It’s not everyday that a company sends you an iPad 3 and a case and asks you if you’d kindly put the iPad in the case and roll over with your vehicle. But that’s what the folks that make the Hammerhead Capo Hard Case for the iPad 2 and iPad 3 did… and I wasn’t going to turn down that opportunity!
I should tell you that I offered up my own iPad 3 for the test, but these folks kindly spared me the wait that I would have incurred for repairs to be made had any damage taken place. Instead they shipped me one of their own iPads to use with the test.
Now, before anyone out there goes and buys one of these cases to imitate this test, let me just say up front that the company isn’t suggesting that you do that at all! The purpose of an iPad case is to try to protect the iPad as much as possible from spills and drops. This test is pushing the limits of the case a bit, but I’ve done this because the company received an email from a customer explaining how his iPad had been left on top of his car and by the time he realized it, the case and iPad had come off the roof and been run over (complete with tread marks) as he was trying to recover it from the road. The case may not have looked brand new, but the iPad inside was protected and still working.
It’s a great customer story, and one that was just begging to be tested. The customer provided additional details — the case had fallen face down (iPad screen facing down towards road) and was run over left to right (instead of top to bottom on iPad). So, I’m not going to be writing a lengthy review of the Hammerhead Capo Hard Case. Instead, I’m going to show you the video of the test I performed today (May 2, 2012) with my neighbor, Kurt, recording. (Thanks, Kurt!)
This is a solid case. Put your iPad inside and close it up and this thing just doesn’t bend. The corners feel strong and although I’m not willing to test my own iPad in a drop test, I’m pretty confident it could survive some short drops or slides off a table or couch. But let’s get to the test. Here you go:
The cover was pitted quite a bit from the gravel on the ground, but the iPad 3 turned on and worked like a charm. I could see no damage to the iPad’s shell or screen or buttons (volume, power, home). If the purpose of a case is to take the damage and protect the component inside, then the Hammerhead Capo did just that.
I’m sending back the case for the company to inspect (maybe they’ll find a way to make it even stronger) but I’ve already made my mind up to get a black one for my own iPad 3 and a white one for my wife’s iPad 2. After rolling over their iPad 3 with my truck, I’m confident this case will protect my own tablet… easily.
The Hammerhead Capo Hard Case is for iPad 2 and iPad 3 and comes in five colors — Black, Orange, Red, White, and Blue.
