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We’ll count down from 6th to 1st like we are having a short version of a David Letterman style list. In every case we recommend you remember the following tip:

Click through the item(s) below to see the bigger and better images on Amazon. The little icons below don’t do justice to the products.

#6

The is the basic cover for the low price good quality. There are tons of cheap covers in this world and our reviewers have used and tested many of them. Some of them fall apart with moderate usage within a month or two(some even less!).

Amazon itself is chalked full of cheap offers from Hong Kong, China, etc… where they charge 10 bucks for a cover and free shipping, but we have watched those disintegrate within a very short period of time. After waiting 2-4 weeks for the magical iPAD fairly to deliver your “great deal” you hope something good shows up. By the way if you have a problem with an overseas company you may as well start praying because it will take alot of divine intervention to get them to care about you. For an extra few bucks why not skip the headaches and buy local from an AMAZON prime merchant?

And when you are protecting such a vital product like an iPAD it makes sense to step up to a level of quality you can have piece of mind with. The high quality white contrasting stitching combined with a nice feel on the PU leather  make this a terrific value. With amazon prime you will have it as quick as you can wish for it as well. This fits the iPAD 2, 3 & 4 models very well.

iPAD US

iPAD UK <— Same basic cover at a great price, but available on Amazon prime in the UK and quick deliver all throughout Europe.

#5

Coming in at number five we can see that price is important, but to step up from basic with all important carrying strap is worth the extra few bucks. There is no doubt that having the high quality hand guided stitching with thick gauge contrasting thread adds a great look and feel. But the oversized hand strap is VERY handy to have for lots of reasons. If you are taking notes, sharing a screen, or just trying adjust your iPAD to show a different view the very durable and well made hand strap will give you the chance to have all of these features right now.

ipad mini - The same exact cover design with the hand strap is available for iPAD mini in the original Black as well as Pink and White. The colors are a great option, especially for kids.

iPAD Mini US – Black

iPAD Mini US – Pink

iPAD Mini US – White

iPAD Mini UK – Same iPAD mini options as noted above, but for the UK and Europe.

iPAD Mini Black with Hand Strap for UK

iPAD Mini Pink with Hand Strap for UK

#4

What is smarter than the APPLE smart cover? The APLJUS origami cover with more positions and a better feel not to mention a lower price. The strong magent at the side does a great job of grabbing hold of the iPAD. The durable top will protect your screen. Some people prefer to buy a silicone backer for this so that the back of your iPAD is covered too, while others want to let the beautiful back of the iPAD speak for itself. The versatile design gives you more option than the smart cover. In fact you get double the viewing options for half the price. That’s math we can all understand. The inner structure of the panels is very high quality compared to some knock offs that are inserting card board rather than very durable resins.

Black

White

Red

Magnetic Origami Flip Cover for IPAD 2, 3 or 4 – Black – Amazon UK

Magnetic Origami Flip Cover for IPAD 2, 3 or 4 – White – Amazon UK

#3

Rotating is a great feature for flexible viewing. The 360 degree rotator allows the iPAD to snap into a protective plastic case and then rotate freely in a circle until you find the best spot for you. The deep grooves in the case also allow very stable viewing once you have found just the right position for your iPAD. Once again you can feel the difference between cheap knock offs and high quality. The feel of the PU leather has almost a cushioned feel to it and the interior has the feel of a nice velvet. Everything about this case indicates a high quality look and feel. Plus as you rotate the beautiful APPLE logo shines from the back just as Mr. Jobs would have intended. This really has a tremendous look and feel and is well worth the upgrade.

