I have something to confess. This is the first Otterbox I’ve owned. I’ve long known about their cases for mobile devices and have always meant to check them out, but never got around to it, until recently.

As some readers may know, I have two young kids. They are girls, but don’t let that trick you into thinking they take it easy on my high-tech toys. No way!. With the advent of quality content, such as Reading Eggs, guaranteed hits on ABC ivies and fun games like Peppa Pig’s Holiday, my iPad has become a magnet for kids. Yay.

Having witnessed the damage my kids can do armed with nothing more than sticky fingers and some determination, I decided it was time for some protection… I promptly got in touch with my mate Chris over at MobileZap and had him send me over something with military grade protection for my iPad. Let me tell you, this is the business. It’s got a heavy-duty three-piece case made of polycarbonate with a foam liner and then wrapped around this is a silicone rubber sleeve. There’s then another piece that serves double duty as either a screen cover (to protect the iPad in transit for example) or as a desktop stand.

The polycarbonate case has a clear screen protector built-in, that’s sealed along the edges making it dust and spill proof (although the case is not by any stretch waterproof as there are openings for the speaker, the dock connector and headphones) and there’s also a clear circular window on the read showing the apple logo.

Be aware though that this case does add a significant amount of weight and bulk to the iPad – it’s particularly bulky with the screen protector on, but this does give you confidence if you were, say, throwing the iPad into a bag with other items.

The stand built into the screen cover is good – it has a rugged hinged mechanism that clicks up into place and can hold the iPad in landscape orientation at two different angles – one that’s lying down at an angle and one that’s standing up more vertically.

Other than the issues of weight and bulk (which there is no way to avoid with this level of protection) this case is perfect. Even with those downsides, it’s still an outstanding case. The parts fit together perfectly, the screen cover offers real protection when installed and is a genuinely useful stand when you take it off and the materials and construction are all of a high quality.

I’m a lot less worried having the kids playing on my iPad now with this case – all I need to worry out now are in-app purchases. I’m still wondering how my 2yo managed to buy those extra coloured sprinkles in Cake Maker…