 mm and I'm used to using a 25 or 30mm A5 I thought it might be a bit of a challenge to fit everything I normally need in to the organiser.

The iPad case comes with a Filofax week per page diary insert and a set of dividers, a paper flysheet and an A5 notepad. So I removed the contents and set about putting my own set up on to the rings.

My full A-Z contact list and website information sheets went in as they are now. I added some to-do sheets and some lined note paper.

I then looked at the diary. My current Week per View diary which is the Enhanced TM Week View insert, for a full 12 months is a bit bulky as it is printed on 80gsm paper. So as a compromise I printed off a Week per Page, insert, the one I had devised with appointments and task columns. Going back through my last few months as I don't have many appointments and rarely do they take up a full line of text, I could live with this reduction of space easily.  Note, I'm still using paper for my calendar and contacts! This particular insert I designed for use with my A4 Classic, but it works fine with my A5 as well.

So I settled on the Week per Page insert and printed it off and punched it to suit and that went in to the A5 organiser as well. I was quite surprised there was still space to spare. I looked at what other pages I regularly look at in my desk A5, and moved the blog month per page diary insert across as well, putting that in to another section. And adding another ruler so I can can flick between inserts easily.

I then zipped up the case and felt the weight of it with the iPad and pages in there. Quite a heft, and it tips the scales at just under 1.5 kilogrames about three pounds in old money!  But the case easily fits in my messenger bag and that would be my usual method of carrying it.

I've found having both the iPad and the organiser together in one place quite convenient, during this last week or so. I've found that if the organiser is needed separately it is very easy to pull out of the slot and use it on it's own or to leave it on the desk and just grab the case and use the iPad on it's own with the notepad.

Thank you to Ideas Network for supplying this review sample.

The Malden A5 iPad case is available from Filofax UK and other retailers. Apple iPad not included!