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These are the best iPad cases for kids. Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images

The Best iPad Cases for Kids of 2024

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These are the best iPad cases for kids. Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images

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Editor's Choice Product image of OtterBox Kids' Easy Grab Apple iPad Case (7th/8th Gen)
Best Overall

OtterBox Kids' Easy Grab Apple iPad Case (7th/8th Gen)

Check Price at Walmart

In our durability tests, nothing left so much as a mark. Read More

Pros

  • Durable
  • Easy-to-clean
  • Handle attaches to car headrest

Cons

  • No integrated screen protector
2
Product image of Cantis iPad 7th Gen 10.2 Case

Cantis iPad 7th Gen 10.2 Case

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The Cantis iPad Case is comfortable, easy to use, and comes in fun colors. Read More

Pros

  • Reliable and easy use of controls
  • Flaps to protect vulnerable ports

Cons

  • No handle for kids
  • Stand mechanism is difficult to open
3
Product image of OtterBox iPad (7th gen) Symmetry Series Clear Case

OtterBox iPad (7th gen) Symmetry Series Clear Case

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The Otterbox Symmetry iPad case is a breeze to clean and is comfortable to hold while using the screen with one or both hands. Read More

Pros

  • Sleek, stylish design
  • Native compatibility with multiple accessories

Cons

  • Button controls are difficult and unreliable
4
Product image of Gumdrop FoamTech for iPad 10.2-inch

Gumdrop FoamTech for iPad 10.2-inch

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The GumDrop FoamTech iPad Case is comfortable to hold, but it's designed for one thing—absorbing impacts. Read More

Pros

  • Durable
  • Handle for easy carrying

Cons

  • Lower quality material
  • Case somewhat interferes with charging cable
5
Product image of Seymac 7th Gen 10.2 iPad Case

Seymac 7th Gen 10.2 iPad Case

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With its multiple carrying strap options and quality construction, the Seymac iPad Case has a lot to offer. Read More

Pros

  • Multiple carrying strap options
  • Quality construction

Cons

  • Screen protector is clunky to use
  • No handle for kids
  • Best Overall Otterbox Kids
  • Other iPad Cases for Kids We Tested
  • How We Tested iPad Cases for Kids
  • What You Should Know About iPad Cases For Kids
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

My rough-and-tumble 5-year-old twins have iPads, and I've been very concerned about them getting broken—and the bill I'll be faced with if they do. That’s why I set out to find the best iPad case for kids: something that will protect the screen from dings, scratches, dents, and drops, is easy to carry around, and above all is kid friendly.

With all the available apps and online content, kids are more attached to their iPads and tablets than ever. And with that comes the potential for damage, whether it's simply a cracked screen or a totally dead device. There's no question that kids + delicate technology = expensive repair or replacement.

To find the the most resilient iPad cases we researched popular, well-reviewed cases, ultimately putting the best of the best through some intense testing involving some wince-inducing drops, scissors, and every parent’s nemesis: peanut butter.

After cleaning and using the cases, we found the OtterBox Kids' EasyGrip (available at Walmart for $59.99) to be the best iPad case for kids. It’s durable enough to stand up to the hardest use, and it has lots of features that make it ideal for kids on the go.

A young girl wearing headphones and looking at a tablet.
Credit: Reviewed / OtterBox

The OtterBox Kids' EasyGrip is especially durable.

Best Overall
Otterbox Kids

If you’re looking for a case to keep your kids’ iPads safe from bumps, drops, and spills, then this is the one for you. This case has everything that kids will need: a durable padded exterior, a hard plastic interior, a stand, and a handle. It also has something they don’t need, but will absolutely love: a handle that attaches to the back of a car’s headrest. One of the more innovative features we’ve seen on a case, this enables kids to easily (and comfortably) use their tablets while on long car rides.

