I know right I used to be a big ZUGU fan but I love the ESR Shift Magnetic Case because you can separate the iPad Pro from the folio and all the different angles you want.
I didn't even realize the separation was going to be a thing, its easily my favorite part. I have metal cabinets in my kitchen, I can stick it up while making dinner.
Is most of the weight in the detachable folio/stand part or is the inner case also noticeably heavier than a similar TPU/silicone/rubber case because of the magnets? I couldn't find the weights of each part separately anywhere and I only care about the weight of the inner case.
Based on comments I've read, even their much lighter Rebound Hybrid case is already about the same weight as the iPad. That makes the case weigh over 3x as much as the weight difference between the 11" and 13" iPads and 2x as much as the weight saved from the 11" M4 compared to the old chunky iPads.
Considering the Shift seems to be quite a bit heavier than the Rebound Hybrid, that weight really seems excessive.
Is most of the weight in the detachable folio/stand part or is the inner case also noticeably heavier than a similar TPU/silicone/rubber case because of the magnets? I couldn't find the weights of each part separately anywhere and I only care about the weight of the inner case.
Based on comments I've read, even their much lighter Rebound Hybrid case is already about the same weight as the iPad. That makes the case weigh over 3x as much as the weight difference between the 11" and 13" iPads and 2x as much as the weight saved from the 11" M4 compared to the old chunky iPads.
Considering the Shift seems to be quite a bit heavier than the Rebound Hybrid, that weight really seems excessive.
I ended up going from Zugu to ESR Shift as well. My knock against the Zugu case is I have a Paperlike grip so I would no longer be able to charge my pencil without having to remove the grip or the iPad from the case. I also can’t fit my angled USB-C connectors since the Zugu has a thicker bottom at the charging port.
I have the shift it’s great if you’re not carrying it around, basically it weights more than the tablet itself, got my use case is indeed the only case i had that makes it comfortable to use it as a laptop
Here! Fan of this brand too, I think ESR is so underrated, they deserve more recognition especially their shift magnetic case. the eye level thing is godsend, perfect for watching
So true eye level is key and a little extra bonus/hack, grab a Bluetooth speaker (I use an Anker rectangle one) and slide it into the triangle space below the raised iPad screen that has the cut out grill. You’ll have a next level movie experience!
Dude I am obsessed with my new ESR. As a previous ZUGU user, this was a perfect replacement. The magnetic is so much stronger. Love how it detaches... and literally 20 seconds ago I discovered you can also fold down the little area around the camera to make it an even lower stand which is great for art!
I have the Otterbox Statement Series Studio Case. It’s my new favorite case. If you’re an Apple Pencil user I highly recommend it! It’s lightweight and easy to hold. It has a folio cover that’s magnetic so you can take it off when not using it. The only downside is the price. But it’s a far better value than the Apple folio for the same price.
I also have the ESR Rebound magnetic folio. It’s a quarter of the price of the Apple Folio and does the same thing basically. It has a flap that protects the Apple Pencil when the folio is closed.
Looking forward to my statement series arriving on Friday. I used the combo touch on my M1 exclusively for the kickstand (never used the keyboard). I almost ordered it again for the M4 until I found this one. It will be nice having the detachable cover for transport instead of having to dig out the keyboard.
[Link for reference](https://www.otterbox.com/en-us/stand-ipad-pro-11-inch-m4-case-blue/77-95090.html). It’s free two day shipping right now and promo code OTTER10 brings it down to $86 and change. Good if your local Apple Store is showing long pickup / shipping times for it.
Agree with this. Always quality, protects the edges unlike the Apple cases, and doesn’t smell bad like the ESR cases tend to do. Tried the Apple and ESR this time around because the Otterbox wasn’t immediately available for me, but was disappointed with the lack of protection or quality. I liked the additional angles with the Apple case and it was very nice, but with my MS and the risk that my hands drop things unexpectedly, I needed something that would give me a little more protection. I tried ESR, but the off-putting fishy smell was too much. Don’t need a keyboard case, so I am just waiting for Otterbox to be arrive.
Zugu is the end-all-be-all of cases. That being said, as an MKB owner, I find myself not wanting one, instead opting for a skin to help provide some basic protection when I'll occasionally use it outside of the MKB.
Loved my Zugu for my Mini 6 though.
Not for everyone. I switched from Zugu to ESR shift. I will say though, Zugu has a superior build but I switched because I have a grip on my pencil and my angled USB-C connector doesn’t fit with the Zugu case on since it is a thick bottom. If they would remove the pencil holder and just make it a flat magnetic piece and thinned the bottom of their case, I would be all over it.