iPAD 2, 3, 4 – Black

iPAD Mini – Black

iPAD Mini – Pink

iPAD Mini – White

iPAD 2, 3, 4 Rotating Case in Black – UK

iPAD Mini Rotating Case in Black – UK

iPAD mini Rotating Case in Pink – Uk

iPAD mini Rotating Case in White – UK

#2

For fashion forward executives (in other words those with taste) the rotating option is cool, but  often takes a back seat to design. And so the belt buckle style with an easy snap action was born. This high styled design has the cool and unique look of the belt buckle, but the whole buckle snaps or unsnaps with a very high quality feel to keep the access to your beloved iPAD quick and easy. The PU leather on this case feels better than most real leather cases. It is soft, supple and the contrast of the belted look make this a beautiful addition to any board room. The pictures don’t do it justice since we have reviewed it in person. You have to try it out to see how incredible this design is.

iPAD – Black

iPAD – Light Blue

iPAD – Grey

iPAD Case for 2, 3 & 4 Belt Buckled Folio Cover – Black – UK

iPAD Case for 2, 3 & 4 Belt Buckled Folio Cover – Light Blue – UK

iPAD Case for 2, 3 & 4 Belt Buckled Folio Cover – Grey – UK

#1

The best case for busy people on the go who need to maximize the power of the iPAD is a high quality case with a blue tooth keyboard. The keyboard really multiplies the power of the iPAD in a meaningful and immediate way. The high quality silicone keyboard is water resistant and you can really feel the difference between it and some of the plastic competitors out there. If you are looking for a gift for father’s day, mother’s day or just want to make someone feel like a CEO while they are rocking their iPAD this case will do the job. The high end PU and incredibly detailed stitching really let you know you have reached the top. This is by far the most productive case, while still combining excellent safety for your iPAD as well. Just do it!

UK APLJUS with keyboard - This is the same executive styled iPAD case with built in blue tooth keyboard for the European market.

We have reviewed cases from many different brands of iPAD cases and ipad mini covers including thesnugg, kensington, griffen, cheap chinese crappy cases (not a brand – more like a category) and many others. APLJUS was the clear winner in terms of quality and price. They need more colors and devices to be covered, but there is no doubt the quality is what will carry this brand forward.

Bamboo’s first international appearance as a flooring product was in the 1990s. It’s popularity has grown through its reputation for durability and the idea that it’s the green choice for floor coverings. Today, beauty and durability makes bamboo flooring a popular choice, preferred by some for its fast growth vs old-growth hardwoods that can take 30 or more years to mature.

The majority of today’s bamboo flooring is made from the Moso species of the plant, using only a few different manufacturing techniques.  Solid bamboo flooring is made from strips of bamboo arranged either with their widths either parallel (horizontal construction) or perpendicular (vertical construction) to the floor and compressed with adhesives to form uniform floor boards.  If you look carefully, you might be able to see the individual strips and the seams between them.   Strand bamboo flooring is manufactured with individual strands of bamboo that are pulled from bamboo stock rather than cut as uniform strips.  The strands are compressed together with much higher pressures to form floor boards.   Strand bamboo flooring uses less adhesive than solid and assumes a variety of textures depending on strand lengths and colors used.

There are more reasons to like bamboo flooring. It is physically similar to hardwoods and is promoted for its strength, moisture- and insect-resistance.  Whether it is eco friendly is debatable as is its durability.  Ie. It depends on which manufacturing process and which hardwood is being compared. Carbonized horizontal hardwoord flooring earns a Janka hardness rating of 1180, while some strand bamboo products reach 3000 and more. Red oak’s hardness is in the lower range for hardwoods with Brazilian Cherry at 2350.

Some cautionary notes.  Like any product you may purchase for your home, quality varies with manufacturer.  A poor quality bamboo flooring product can warp, cup, de-laminate and discolour.  Do your research to find products that have a good reputation.  Aim for products made with bamboo no younger than 5 years old at harvest.  Kiln-dried is a better value as are no-formaldehyde and solvent-free finishes.

Bamboo Soldiers waiting to be made into flooring

First of all, you should always check it out on the internet, as that’s usually where you’ll find the best value. Having a floor shipped to your home is inexpensive and you still should save money on flooring.

