When it comes to folio-style iPad cases, it’s less common to see designs with form-fitting inner shells or skins than less protective fabric holders. Cygnett’s Lavish for iPad mini ($40) offers just that, sandwiching a rubber case between black or purple faux leather covers. In the past, we’ve found the company’s rubber skins to be simple but nice, and this one is no exception.
From the outside, Lavish looks like any number of folios. The faux leather isn’t quite as textured as it looks, but it’s not as cheap-feeling as we’ve seen on other cases.
We found the metal logo in the bottom right corner to be a nice touch. On the back are a hole for the iSight camera and an extraneous opening for the rumored rear iPad mini microphone that never came to be. A simple magnetic tab is used to keep the case shut when not in use.
The skin inside is the high-quality design we’ve seen from our favorite Cygnett products. It takes just a bit of effort to push it on, but once you have, your tablet is well protected.
The edges are fully covered, and there’s a lip that curls around to protect the screen. We’re always fond of button coverage, which Lavish has, but actually accessing the controls is a bit of an issue. The rear cover fits a bit too tightly, making it hard for larger fingers to get at the buttons without forcing their way in. This is especially pronounced with the volume buttons. The case can be folded into a stand with two different viewing angles as most folios can, but unfortunately, magnetic locking and unlocking is missing from the lid.