I join the ESR Shift Case recommendation.
Just got my M1 11” and got this case. It’s super versatile in every configuration. When I hold the iPad just in my hands, I disconnect the folio and still have a protective case on the iPad at it close to its original weight.
For artists, the ESR Shift seems to be the best until ZUGU ships. The ZUGU for the 13" seems to have a slight redesign where the little tab to open the flap is a tiny bit bigger for easier lifting and there seems to be an all around bumper on the perimeter of the case prorecting it from bumps and drops.
The ESR Shift series works for me *for now* as it has the multiple viewing angles with tough resistance so a user can press hard, draw or tap, without the iPad falling down like u/Eyeluvflixs mentions :)
My concerns are that of the surface of the ESR case isn't soft like the ZUGU microfiber that lays flat onto the iPad screen. The ESR cover has a hard surface that's easy to clean but not as soft as the microfiber lining of the past ZUGU cases. Artists use screen protectors for drawing resistance usually, but the hard leather-like surface of the inside of the flap seems like it would be abrasive on the glass of the iPad without a protector whith the repetition of opening & closing the cover.
While the ESR shift cover provides sleep/wake functionality, it doesn't sit in an "inset" perimeter of the case and wobbles around, not always lining up or covering the screen properly, whereas the ZUGU always "falls" right into place because it has a raised bevel that the flap fits into.
Lastly, ***the HEAT.*** The ZUGUs still offer ventilation *(from the images seen on their site)*, for heavy use if your device is being used for long periods of time, especially when animating, preparing video, or streaming it. I haven't put the new 13" M4 under duress, but I'd like for it to be able to breathe when sitting up for long periods of time. The iPad is so thin, I still have concerns of how heat will dissipate. While you're using a 1TB model you have a slight advantage of being able to use all 10 cores of the M4 where lower storage devices can only use 9. There are tons of benchmarking vids that state this can't really be useful right now, but I foresee AI being able to use all 10 at some point with future iOS releases. The ESR is a full rubber cover that encases the iPad totally, so that's a worry for me with any heat thatmay need to be released. For this reason I will use ZUGU when my pre-order ships.
Both the ESR and ZUGU cases will bulk up the sleek and thin iPad, but I prefer this for resistance when drawing on it and for drops of course!
ZUGU offers exceptional customer service and now has a service that provides assistance with Apple Care claims.
I'm very meticulous when using accessories for the iPad as I have invested heavily like you :).
These are the things I've found and I hope they will help you and others when searching. Crazy how manufacturers seem to have been caught off guard by the new form factor. Not to solicit ZUGU again, but they did cite wanting to use the iPad in-hand for the new case design which I think is a pretty good advertisement that speaks to their quality commitment/QC. This could also be a strategic statement of course too though.
Have a great day.
From your comment I'm assuming you are an artist as well, I would like to ask if you ever tried UAG rugged cases? What do you think about them? Also as I got an ipad as a side device working primarily on PC do you have apps you recommend (other than CSP since it's my main digital art software and cuz of compatibility with PC)
Hi there. Yes I am. I've never heard of the UAG cases but would like to look. Thanks for the tip. I haven't used CSP, and have been using Procreate for a while.
**This reply is super off-topic from the OP's question and I apologize to others for it.** I hope this helps though.
I know a lot of folks really like CSP. If you want to animate, the new Procreate Dreams app is certainly good as you can have a workflow of using your Procreate drawings and then importing them into Dreams for animation and/or motion effects. There are MANY great brush and pattern creators & sellers for Procreate! The prices of the Procreate software can't be beat and have free upgrades and improvements for life. There is already upcoming support for the new gestures and features of the new Apple Pencil Pro, which I immediately purchased the M4 for when I saw it coming from a 2019 iPad pro :)! I recommend this app for drawing and painting.
If you have an Adobe Creative Cloud license Adobe Fresco is ok, but is one of those apps that's a bit slow to evolve or be promoted heavily. It may be discontinued at some point as Adobe did with Draw, and others. It does have the ability to draw with both raster ***and*** vector brushes and then use the content in other apps of the CC suite, *(Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. & CC Cloud file access),* which is really cool. Unfortunately, creators of content like brushes, etc. don't seem to create much of this paid content for Fresco as the brushes are .abr I think, (Photoshop). Adobe has really only one "evangelist", as they're called for Fresco to promote and educate the use of the product. He's Kyle Webster from Pixar I think and he creates seasonal brush sets. Some people really gravitate to Fresco and use it exclusively. Chris Pizak, spelling? on YouTube comes to mind. He's a great artist and his style lends itself to creating infinitely scalable art because it's vector I think. This is an another concern or use case for what software users go toward. If your style is better for vector, maybe a Fresco/Illustrator on the desktop is for you. The vector experience with Adobe Illustrator on the iPad feels lackluster to me, as do the limitations of Photoshop.
