I've tried a plethora of iPad cases -- and they all added too much bulk to make the ipad as functional as I wanted it to be. After trying a few "air" minimal fit clip-style cases and having dust and dirt get trapped around the edges, I saw this. Although the sides and screen of my ipad are not protected, I baby my device and this simply puts an elegant buffer between my iPad's aluminum back and wherever I set it down. No bulk. Love it. A tad bit difficult to install... directions would have been nice...