TUAW review and giveaway: RadTech RadSleevz for iPad
Happy Independence Day! TUAW continues a weekend of giveaways with the RadTech RadSleevz sleeve case for iPad.
We're all aware of the huge ecosystem that has built up around accessories for all of the iProducts: iPod, iPhone, and now iPad. One of the largest categories in the market is for protective covers and cases, and here at TUAW we receive a lot of requests to review these products. Sometimes they're fancy and expensive, other times inexpensive but still functional.
RadTech's new RadSleevz for iPad, available for US$24.95, is the perfect example of the latter. I've used RadTech's products for years, particularly their ScreenSaverz, which I used with various MacBook models over the years. Those are made of a micro-fiber material called Optex, which has a nice, almost flannel feel to it but is much tougher. Optex is a wonderfully soft material and doesn't scratch, so when my ScreenSaverz weren't keeping my MacBook displays from those little keyboard marks, I was using them to wipe smears off the displays.
Optex is the same material being used in the RadSleevz sleeve case for iPad, although it appears that the RadSleevz material is thicker than that used for the ScreenSaverz. Like the ScreenSaverz, RadTech ships the RadSleevz in plastic tubes which I always end up repurposing to store cables and connectors.
The RadSleevz are quite simple, but do their job well. You simply stretch the material a tiny bit and then pull the sleeve onto the iPad, and your device is protected. Need to use the iPad? It takes just a second to pull off the RadSleevz. There's just enough stretchiness to the material that it fits very snugly and won't slip off of the iPad. While the act of "dressing" your iPad with the RadSleevz won't clean your iPad screen, the material does a remarkably good job of working as a screen wipe. You can also use one of RadTech's other iPad products, the ClearCal Protective Film ($19.95, in clear or anti-glare versions) to cut down on the oil deposits and finger smudging common with daily iPad use.
RadSleevz doesn't add a lot of bulk to an iPad, unlike some of the silicone sleeves or the Apple case. I've had issues putting my iPad into the iPad-friendly pocket of my SCOTTEVEST Pack Windbreaker, since the Apple case I normally use adds just enough width to make it impossible to go into the pocket. With the RadSleevz installed, the iPad slips right in.
We're going to give away three of these fun sleeves for iPad. RadTech was kind enough to send one in black, one in indigo and one in gray. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment with your first choice of color -- if you're a winner, you may not necessarily receive that color, but we'll do our best to accommodate you. As usual, here are the rules:
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us which of the three colors -- Black, Indigo, or Gray -- you'd prefer
The comment must be left before midnight on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
Three winners will be selected and each will receive an RadTech RadSleevz for iPad (Value: $24.95)
Good luck! Now go out, char some meat, and blow something up like you're supposed to do on the 4th of July.