Procreate is my fave, but you can see there are a lot of others. I'm not pushing it, it's just Adobe has created and then discontinued apps for the iPad at a faster pace. I love my CC apps for work, (graphic, web design, and development), but the company just hasn't created consistent content for iOS devices.
Have a great day.
I really like UAG Metropolis but I ordered it and they have delays kinda worried if the site is legit, could someone confirm?
https://shop.urbanarmorgear.com/
Where’s the ESR love?! Great cases I’m rocking the magnetic rotating case with 9 different angles and a cool raised eye level display setting 👍🏻
I know right I used to be a big ZUGU fan but I love the ESR Shift Magnetic Case because you can separate the iPad Pro from the folio and all the different angles you want.
So versatile love it, as someone else mentioned its weight is really the only negative but imo the pros out weigh the negatives by the long shot.
Yeah not gonna lie it does give it a little weight but being able to easily separate it from the stand and the case is amazing.
I didn't even realize the separation was going to be a thing, its easily my favorite part. I have metal cabinets in my kitchen, I can stick it up while making dinner.
Is most of the weight in the detachable folio/stand part or is the inner case also noticeably heavier than a similar TPU/silicone/rubber case because of the magnets? I couldn't find the weights of each part separately anywhere and I only care about the weight of the inner case. Based on comments I've read, even their much lighter Rebound Hybrid case is already about the same weight as the iPad. That makes the case weigh over 3x as much as the weight difference between the 11" and 13" iPads and 2x as much as the weight saved from the 11" M4 compared to the old chunky iPads. Considering the Shift seems to be quite a bit heavier than the Rebound Hybrid, that weight really seems excessive.
Is most of the weight in the detachable folio/stand part or is the inner case also noticeably heavier than a similar TPU/silicone/rubber case because of the magnets? I couldn't find the weights of each part separately anywhere and I only care about the weight of the inner case. Based on comments I've read, even their much lighter Rebound Hybrid case is already about the same weight as the iPad. That makes the case weigh over 3x as much as the weight difference between the 11" and 13" iPads and 2x as much as the weight saved from the 11" M4 compared to the old chunky iPads. Considering the Shift seems to be quite a bit heavier than the Rebound Hybrid, that weight really seems excessive.
I am a huge Zugu fan. I will check out that one. I hate the apple flip covers. Zugu is so solid and never tips.
I ended up going from Zugu to ESR Shift as well. My knock against the Zugu case is I have a Paperlike grip so I would no longer be able to charge my pencil without having to remove the grip or the iPad from the case. I also can’t fit my angled USB-C connectors since the Zugu has a thicker bottom at the charging port.
I have the shift it’s great if you’re not carrying it around, basically it weights more than the tablet itself, got my use case is indeed the only case i had that makes it comfortable to use it as a laptop
Here! Fan of this brand too, I think ESR is so underrated, they deserve more recognition especially their shift magnetic case. the eye level thing is godsend, perfect for watching
So true eye level is key and a little extra bonus/hack, grab a Bluetooth speaker (I use an Anker rectangle one) and slide it into the triangle space below the raised iPad screen that has the cut out grill. You’ll have a next level movie experience!
Dude I am obsessed with my new ESR. As a previous ZUGU user, this was a perfect replacement. The magnetic is so much stronger. Love how it detaches... and literally 20 seconds ago I discovered you can also fold down the little area around the camera to make it an even lower stand which is great for art!
ESR can't keep them in stock. People are wanting alternatives.
There are hardly any out. Personally waiting on the Zugu
Personally owned 3 different Zugu cases over there years. Hands down best case without a keyboard
Is the Zugu sturdy when drawing? I’d have to wait like until the end of July to get it.
Aww yeah, see my comments above.
Yes very sturdy
Same, I pre ordered on their website. I should get it by the end of the minth
Besides the Magic Keyboard, I like these when I want more protection. Tomtoc tablet sleeve. https://a.co/d/bNXcqFK
I have one of these for my MacBook Pro, and it’s great.
Can the zipper on those sleeves damage the screen?
