I’ve been testing so many iPad cases here at AllTouchTablet.com in the past two years and I’m amazed by how many designs (visually and technically) there are, each with their Pros and Cons. This post is a review of the Evio Harmony Dual Tone Leather Folio, an agenda style case for iPad 2 [official page link on Evio's website].

    It’s the kind of construction that you’ve seen a few times already, but it’s got a nice stylish design and a few tricks to make it stand out from the crowd. Let’s go ahead and see what I like and dislike about this leather iPad 2 leather case.

    Look and feel

    This is probably the most important thing about a leather case: how it looks and how it feels in hand. I have to start by saying I have no idea if the leather used for Evio Harmony is genuine or faux. It just feels so nice in hand, soft with a small granulation and excellent craftsmanship from Evio.

    You can see this is a well built case in the stitching, where I couldn’t find any loose end. And I’ve looked… The insides of the Evio Harmony are padded with a soft material, velvety like. I’m pretty sure it will be able to protect the screen and the aluminum back of the iPad 2 from scratches. On the negative side it looks like it catches dust easily, and gets ‘attached’ to it.

    Evio Harmony iPad 2 case

    Evio Harmony iPad 2 case

    The Duo Tone part in the name comes from the fact the screen cover is made from two pieces of leather, one black, one red (burgundy actually) that form a Ying Yang pattern. I know taste is different with each individual, but it’s hard to hate Evio Harmony’s design. I also like that Evio didn’t excessively branded its case: there’s just a pressure applied logo on the back. If I buy an Armani suit I don’t want a huge ‘this is an Armani’ text on the back, right?

    Construction

    As I’ve said before, this is an agenda folio case, so it features a screen cover that closes over the screen or can be flapped 180 degrees when you want to actually use the iPad 2. There are no fancy pockets for business cards, so the advantage is you get a (relatively) slim case. It’s not a very tight fit, so I’d say a 1 mm thicker iPad 3 will fit just fine.

    Small logo on the back

    Small logo on the back

    It’s very easy to slide the iPad 2 in and then bend a small flap under the tablet to keep it from sliding accidentally from its frame (also made from leather). All ports are accessible and the back part of the case is slightly smaller than the screen cover, so the slightly curved iPad 2 margins that feature all buttons and ports are accessible 100%. The speaker is completely unobstructed, which is great since most agenda cases partially cover it.

    Added functionality

    Evio Harmony chose a simple design, which I like very much, but there’s a small added bonus: a small interior magnetic flap/kickstand that acts as an ergonomic stand suitable for typing. You can also use the Evio Harmony in a much steeper angle where the screen cover acts as kick stand (see in the photo gallery below), but you won’t be able to firmly tap the screen without flipping the whole thing over.

    The kickstand is integrated in the screen cover

    The kickstand is integrated in the screen cover

    The last thing worth mentioning about Evio Harmony is the Smart cover functionality thanks to magnets placed in the upper right part of the screen flap, so expect the iPad 2 to wake up/sleep when you open/close the cover.

    Photo gallery

    Final words

    Evio Harmony is a nice looking iPad 2 case with an excellent finish, something you can see from the pictures included in this review. It’s not terribly expensive, at only $40. If you’re looking for a case that might even accommodate the iPad 3 (if it’s only 1mm thicker and features the same layout for buttons and ports) then you can’t go wrong with the Evio Harmony.

    In case you’re looking for a similar case this is my list of favorite iPad 2 cases. Here’s also a page with all the iPad 2 cases I’ve personally reviewed.

    And this is my video preview I’ve shot with the Evio Harmony. It should give you a better image of what we’re dealing with here.