The controls are easily accessible and reliable, even for little fingers. I let my 5-year-olds each play some games on the iPad 8 in the case and they had no problems changing the volume, using the screen, or turning it on and off.

There’s plenty of space to plug and unplug the charging cable and there’s no impediment to the camera.

In our durability tests, nothing left so much as a mark. I stabbed the material with scissors, scratched at it with my fingernails, smeared and cleaned peanut butter off of it, and dropped it at several different angles. The case and iPad both still look like I just took them out of the box. The OtterBox EasyGrip should protect your tablet from just about anything your kids will do to it.

The real drawback is the price. At $60, this case costs more than double the cost of the other kids’ cases we tested. A screen protector will set you back another $40 if you can't find it on sale.

There’s no question that it’s a well-designed, high quality case, and if it’s in your budget, I highly recommend it.

Pros

  • Durable

  • Easy-to-clean

  • Handle attaches to car headrest

Cons

  • No integrated screen protector

$59.99 from Walmart

Other iPad Cases for Kids We Tested

Product image of Cantis iPad 7th Gen 10.2 Case
Cantis iPad 7th Gen 10.2 Case

From a pure useability standpoint, the Cantis is one of my favorites. It is sleek with a good pop of color (we tested the red one), and is appropriate for any level of professional environment.

Usability-wise, it is comfortable and easy to use. All of the buttons are accessible and worked 100% of the time. Like many other cases, there’s no built-in screen protector, but at this price, adding one certainly wouldn’t break the budget.

It features fold-away flaps to protect the charging and audio jack ports from getting dirt and dust in them, and it was slim and comfortable in my hand.

I only had two minor complaints. First, it’s a bit harder to get on and off than some others, but that’s because it’s actually two pieces. The iPad is contained inside a hard plastic shell which is then wrapped in shock-absorbing rubber. Fitting the rubber into the groove of the plastic took a bit of time. However, it also meant that there was no chance that scissors, or anything else stabby, can puncture through to the tablet itself, and it breezed through our drop testing without even a dent. You’d be hard-pressed to find a way to damage your iPad through this case.

My second issue is even less important. The stand took quite a bit of force to open. That said, I could imagine that is something that will loosen up over time, and once open it holds the tablet at a comfortable angle in either orientation.

For an adult user, this is the case that I would pick out of the bunch. The lack of a handle, however, means that I don’t think it’s a great option for use with a child’s iPad. I hadn’t expected the handle to be as useful for the kids as it was, but it will be a must-have for any case that I purchase for their tablets.

Pros

  • Reliable and easy use of controls

  • Flaps to protect vulnerable ports

Cons

  • No handle for kids

  • Stand mechanism is difficult to open

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of OtterBox iPad (7th gen) Symmetry Series Clear Case
OtterBox iPad (7th gen) Symmetry Series Clear Case

Otterbox is one of the leading and most trusted names in device cases. They’re also one of the more expensive. The Symmetry case for the iPad is a sleek, unobtrusive, easy-to-hold option with an aesthetic geared toward a professional environment.

It’s easy to put on and take off, a breeze to clean, and comfortable to hold while using the screen with one or both hands.

What’s more, it’s natively compatible with Apple’s Smart Keyboard and Smart Cover and has storage for the Apple Pencil built right in, if those are accessories that you’re looking for.

It’s also two or three times the price of everything else we tested.

The biggest downside of this case, aside from the expensive price tag, was that the volume and top power buttons were very hard to engage. I had to press them almost at an angle, and they didn’t reliably activate the controls. Trying to use the volume buttons with just one hand was even more frustrating as I kept having to touch the screen with my palm to get enough leverage.

If kids are going to be the primary users of this case, then that difficulty with the buttons will only be magnified. Add that to the fact that there’s no handle to help little hands hold on, and this simply doesn’t seem like a great option, particularly not at that cost.

