I’m so excited about this product review. When you find something that you love, you want to share it with everyone! If you’re like me, you can’t live without your iPad. I literally use it everywhere for everything. The iPad has definitely changed therapy for me. Not only do I have amazing apps for therapy and reinforcers, but I no longer have to haul around a huge bag of therapy materials all over the school!
Protecting your iPad is a MUST
We all know, though, that when you’re using your iPad with students, protection for the iPad is a must! We have tons of iPads in our school. Some of them are for teachers only. Some are used for reinforcement and earned breaks. And others are even used as AAC devices for specific students. Many of the student iPads for our Autism classes have thick, shock-absorbent covers on them. While they keep the iPad from getting broken when dropped or thrown, they are very cumbersome and difficult for the children to hold on to and carry in their backpacks.
Enter the Gripcase! I found out about Gripcase from a fellow blogger. When I researched the company, I fell in the love with the product, and the company. Gripcase has a mission to provide Gripcases to schools everywhere!
The Gripcase Company was gracious enough to provide me with a Gripcase for review. However, no other compensation was provided, and the opinions below are all mine.
The Gripcase is a protective case built specifically for the iPad Mini, iPad 2, iPad 3, and iPad 4. It is made of a thick foam, which makes it durable, shock-resistant, and flexible. It ships in a cute box with “Get a Grip” printed on the side.
Easy On, Easy Off
The iPad slides into the Gripcase with a little maneuvering, but it is held securely around the edges, so as to not fall out easily. The handles surrounding the Gripcase are raised above the iPad’s screen, so even when dropped face-down, it is unlikely damage will occur. The Gripcase has holes for the speaker, wake button, volume, headphones, and docking connector. This way, you don’t have to remove the iPad from the Gripcase to access any of these holes.
Lots of Different Color Choices:
I adore that the Gripcase comes in different colors: Black, Red, Purple, Green, and Blue. The colors are bright and fun, and the students love them. While the Gripcase does add length and thickness to the iPad, it is not near as thick as some of the foam cases I’ve seen. The Gripcase still fits easily in my purse or computer bag for travel. Best of all, it has great handles around all edges, which are perfect for little fingers to grab onto and hold tightly.
My favorite color is purple, so I just had to have the purple one! When I brought the iPad in the Gripcase to therapy for the first time, my students went crazy! They loved the look of the Gripcase and how easy it was for them to hold and pass around. To them, it felt like a brand new tablet altogether!
BOGO Program:
Ok…so here’s the BEST part of the Gripcase: They are so committed to putting Gripcases in every school, they have a BOGO program going on. If you buy a Gripcase, you can send a second Gripcase to a school of your choice FOR FREE! You just simply select any school of your choice (your child’s school, your neighborhood school, your previous elementary school, etc.) at checkout and enter the information as prompted. My school is currently looking at purchasing new protective cases for the iPads in our Autism classes, and they have fallen in love with my Gripcase!
In addition to the case, Gripcase also offers several accessories including charging carts, the Gripbase stand, shoulder straps, the touch-screen stylus, headphones, and iVisors for screen protection.
Use a Screen-Protector, Too
In my opinion, if you go with the Gripcase as a cover, you need to make sure you have a screen-protector on the iPad screen (which honestly, I’d do anyway.) This is not so much as to protect your iPad from drops (and throws!), but more-so from scratches when you’re transporting it (i.e. putting it down in your computer bag, etc.)
I am absolutely LOVING my Gripcase. Not only is it wonderful for protecting my iPad from Sammy slippy-fingers, but it’s soooo cute too! I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me to ask me where I got it!
You can learn more about Gripcase and see all of the products at their company website by clicking the link below:
Ohhh, this is perfect! I get so nervous when my students pick up the iPad to play racing games (such as Angry Birds Go) during their reward time. The Gripcase would help calm my nerves. Thanks for the review!
Abby
Schoolhouse Talk!
hey there Whitney, I think I am as excited about this little gadget as you! When I first heard about it, I couldn't wait for the FedEx guy to deliver it. I picked the same color as you, and it snapped onto my iPad in seconds. I can not tell you how excited i was to finally have it. I use it all the time!!!
Cordia Remsen @ RB’s Computer Service