After pre-ordering an iPad 3, I'm now looking at getting a case for it, hopefully in time for my iPad arriving.

Having never owned an iPad before, I'm not sure which are the best makes. I've seen a couple already appearing on Amazon that state iPad 3 compatibility but don't want to get anything that is poor quality.

Or does anyone think iPad 2 cases will work?

I don't claim to be an authority on this subject by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm pretty much in the same boat as you and from the research I've done thus far this is what I could tell you:

1) If you are prepared to pay a hefty price then the best cases are the official Apple ones and these are without doubt the ones to go for.

2) The so-called 'smart covers' which fit ipad 2, but only cover the front of the device will fit the new ipad as it is the same length and width as the previous incarnation. However any case for ipad 2 which covers the back of the device as well as the front will likely not fit the newer model (especially if it claims to fit snugly) due to the increase in thickness of the 3rd gen ipad.

3) At the moment there is not a great deal of choice of front- and back-fitting covers for the new ipad but that will doubtless change once it has been on sale a few weeks.

4) There are numerous cheaper versions of the 'smart-covers' which only cover the front of the ipad 2 and will hence fit the newer model, however there are many negative reviews of these products stating that the quality is very poor and that as a stand they aren't effective (equally there are some who think they are good value for money). They can be as cheap as £5.

5) Ipad sleeves designed for iPad 2 may well fit the newer model, especially if they are even slightly loose-fitting.

Considering all this I have opted to buy a cheap smart cover from ebay for £5.99 (as I simply can't bear to pay £35 for what is essentially a folding piece of plastic with some magnets in it), which will protect the screen and an iPad sleeve for £14.99 (which says it is for ipad 1/2 but looks loose enough to hold a slightly thicker device-hope so anyway!). That way I will have something to protect both the front and back of my iPad when it arrives and if I need to buy another case in a year or so when there will be a lot more choice on the market then so be it!

I love the Scoshe case - I have a white one for my iPad 2 and it protects it well in my man bag. I mainly got it as it acts as a stand

I really love the Incipio Lexington hard shell case, it looks very stylish and seems to offer great protection. Either that or the Incipio Ultralight case which just covers the back, and I'll get a smart cover for the front.

Thanks for your replies

I had a look for Incipio Lexington and Scoshe cases for sales and while both companies advertise the fact they are making iPad 3 cases, I can't find any for sale in this country at the moment, just in the USA.

While I might get a more expensive case later down the line, I've spotted these TeckNet ones on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%A...1551430&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%A...551430&sr=8-10
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%A...551430&sr=8-14

They look quite good cases and the older iPad 2 versions seem to have good reviews. What does everyone else think? Worth it for now?

MacWorld has a case round-up here: https://www.macworld.com/article/165...c.twt_macworld

Mentions the Incipio Lexington, which I'd also like... But as you said it doesn't seem to be available here.

There's a good selection here:

iPad cases

I'm liking these two:

Byrd and Belle case

Colcasac case

Picked up the new iPad this morning and the Scosche case fits it like a glove - in fact i would say it is a better fit that the iPad2 which was sometimes a little loose

I'm thinking of getting the StilGut case http://www.amazon.co.uk/StilGut-Ultr...2268901&sr=1-3 but it's made for the iPad 2 and I'm not sure if it'll fit. What do you guys think?