Many of the click flooring consumers are now gravitating toward is click bamboo flooring. The most widely available click bamboo floors were made of engineered plies of wood with a bamboo veneer on top. Depending on who made it, these floors can be very durable and perfect for basement flooring or kitchen flooring.

A more recent innovation in click bamboo floors is click HDF engineered bamboo. These floors use a thick layer of tough bamboo attached to a recycled core, much like what you’d find in a good quality laminate. These rigid cores provide a lot of stability and dent resistance on the surface.

These floors are used in floating floor installations and a layer of underlayment (or padding) goes underneath. Some underlayments have a moisture barrier on the bottom , while others a moisture barrier will need to purchased (at least when installing in basements or over concrete slabs). Depending on the quality of underlayment you choose, the floor will perform differently. For example, a basic foam underlayment will be noisier and the floor will flex more than if a more dense floor padding, like cork underlayment is used. Cork underlayment is superior in many ways and should always be considered when installing a floating floor.

This new type of click bamboo flooring can be found in a variety of shades and finishes, including natural bamboo, carbonized bamboo, stained bamboo, strand woven bamboo. They’re very easy to install and perfect for the diy flooring installer. In fact, some already have the pad attached to the bottom for a super simple installation.

20 years ago, click flooring didn’t even exist and now you can have an exotic, high quality floor that pieces together simply. It allows you to pay a little extra for the floor, because you’re not carrying the expense of having to use a professional flooring installer. That can save a lot of money and get you a longer-lasting floor.

If you’re looking for an alternative to hardwood flooring, but don’t necessarily want laminate flooring, this new type of bamboo floor is one you’ll certainly want to take a look at purchasing.

Carpet is more durable and stain resistant than it once was, but one thing that will never change is the amount of dirt it collects. Carpeting should be vacuumed 2-3 times a week to keep soil and dirt from embedding itself in the fibers, and it’s impossible to get all of it.

Nothing new is being said here and it’s one of the many reasons why people now choose hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring, laminate flooring, cork flooring, and even vinyl flooring for their living rooms.

Today’s busy lifestyle demands an easy to maintain floor, as few have the time to clean a floor three times per week. Those who do have the time would prefer not to. This is why more and more consumers are installing hard surface floors in the main living areas. They are more durable, easier to maintain and while not as soft, much more practical.

Most consider hardwood flooring to be the obvious choice, but alternatives are becoming more popular than ever. For example, bamboo floors have grown immensely in popularity for their environmental friendliness and durability. Provided that they’re coated with a formaldehyde-free finish and made by a reputable manufacturer, these green floors are perfect for us a living room floor.

Cork floors are an option becoming increasingly more used in living rooms, mostly because of its warmth and more cushioned feel. Cork is also quieter, so if installed in the room where the television is on, the sound won’t reverberate as much as a room with hardwood, laminate or ceramic tile.  Also very eco-friendly, cork has an impressive list of benefits and great for the living rooms of our homes.

One thing that you also might want to take into consideration when choosing a living room floor is resale of the home. A well-chosen floor can not only provide years of service, but still look new when you go to sell your home. Nice flooring can make a powerful statement and be considered a major feature to prospective home buyers. A little extra spent now can save you thousands (or make you thousands) in the long run.

And if you need something soft under your feet while you’re sitting on the couch and watching television, area rugs are the most sensible solution. They add color and often can become the focal point of a room. This way, you can have function and exercise your inner-designer.

It certainly depends on the situation. There are a lot of questions to ask, mainly where is the flooring going to be installed?

Basement Flooring

When installing over a concrete slab, you have a lot of great options. And basements are known for having a high moisture content.  Whatever type of floor you install, it’s always advised to install a moisture barrier. If you would like wood flooring, you can choose click engineered hardwood flooring. Of course, the quality of the wood floor is key, but this type of flooring isn’t as prone to expansion and contraction due to moisture changes.

