The Incipio Feather case for the Surface Pro 3 is a tale of two cases. For the most part, it lives up to what you would expect from an Incipio product. Overall, it looks great and is very comfortable to hold.
On the other hand, there are a few uncharacteristic things that make you scratch your head.
Design
The Incipio Feather is a two-piece case that the Surface Pro 3 slides into. It comes around the back of the tablet and extends around the sides, giving you full protection, even on the front bezel. The polycarbonate shell appears to be tough enough to prevent damage from most everyday use and occasional drops. However, I wasn't about to test this theory out.
Much like the Incipio smartphone cases you are used to seeing, the Feather for the Surface is very lightweight and does not add a lot to the size of it. There are cutouts in all the right places. The main body of the case is just as sleek as their phone cases, making a complimentary addition to the work of art that is the Surface Pro 3.
The back of the Feather case is both hinged and magnetic. You can easily manipulate the kickstand and have it feel like it is one cohesive piece. It is made of synthetic vegan leather, which is great for those of us who don't buy real leather, but is a mismatch with the rest of the case. Unlike the main housing, the back feels more like coated cardboard, and frankly, rather cheap. It also can be easily marred by a pen or fingernail.
The biggest knocks against this Surface case mostly stem from the same root: it was designed more for a straight-up tablet and not a device with the unique features that the Surface Pro 3 has.
Using the Incipio Feather case with a Type Cover only works well if your Surface keyboard is flat on a table or desk. The magnetic keyboard hinge cannot stick to the bezel, so you cannot go into the tilted position, which is ideal for using it on your lap.
The case is also thick enough that it prevents the Type Cover from closing completely flush to the screen. Therefore, you get a keyboard that will flop around if you are not holding it to the body of the tablet. Folding the keyboard behind the Surface for tablet-mode is still pretty comfortable.
My last complaint is that there is no home for the Surface pen. I know, I initially missed the stylus holder on the MoKo Smart Shell, but if there is one on the Feather case I sure as heck couldn't find it. The magnet on the side of the Surface is still accessible, but I wouldn't trust it to hold the pen securely.
Conclusion
It's a hung jury on this one, folks. When I am looking at the Incipio Feather or holding my Surface as a tablet, I love it. But when I try to use my Surface as a laptop, I am bewildered at some of the design choices that were made.
It is almost as if whoever created the case had no idea that the Surface had an optional keyboard or came with a pen. If the Incipio Feather were a case for a full-on tablet, like the Dell Venue 8 Pro, it would be near perfect. However, given the versatility of the Surface Pro 3, I feel that Incipio missed an opportunity for greatness.
The Feather case comes in a decent array of colors. You can choose from dark blue, cyan, red, dark purple, and black. It appears to be a relatively new item and not readily available around the web. I got mine from Incipio directly{.nofollow} for $44.99.
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