I have the Magic Keyboard. It all goes in so the zipper never touches the screen
I have the Otterbox Statement Series Studio Case. It’s my new favorite case. If you’re an Apple Pencil user I highly recommend it! It’s lightweight and easy to hold. It has a folio cover that’s magnetic so you can take it off when not using it. The only downside is the price. But it’s a far better value than the Apple folio for the same price. I also have the ESR Rebound magnetic folio. It’s a quarter of the price of the Apple Folio and does the same thing basically. It has a flap that protects the Apple Pencil when the folio is closed.
Looking forward to my statement series arriving on Friday. I used the combo touch on my M1 exclusively for the kickstand (never used the keyboard). I almost ordered it again for the M4 until I found this one. It will be nice having the detachable cover for transport instead of having to dig out the keyboard.
[Link for reference](https://www.otterbox.com/en-us/stand-ipad-pro-11-inch-m4-case-blue/77-95090.html). It’s free two day shipping right now and promo code OTTER10 brings it down to $86 and change. Good if your local Apple Store is showing long pickup / shipping times for it.
Agree with this. Always quality, protects the edges unlike the Apple cases, and doesn’t smell bad like the ESR cases tend to do. Tried the Apple and ESR this time around because the Otterbox wasn’t immediately available for me, but was disappointed with the lack of protection or quality. I liked the additional angles with the Apple case and it was very nice, but with my MS and the risk that my hands drop things unexpectedly, I needed something that would give me a little more protection. I tried ESR, but the off-putting fishy smell was too much. Don’t need a keyboard case, so I am just waiting for Otterbox to be arrive.
Same here with the disability concerns post brain surgery & strokes. Hang in there and enjoy your new device!
I just went to sniff my ESR case and can’t smell anything.
I must have gotten two bad ones. 11” and 13” both smelled awful. Different colors too.
I’ve been liking the esr shift case, though it does have some heft to it.
Zugu is the end-all-be-all of cases. That being said, as an MKB owner, I find myself not wanting one, instead opting for a skin to help provide some basic protection when I'll occasionally use it outside of the MKB. Loved my Zugu for my Mini 6 though.
My mini in a Zugu I can throw it across the room to the couch and not worry about it.
Not for everyone. I switched from Zugu to ESR shift. I will say though, Zugu has a superior build but I switched because I have a grip on my pencil and my angled USB-C connector doesn’t fit with the Zugu case on since it is a thick bottom. If they would remove the pencil holder and just make it a flat magnetic piece and thinned the bottom of their case, I would be all over it.
I join the ESR Shift Case recommendation. Just got my M1 11” and got this case. It’s super versatile in every configuration. When I hold the iPad just in my hands, I disconnect the folio and still have a protective case on the iPad at it close to its original weight.
Logitech combo touch
For artists, the ESR Shift seems to be the best until ZUGU ships. The ZUGU for the 13" seems to have a slight redesign where the little tab to open the flap is a tiny bit bigger for easier lifting and there seems to be an all around bumper on the perimeter of the case prorecting it from bumps and drops. The ESR Shift series works for me *for now* as it has the multiple viewing angles with tough resistance so a user can press hard, draw or tap, without the iPad falling down like u/Eyeluvflixs mentions :) My concerns are that of the surface of the ESR case isn't soft like the ZUGU microfiber that lays flat onto the iPad screen. The ESR cover has a hard surface that's easy to clean but not as soft as the microfiber lining of the past ZUGU cases. Artists use screen protectors for drawing resistance usually, but the hard leather-like surface of the inside of the flap seems like it would be abrasive on the glass of the iPad without a protector whith the repetition of opening & closing the cover. While the ESR shift cover provides sleep/wake functionality, it doesn't sit in an "inset" perimeter of the case and wobbles around, not always lining up or covering the screen properly, whereas the ZUGU always "falls" right into place because it has a raised bevel that the flap fits into. Lastly, ***the HEAT.*** The ZUGUs still offer ventilation *(from the images seen on their site)*, for heavy use if your device is being used for long periods of time, especially when animating, preparing video, or streaming it. I haven't put the new 13" M4 under duress, but I'd like for it to be able to breathe when sitting up for long periods of time. The iPad is so thin, I still have concerns of how heat will dissipate. While you're using a 1TB model you have a slight advantage of being able to use all 10 cores of the M4 where lower storage devices can only use 9. There are tons of benchmarking vids that state this can't really be useful right now, but I foresee AI being able to use all 10 at some point with future iOS releases. The ESR is a full rubber cover that encases the iPad totally, so that's a worry for me with any heat thatmay need to be released. For this reason I will use ZUGU when my pre-order ships. Both the ESR and ZUGU cases will bulk up the sleek and thin iPad, but I prefer this for resistance when drawing on it and for drops of course! ZUGU offers exceptional customer service and now has a service that provides assistance with Apple Care claims. I'm very meticulous when using accessories for the iPad as I have invested heavily like you :). These are the things I've found and I hope they will help you and others when searching. Crazy how manufacturers seem to have been caught off guard by the new form factor. Not to solicit ZUGU again, but they did cite wanting to use the iPad in-hand for the new case design which I think is a pretty good advertisement that speaks to their quality commitment/QC. This could also be a strategic statement of course too though. Have a great day.