Though if moisture is a larger issue, consider click vinyl planks. Some types of these floors are impervious to the effects of moisture and simply loose lay on the floor. A click locking mechanism connects the planks and dependent on the quality, click vinyl planks can be the perfect solution in spaces with known moisture issues.  And if you’re looking for kitchen flooring or bathroom flooring, you’d be doing yourself a favor by taking a look at click vinyl flooring.

Laminate flooring has long been a popular choice for diy floor installers and specifically in basements. These floors float over flooring underlayment and click together. It used to be glue was required to install these floors, but now click laminate flooring is the norm and it looks better than it ever has. Today’s laminate floors look much more like the real thing than the laminate floors of old.

Another more eco-friendly option is engineered click bamboo flooring. These floors are perfect for installations over concrete subfloors and can be very durable. Bamboo is actually harder than red oak and made well can provide many years of great service in high traffic areas.

Bedroom Flooring

Any of the above choices are excellent for use as bedroom flooring and most living areas (many install all of the above mentioned floors in kitchens), but something even better is click cork flooring. Cork has a ton of benefits; it’s naturally hypoallergenic, an excellent thermal insulator and it’s quieter than other hard surface floors. The sound deadening properties of cork make it act like an acoustical barrier, helping limit the annoying echoes that bounce from room to room.

Living Room Flooring

Carpet has long been a popular choice as living room flooring, but let’s face it: It’s not very easy to install and carpet tiles are expensive. wall-to-wall carpeting needs to be stretched into place or seamed, neither job being for the novice flooring installer. Beyond that, even high quality carpet won’t provide the same durability or ease of maintenance as a click hard surface floor. Any of the above mentioned hard surface floors are an excellent choice as flooring for a living room, and if you need something soft, use area rugs in the spaces where you sit.

The options in do-it-yourself flooring are nearly endless and technology has made these floors last longer than ever. These diy floors are readily available on the internet, you can typically save (or even buy factory direct diy floors), and just have them shipped right to your home.

Many will default to cheap laminate flooring in order to get the job done. And in many cases, while it probably looks better than what you replaced, many prospective buyers will still look at the floor and think, “Well the first thing we’re going to do is have to replace the flooring.”

This is when the floor you’ve chosen actually becomes a disadvantage in your home, but what are you going to do? You don’t have a lot of money to spend, but it would be disappointing to spend all that money only to have to give a flooring allowance.

You could also just give a flooring allowance, but that’s not going to help sell your home, either.  You don’t want people making a list in their heads of all the things they’ll have to do when they move. Moving is enough of a pain without the prospect of having to also move everything back out to replace flooring. It’s more than the money, it’s the headache.

So what do you do? You have a limited budget and the competition is fierce right now. With the amount of foreclosures and available homes on the market, you have to make your home stand out amongst the crowd. The right flooring choice can help, and if you’re diligent you might just find the perfect floor that will help you sell your home.

What you’re looking for are discounted floors that, for a variety of reasons, have been reduced in price.  For example, manufacturers are always producing different lines of flooring, different looks, different colors, different finishes, etc.  Just like the clothing industry, some floors aren’t as popular, are over-priced to begin with or not marketed correctly. These floors won’t sit in warehouses for too long before they are moved into liquidation. Sometimes these floors will be sold for pennies on the dollar.

Depending on the amount of flooring you need, you can also pick up what’s known as an “odd lot flooring” inventory.  This is when there’s only enough to do one or two rooms left in inventory and the flooring might be discontinued. In the flooring industry, lines are constantly discontinued. It’s not an indication of the quality of the floor or even its popularity.

If you need to do a few rooms and they aren’t adjoining, it’s not uncommon nowadays to have different floors in different rooms. Each room can make its own statement and a floor makes a huge impact on that statement, especially in an empty or staged home for sale.

