OtterBox Defender Series Case for Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen, Black, Retail Packaging

2025-04-26T20:00:00

I have been an Otterbox customer since 2012 and have purchased 12 protective cases for iPhones and iPads. The product has always been excellent and well designed for each of those cases until my most recent purchase. While the product materials are as expected, the case design is disappointing. When placing the iPad in the cover cradle in a nearly vertical position, it is not secure and does not engage properly and is easily tipped over. I have to be very careful when using the iPad in this postion and sure hope that there is a design review and and improvement in the future.

Ed O.

Originally posted at

2025-02-05T19:00:00

These cases are almost indestructible. My last one went for 8 years. Here's hoping this one has the same kind of legs.

Agador S.

Originally posted at

2025-01-26T19:00:00

While this provides excellent protection, the case does not fit tightly against the screen making it very difficult to use the touchscreen, especially around the edges.

Tom S.

Originally posted at

2025-01-07T19:00:00

Low quality. Rubber back is already pulling away from main body.

Daniel

Originally posted at

2024-12-01T19:00:00

Good quality and fits well. I will say the holster for the defender series does not seem to fit as tight as previous purchases. My phone has fallen from the holster on several occasions. In the past, the phone would snap in tight in the holster whereas now it does not seem to fit as tight and does not "snap" in. Does not take much to bump it and have your phone come out of the holster.

PM5098

Originally posted at

2024-11-28T19:00:00

Love the otter box, fits my iPad mini (A17) perfectly, love the little side compartment that opens to attach the apple pencil pro

Maria

Originally posted at

2023-12-03T19:00:00

Same problem as everyone the pencil door came off making the case insecure. Also let's dust in. Mad it will cost me shipping to get another to do exact same thing. Been I a loyal otterbox customer for years but this case is not up to snuff.

JonW

Originally posted at

2023-05-01T20:00:00

I have a couple of issues with the Defender case for the Mini 6. first the door to accommodate a pencil comes off hinges routinely. I can see myself just removing it after a while if it continues to be a hassle. It also appears that the case is perhaps slightly wider than the case I had for the Mini4 and because of that when yo set the ipad on the built-in stand inside the removable cover the ipad sits more upright and easily tips forward and is more difficult to read at this angle.

JustSomeGuy

Originally posted at

2023-03-03T19:00:00

We have over 120 devices here and all of them have this Otter Box Defender case on them. This case really protects the iPad and has saved us a lot of replacement iPad costs

Brian C.

Originally posted at

2023-02-20T19:00:00

Pen case door broke in a week. The protector case won't fit as a landscape position (kickstand) holder.

Gravson

Originally posted at

2022-06-29T20:00:00

The pencil holder door broke after the third day, I don't even own a pencil it just opens all the time and I dropped it once with both the front and back covers on and broke one corner from like 2 feet , this case sucks, I will admit that I got it because from my iPhones it always outlives them but for this new mini iPad 6th gen never again I would rather buy one for 15 bucks from Amazon that get another again .

Erick

Originally posted at

2022-06-18T20:00:00

The case work great protecting my ipad from bumps and drops. (and the occasional pug. But thats where the buck stops. Both this defender and the pro suffer from the same problem. The side panel that opens to charge the pencil is too weak and flimsy. My snapped off. It also creates the problem with allowing a lot of dirt and dust to get in. It become much worse when the panel breaks off. Crap and dust start to get under the screen protector which then can mess with the performance of using the screen. Otterbox covered me with a replacement but it doesnt fix the problem. Another issue is if you want to use the cover to prop up your ipad vertically, it doesnt like to stay in position and falls. Both ones I have had have this plastic bar in the way so it wont sit properly. My ipad pro defender doesnt have this plastic bar and works perfectly.

bones83

Originally posted at

2022-04-08T20:00:00

Solid protection, a shoulder strap will be great. The case doesn't fit well in the stand. Still, if need quality protection this is the way to go. I use this to protect my iPad mini while I doing research in the woods.

