I love my iPad Air, but it's probably the most expensive gadget I carry around on a daily basis. And as an app developer, I depend upon my iPad Air. So I need to protect it. I was able to try the appropriately named Vault from Pelican ($99.95) and it's a serious case.
The Vault offers "Extreme Protection," which means dust, water, drop, and shock protection. It's not waterproof, but it is resistant to "momentary inversion and wind driven rain" according to their website. Indeed the ports are protected by rubber flaps and my iPad Air feels quite safe.
The cover uses a novel multi-hinge mechanism so you can fold it all the way around. The use of aluminum keeps the case light, while adding a rugged feel. The case meets the Military 810G and IP54 standards.
The case is available in black or white, but really it's dark gray regardless, with an accent of either black or white. The case screws on to your iPad Air, using a tiny screwdriver provided with the case; so don't expect to swap your iPad in and out of the case frequently. But you should feel comfortable letting young ones use your iPad! If you love your iPad Air, think of the Pelican case as "tough love!"