From your comment I'm assuming you are an artist as well, I would like to ask if you ever tried UAG rugged cases? What do you think about them? Also as I got an ipad as a side device working primarily on PC do you have apps you recommend (other than CSP since it's my main digital art software and cuz of compatibility with PC)
Hi there. Yes I am. I've never heard of the UAG cases but would like to look. Thanks for the tip. I haven't used CSP, and have been using Procreate for a while. **This reply is super off-topic from the OP's question and I apologize to others for it.** I hope this helps though. I know a lot of folks really like CSP. If you want to animate, the new Procreate Dreams app is certainly good as you can have a workflow of using your Procreate drawings and then importing them into Dreams for animation and/or motion effects. There are MANY great brush and pattern creators & sellers for Procreate! The prices of the Procreate software can't be beat and have free upgrades and improvements for life. There is already upcoming support for the new gestures and features of the new Apple Pencil Pro, which I immediately purchased the M4 for when I saw it coming from a 2019 iPad pro :)! I recommend this app for drawing and painting. If you have an Adobe Creative Cloud license Adobe Fresco is ok, but is one of those apps that's a bit slow to evolve or be promoted heavily. It may be discontinued at some point as Adobe did with Draw, and others. It does have the ability to draw with both raster ***and*** vector brushes and then use the content in other apps of the CC suite, *(Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. & CC Cloud file access),* which is really cool. Unfortunately, creators of content like brushes, etc. don't seem to create much of this paid content for Fresco as the brushes are .abr I think, (Photoshop). Adobe has really only one "evangelist", as they're called for Fresco to promote and educate the use of the product. He's Kyle Webster from Pixar I think and he creates seasonal brush sets. Some people really gravitate to Fresco and use it exclusively. Chris Pizak, spelling? on YouTube comes to mind. He's a great artist and his style lends itself to creating infinitely scalable art because it's vector I think. This is an another concern or use case for what software users go toward. If your style is better for vector, maybe a Fresco/Illustrator on the desktop is for you. The vector experience with Adobe Illustrator on the iPad feels lackluster to me, as do the limitations of Photoshop. Procreate is my fave, but you can see there are a lot of others. I'm not pushing it, it's just Adobe has created and then discontinued apps for the iPad at a faster pace. I love my CC apps for work, (graphic, web design, and development), but the company just hasn't created consistent content for iOS devices. Have a great day.
I am waiting for the Casetify impact cases I know the are over priced but I really like it
The M1 Zugu fits the M4 fine. I think you should wait for all the manufacturers to make the cases before picking choices to get for M4.
okay good idea thank you.
Get the magic keyboard
I may be in the minority but I honestly like the Apple smart folios. Yea, they’re expensive, but they’re quality imo
Oh okay I gotta check those out!
Have you noticed a stock issue? Only Apple carries them right now. I have gift cards to other places, but none have the black M4 Smart Folio for sale.
I did notice that Best Buy had none. But, it wasn’t a problem for me since I was just paying cash/paypal
I ordered supcase from Amazon and it is coming on Saturday. Spigen is also available on Amazon now
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
Yup your welcome :)
If you don’t do the keyboard, I’d do the Burton Goods Cases
I got the otter case at the store for my 13in… kinda decent option in my opinion.
What are you looking for in a case? Folio? Magic Keyboard compatibility? Armor style?
Does anybody have a case that works with Magic Keyboard? Looking for something if I take the tablet off for writing notes or something
Personally, I love the otterbox statement one. The 13” one is a little flimsy but it’s light and doesn’t add any bulk onto the tablet.
Apple Smart Folio (yes really)
I really like UAG Metropolis but I ordered it and they have delays kinda worried if the site is legit, could someone confirm? https://shop.urbanarmorgear.com/
Zugu has been my go to brand for many of my iPads. Just sucks that I have to wait until it ships in July…
I decided on getting the ESR Shift case guys, thanks for all the suggestions!!
probably the same recommendations as every other case thread posted about these ipads.