Lastly, you can also choose second quality floors, or “seconds”.  Some actually sell these floors as first-quality, and these floors might have a minor manufacturing defect. You typically don’t notice, but there might be slight blemishes in the finish, its color is slightly off or some other minor issue.  And in some cases, like with second-quality hardwood floors, these minor imperfections might even add a little character to the floor.

Many of these floors are click floors and can be installed by someone with no experience installing floors. Then you can save even more.  It’s not crazy to be able to install a 12’ X 15’ room for just a few hundred dollars. When you’re talking in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home, a few hundred invested is well-spent.

Many times, this is a similar strategy that house flippers will use, as nothing’s more important than staying on budget while making big impressions on prospective home buyers.

If your home has been on the market for a while and you’re looking for tips to sell your home more quickly, this installing a new floor can make a huge difference and maybe even tip someone in your direction.

The fact is, the springtime is when demand goes up for flooring and it’s a great season for those looking to perform a do-it-yourself flooring installation.  It’s also a great time to be shopping for diy flooring, because technology has reached the point where there are more diy floor choices than ever before.

Laminate flooring

Laminate floors were the most popular diy flooring choice for most due to their ease to install and their durability. Today they are better, longer-lasting and look much more like real wood floors than they ever have.  Laminate floors used to be the go-to choice for the do-it-yourselfer, but now you can get click floors in almost every kind. You can even now get laminate flooring that looks like bamboo.

Click Hardwood Flooring

This is mostly engineered hardwood and can usually be installed a variety of different ways, like be floated over an existing subfloor, nailed or glued. It depends on the manufacturer recommendation. But one that can be floated is very similar to installing a laminate floor, the planks just locking together with a click locking mechanism.

You can get these click wood floors in a variety of plank widths, thicknesses, wood species and just about every type of click hardwood floor is out there to be had.

Click Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo floors were all the rage when they entered the marketplace in the United States, and it has just gotten more popular. Bamboo is an earth-friendly, sustainable resource and it grows at an unbelievable rate. It’s harder than most woods and extremely attractive. Like wood, most click bamboo floors are engineered, vary in thickness and in width.  You can get a natural bamboo look, a darker more caramel-like color that is achieved through carbonizing (steaming), or more stained bamboo looks in every color of the spectrum.  Click bamboo floors are amongst the most popular flooring choices in the world and there’s plenty of it to go around.

Click Cork Floors

Cork flooring is the answer to a lot of questions. It’s made from the bark of the cork tree, so the tree itself remains upright and in the ground. Cork has an amazing list of qualities, starting with how it feels.

Cork is very porous and holds a lot of air. That air acts as an insulator, so it feels warmer to the touch. It also has a little more give than your average hard surface floor. Cork flooring will actually help you retain heat or cold, depending on what you’re trying to do. It’s also quieter to walk across, an issue that can be difficult for some families who don’t share sleep patterns. And lastly, cork is naturally hypoallergenic, resistant to mold and mildew, and just an all-around great floor.  It’s not as durable as other hard surface floors, but there are a lot of benefits that make a click cork floor hard to look past.

Click Vinyl Planks

Also known as “Luxury Vinyl Planks”, these floors don’t resemble their predecessors at all. They are thicker, more durable, click together and look like real hardwood floors. You can get them in a variety of wood looks in smooth or textured finishes. They’re great as bathroom floors or kitchen floors and extremely easy to install with just a couple of tools.

The great thing about all the floors listed is that they are all easy , can be installed by almost anyone(regardless of experience) and can last just as long as tongue and groove floors installed with glue or nails.  And when you do a diy flooring installation, you can save tons of cash. If it’s easy to do, why not do it?

No one likes listening to their neighbors pace across a room or listen to the rumblings of life over our heads. And if you live in a condo or even a multi-level home, the type of floor you choose can greatly reduce the sound that travels through the floor.

Some condominiums have insulation requirements and if that’s the case, be sure to check with your association before making any definite plans. That being said, if you want to get the best acoustics, there are now a lot of floors from which to choose.