Pros

  • Sleek, stylish design

  • Native compatibility with multiple accessories

Cons

  • Button controls are difficult and unreliable

$37.52 from Amazon

$71.96 from Walmart
Product image of Gumdrop FoamTech for iPad 10.2-inch
Gumdrop FoamTech for iPad 10.2-inch

This is a basic, solid case seemingly designed for one thing—absorbing impacts. There aren’t really any frills here—it slips on and off the iPad easily and quickly, doesn’t have a screen protector, and doesn’t have any accessories except for an oversized handle.

That handle, while comfortable and easy to hold, did make it a tight fit going into my children’s backpacks, but it did fit with the zipper closed. The handle also turns 90 degrees, serving as a shallow-angle stand for landscape mode when using it at a desk.

It was easy enough for my kids to carry, hold, and use the tablet. The only day-to-day use drawback that I saw was that the case presses up against the charging cable when it’s plugged in—that made it a bit more difficult to charge than the others, and I could see that causing issues further down the line.

Speaking of “down the line”, while the case seems to be well-made, the polyurethane material did seem like it would be prone to cracks and wear, so I don’t imagine that it will last indefinitely. While it protected the iPad inside from a stab with scissors, the scissors did puncture pretty far into the material. I was also able to peel chunks of it up very easily with just a fingernail, which some kids may do instinctively.

It could be a fine choice for kids, but not something I would anticipate making it through elementary school without needing to be replaced.

Pros

  • Durable

  • Handle for easy carrying

Cons

  • Lower quality material

  • Case somewhat interferes with charging cable

Buy now at Amazon

$27.82 from Walmart
Product image of Seymac 7th Gen 10.2 iPad Case
Seymac 7th Gen 10.2 iPad Case

The Seymac iPad case is loaded with features designed to appeal to kids and adults alike. There are three handle options that come with this case. There is an adjustable hand strap on the back to hold while using it. There is a short carrying strap. And if you’re planning to carry it for longer periods, you can unclip the short carrying strap and replace it with a much longer over-the-shoulder strap.

It is also unique in that it includes two faceplates: one with a built-in screen protector and one without. This allows the user to choose whether to use the integrated protector or a third-party option. Which is a good decision, because the integrated screen protector is, quite frankly, terrible.

It is loose against the screen, and for whatever reason my finger kept dragging against it. Touches regularly didn’t register, to the point that my kids came to complain to me about it. There is a similar issue with the volume controls—every seventh or eighth push, it simply doesn’t register.

Numerous features don’t make up for a difficult and frustrating user experience, and this one doesn’t seem to be worth the purchase price.

Pros

  • Multiple carrying strap options

  • Quality construction

Cons

  • Screen protector is clunky to use

  • No handle for kids

Buy now at Amazon

How We Tested iPad Cases for Kids

The Tester

My name is Jean Levasseur, and I’m a stay-at-home dad to my 5-year-old twin boys. When I’m not wrangling them, I teach writing part-time at a local university, and work as a freelance product reviewer for Reviewed focusing on tools and technology.

The Tests

Our focus in the testing revolved around two questions: can my kids actually use the tablets in these cases, and how well will each of these cases stand up to everyday abuse?

We started by looking for some of the best-selling and best-rated cases online. Each one had greater than a four-star rating, nearly all of them with thousands of verified user reviews that we checked for authenticity. We also chose a blend of target ages to test in order to find out if the ones made for kids were really better for kids (spoiler alert: they were).

In our actual testing, we designed a series of tasks to mimic regular use. First, we had to actually install our iPad into each case, and made a note of how difficult that was to do. None of them were major feats, but a few certainly would have been beyond the capability of younger children.

Then we sat down and used the tablet in each case for a while. I played some games, browsed the internet, watched some videos on YouTube, and took some pictures. While I was using the tablet, I made sure to use all of the external buttons—power, volume, and home—as well as plugging in the charger, and took note of any cases that hindered any of those base functions.

