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Amazing how quickly you can go from not knowing anything about a brand to becoming one of its biggest groupies.

There are a lot of iPad accessories out there and it goes without saying, there's a wide variety when it comes to quality and price.

Founded in 2009, ESR has quickly become a trusted fan favourite in the world of accessories like cases and chargers. In fact, ESR has led the world in many categories - like when it introduced the first MagSafe wireless car mount charger in 2020.

So in a year when Apple is rumoured to be releasing more new devices than ever before, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the ESR website to see how you can best protect those devices.

There are an awful lot of ESR products I could feature today, but let’s keep things simple and focus on iPad cases. After all, with everyone back at school and university now, it’s a great time to consider how to protect those devices we’ve become so dependent on.

The great thing about the ESR options I’ve tried so far is the way they take what Apple already has to offer and expands on it to make it even better. The Shift Magnetic Case is a perfect example.

I’m sure we’ve all seen various examples of the “basic” folio-style case; your iPad clips in to one side and the other half is a flap that protects the screen. Most of the designs like this also allow you to prop your iPad up for a better viewing angle. Not sure if they offer the choice of nine different angles like this ESR version does.

The two small lugs at the base of the fold-out kickstand are - as the name suggests - magnetic, so they’ll hold your iPad at your desired angle come what may. Perhaps that’s a more upright angle for watching video, or a flatter profile when creating with a stylus. Speaking of which, there’s a stretchy pouch on the back to keep your stylus in - not all iPads or variations of the Apple Pencil (or other compatible drawing tools) are magnetic, so this is the ideal way to make sure it’s always handy.

But there’s a lot more to the Shift Magnetic Case than that. What may not be immediately apparent is this is actually a two-piece accessory; the stylish, leather-feel cover/stand makes up half the equation while the iPad itself fits snugly into its own back cover, which protects the edges and corners of your iPad as well, while still giving easy access to volume controls and speaker grilles. Due to the sturdy thickness of its rubber, shock-absorbing edges, I did find I had to be quite deliberate when using the fingerprint sensor to unlock the iPad but I soon got used to having to press just that little bit harder.

This seperate back panel magnetises firmly onto the cover, to ensure your iPad is fully enclosed when stashed into your bag. And because that part of the case is seperate, it can also be attached at a much higher position - a bit like how you might use a laptop stand to raise your screen up closer to eye-level. This applies to both landscape and portrait orientations and certainly makes for a much better camera angle when it comes to online meetings or streaming.

ESR even suggests you can use this cunning magnetic rear casing to stick your iPad to the fridge door, effectively upgrading your fridge to one of those smart hubs that cost thousands.

The Shift is a very versatile case, expertly manufactured and is available in a wide range of colours.

And it’s also available in a whole other model; the Shift Keyboard Case.

While this version of the Shift shares many of the features I’ve just described, it adds an excellent bluetooth keyboard to the equation, which instantly makes the iPad feel more like a laptop than a tablet.

That’s not to say you can’t still use your iPad in portrait mode if you prefer; while the keyboard also uses powerful magnets to attach itself to the back half of the case, once paired and charged, there’s no need to keep it connected and the fold out kickstand on the back has an angled edge so you can prop your iPad up longways.

Conversely, both Shift cases also have a smaller, upper flap that folds out to raise your iPad to the slimmest of “studio” angles - again, best-suited for graphic work or note-taking with a stylus.

But back to the keyboard. It has so many features you simply won’t find on other similar products. It has a physical on/off switch at the side and three status LEDs at the bottom right-hand corner to indicate power, caps-lock and battery level.

I was amazed to discover the keyboard is backlit when powered on, it has a full row of function keys at the top for things like media controls, screenshots and brightness and the keys themselves have a remarkable clicky-ness and travel to them that belies how slim this part of the case is.

Then there’s the enormous trackpad - 4.4 x 2.8-inches and fully clickable, much more like a trackpad you’d find on a laptop than on a keyboard case. Because it’s bigger, you can be more accurate, scroll and zoom more smoothly and click more confidently.

And the battery life is impressive. If you choose to leave the backlighting off, it’ll run for around 130 days before your next 2hr charge.

Or there’s another option. It seems with ESR, there’s always another option.

The Flex Keyboard Case has a similar keyboard with the same feel and the same XL trackpad but doesn’t have backlighting or a physical on/off switch at the side.

Like the Shift version, the magnetic keyboard can detach for remote use but this time there’s no real way to rotate your iPad into portrait mode.

Instead, using the Flex really does feel much more like operating a laptop - down to the little rubber feet under the keyboard. In fact, it’s what I’m using to type this very review with.

There’s no stretchy pouch for a stylus either. Instead, there’s a click-in cavity at the top of the screen for your Apple Pencil or similar device. This means there’s quite a gap between that edge and the volume controls on your iPad but not to worry, ESR has found a way to transfer those controls across.

The way the Flex stands up is its true genius; a double thickness magnetic strut snaps into place when you open out the rear kickstand, as if by magic, providing an ultra-stable viewing angle of 65°. For writing or drawing, simply rotate your iPad around and it will now be angled at the much more shallow 20° position.

All three of these ESR cases are fine examples of meticulous design and build quality, yet typical of ESR’s “keep it simple” approach.

For added protection, there’s even the option of a military-grade, UltraFit Amorite screen protector, which can be applied to a professional, bubble-free standard using ESR’s all-in-the-box, 2-step process.

Take it from a parent who’s had to get his kid’s broken iPad fixed in the middle of a school term before, any device defence you can get will save a lot of tears and strife along the way. ESR offers an excellent standard of protection. I’d check them out if I were you.