Many who live in condos assume that carpet is the best choice, and there’s no question that carpet is quiet. When a high density pad is used, well-made carpet can do an excellent job. But what if you don’t want carpet?

As much as we’ve become accustomed to carpet for its warmth and soft feel underfoot, we’ve grown tired of its staining and the traffic areas becoming matted and crushed. All the vacuuming in the world won’t do and while today’s carpets have improved, wear-proof carpet isn’t yet in the cards.

This is why many opt for hard surface flooring and more specifically, floating floors for condominiums. Laminate floors are known for being a little noisy, but that’s largely due to the thickness of the laminate, the type of flooring underlayment used and the type of subfloor. If a basic foam underlayment is used, you’re certainly not doing anyone who is living below you any favors.  When you choose a higher density, insulating underlayment or even high quality cork underlayment, you not only limit the sound a laminate floor makes when you walk across it, but the sound that travels through to the room below, the echoing effect, and any noise travelling up from the room below.

Many owners of condominiums are now choosing cork flooring for its warmer feel and shock absorption. Cork floors are quieter than traditional hard surface floors like hardwood, ceramic tile and even vinyl, so they can be an excellent choice when installing new flooring in a condominium.

Cork floors aren’t only made from a sustainable and renewable resource, but they serve a valuable purpose in our homes. Cork is a great thermal insulator and as a sound deadener, nothing matches cork flooring.

Many cork floors are click cork floors and have an attached cork underlayment, giving you two layers of cork on either side of an HDF core. They are designed for floating floor installations and can even be installed over another layer of underlayment for the best acoustical barrier you can have.

Many assume that laminate flooring is the best way to go for a basement. And laminate floors are great for basements, but they’re certainly not the only way to go. If budget is a concern and you’re installing a basement floor yourself, you might think it’s the least expensive option. However, you’d be amazed at the online flooring deals you can find on hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring and even vinyl planks.

If you want hardwood in the basement, look around. You can find engineered hardwood fl;oors, even click hardwood floors for considerably lower than you might expect. Solid hardwood floors aren’t recommended for basements, and though there are solid wood floors you can install in basements, today’s engineered wood floors are durable, beautiful and just plain better for hardwood installations on concrete slabs.

Another option is a new type of flooring that has a recycled HDF core and a veneer of real wood or bamboo. This click engineered HDF core flooring combines the impact resistance and ease to install of a laminate floor, but also gives you the natural material on the surface. Great for basements, these floors give you the best of both worlds.

In many basements, moisture is the enemy. This is also the case in many low-lying areas near the coast where the groundwater levels are higher. Whether it’s a basement or a living room in a Florida beach house, moisture is an issue that can wreak havoc on a floor.

While the above listed floors are basement approved floor covering or approved for hardwood installations over concrete subfloors, basements with excessive moisture or that are prone to flooding will need a moisture barrier. It’s wise to install one, anyway, as concrete contains water which it releases with climatic change. Installing a moisture barrier will catch that evaporation and keep the water from penetrating the floor.

If you love the look of wood, already know that moisture is an issue and are concerned about floor damage, you’re not without hope. Luxury vinyl planks or click vinyl planks might be the right flooring for you. These vinyl floors far exceed the toughness of conventional sheet vinyl floors and are considerably easier to install. In fact, it wouldn’t be recommended for the non-professional to install sheet vinyl, but almost anyone can install click vinyl planks in a basement or anywhere.  Furthermore, the wood patterns available look more like real hardwood than they ever have. In many cases, you can’t even tell the difference.

Many of these click vinyl floors are guaranteed against moisture damage and virtually impenetrable by water. They’re great for kitchens, bathrooms or anywhere moisture is a problem. They can be found in dozens of wood looks, species and colors. If you’re looking for waterproof flooring but still want the look of wood, check out click vinyl flooring. You’ll likely be very impressed with how far it’s come.