Once I was comfortable with each case, I called my kids in and let them each play one of their games for 15 or 20 minutes. We also put the tablets into both theirs and my backpacks, and practiced carrying each one around the house.

After the core usage tests were done, we started on the “destructive” tests. First, I stabbed the protected areas of each case with a pair of scissors multiple times, looking to see if the scissors could penetrate any part of the case. From there, I smeared peanut butter on each one, waited a few minutes, and then tried to clean it off—because we all know there is no end to the stickiness that children can get into. Finally, I removed each tablet from the case, again making note of how difficult it was to actually get it out.

For the final round of testing, we selected our top two for the big one—the drop tests. The goal wasn’t to push the tablet until it broke, but to verify that a tablet would survive a typical fall unscathed. We performed multiple drops with each case from a height of about a foot, making sure that it landed both on the edge and flat on its back.


What You Should Know About iPad Cases For Kids

Backside of an iPad case for kids
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We evaluated iPad cases to find a supportive case that will stand up to everyday abuse.

Like everything else in parenting, no two iPad cases are alike. They all have their own features and focus areas, and you want to make sure that you know what you’re looking for before you buy.

How Should my iPad Case Fit?

First thing’s first: not all iPad cases fit all iPads. Make sure that the case you’re ordering is made for your iPad. There is a difference between an iPad Air, an iPad 7, and an iPad Mini, and the cases aren’t necessarily cross-compatible, even if the product listing says that it is.

It’s worth double- and triple-checking that you have the case you need before you click that buy button.

Does the iPad Case Have a Built-in Screen Protector?

Though some people may not realize it, even the best iPad cases for kids might not come with integrated screen protection. There are a wide variety of screen protectors from first party sources like Otterbox as well as more budget priced brands like Ailun.

Unlike built in cases, aftermarket cases are usually replaceable. With built in cases, if they get damaged, you’ll usually need to replace the whole case.

That said, if you choose to go with a third-party screen protector, there may sometimes be a small gap where something damaging could still get to your iPad. They also may not work well together, and the case may cause the screen protector to peel up prematurely. So before you buy, make sure you have thought about whether you want an integrated screen protector or not.

Handles Are Perfect for Those On-The-Go

For most adult users, handles aren’t terribly important—tablets fit easily in backpacks and larger purses, and aren’t that hard to carry around even without a bag. However, if you anticipate having to carry your iPad by hand for long periods of time, or you’re buying for a child who might be on the move with their tablet, a handle is something to seriously consider.

After testing, handles on my kids’ cases are a must-have, which I hadn’t thought would be the case beforehand.

Consider What Kind of Accessories You Want

We looked at cases with shoulder straps, hand straps, stylus holders, stands, and easy integration with other components like keyboards or covers. A lot of those features are cool, but you have to really consider whether they are actually worth paying extra for.

Do you actually ever use the Apple Pencil with your iPad? Are you planning to get a keyboard? Is a shoulder strap something you can ever imagine using? Having the right features can be invaluable—but paying extra for features you won’t ever use is just a waste.

If the iPad is being used solely by a young child, extra features are likely to be a waste of money. Consider your typical uses and pick up a case that matches that.

Choose a Trusted Manufacturer

There’s something to be said for buying from an established manufacturer, like Otterbox, but big brands often charge a premium. There are loads of cheaper options made overseas for every device, including the iPad.

Often, these cheap "white label" products are made by a different company and then bought by the resellers you see on Amazon, which is why two seemingly different companies can sell you the exact same case.


Meet the tester

Jean Levasseur

Jean Levasseur

Contributor

Jean Levasseur became a professional writer over a decade-long career in marketing, public relations, and technical writing. After leaving that career to stay home to care for his twin boys, Jean has continued to write in a variety of freelance roles, as well as teaching academic writing at a local university. When he's not reviewing tools or chasing toddlers around the house, he's also an avid fiction writer and a growing woodworker.

See all of Jean Levasseur's reviews

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