Roland

Originally posted at

2022-03-31T20:00:00

Side panel cracked and broke off with normal wear and tear. The design for the panel to open wasn't well thought out. Otherwise great product like all their other products

Hailey

Originally posted at

2022-03-31T20:00:00

I, like others, LOVE most defender products. I've had an Otterbox case on every Apple product I've owned since my iPhone 5s and first iPad Mini. I was greatly disappointed when I bought the mini and saw the online boards where otterbox said they chose to discontinue cases for iPad mini and likely wouldn't make a series 6. So you can imagine my excitement when I found that they chose to reconsider and to sell a series 6 mini case. However? this product fell quite a bit below the mark for me. My main gripe is the flimsy pencil slot on the side of the case. I've had this piece of plastic fall off at the slightest fall (even from my low rise bed to the thick padded carpeted floor - less than 4 feet). I have been thankfully able to reattach it each time, but this happens pretty often and it's very tiresome. The plastic flap also makes an annoying "creaking" noise (think of a creaky bedroom door latch or old floorboards) whenever it's pressed. I often find myself avoiding griping that edge altogether. Honestly, I would pay MORE for a case that doesn't have the stupid plastic flap. Product tip: sell *two* model of this, one with the flap and one without... Trust me, not many of us use the new Apple Pencil. One other thing to note - it seems like the outer flexible silicone case doesn't seem to sit flush against my iPad. The first layer, plastic shell snaps together beautifully, but the silicone case definitely has a noticeable "bulge" sticking out the back, especially by the cutout for the apple logo. The bulge is also super noticeable by the plastic flap cutout (see attached pictures). I am quite a bit irked because at the price I paid (which was quite a bit), I expect to not have a product with as many quirks, especially given otterbox's reputation and good quality products in the past.

IAMNerd

Originally posted at

2022-03-21T20:00:00

Apple Pencil Spot ruins integrity of the case. The right side backing of the case pops out because of the Apple Pencil spot. Feels really weird while holding it. I will probably end up returning this case because 360 security is a must using it for the military.

Mitch G.

Originally posted at

2022-03-17T20:00:00

Fit perfectly, heavy duty and exactly what i was looking for.

Jesse

Originally posted at

2022-02-27T19:00:00

It's a good case, but does more and less than I want it to. The big plastic tray that you use to prop it up works, but it literally doubles the thickness of the iPad, and is annoying to carry around. I wanted two main things from an iPad case: Shock absorbing silicone for when I drop it or knock if off the table, and a hand strap so I don't have to actively grip it while I'm reading or watching a movie. I added a nylon strap myself, drilling and sawing two slots thru the back of the case and gluing the ends of the strap inside the case before installing my iPad. Works great. The strap is installed along the left side when vertical.

Palmer

Originally posted at

2022-02-25T19:00:00

It seems to be made cheap unfortunately. In specific there is a side part that is just a stick of plastic that is flimsy and just not what I have come to expect from OtterBox as company

Jason

Originally posted at

2022-02-22T19:00:00

The case fits the newer iPad mini perfectly, is easy to put on and take off, and is very durable! I have a toddler, so the built-in screen protector comes in handy! I love the case and can take all the drops it's gotten so far. I'm just not a big fan of the stand.

Stacy

Originally posted at

2022-02-19T19:00:00

I have other Otterbox products (for my iPad Pro 9.7 and my iPhone X. They fit pretty well and the protection is very good. However, for my brand new iPad Mini 6, the hard shell does not look to fit correctly. I was surprised to see a noticeable gap between the two pieces (front and back). Furthermore, when you open the side of the case to charge the Apple Pencil, the gap between the screen of the device and the screen protector of the case is too big, becoming uncomfortable for the user to work with the iPad in such a configuration. Maybe that would not happen in the Pro version, where the built-in screen protector is not included. But unfortunately, that version was not deliverable to Canada (according to the website). In summary, I believe that the case looks very nice and the product design is very unique (that's why I always choose Otterbox). Nevertheless, there seems to be a flaw in this design, or maybe I just received a defective one. For the price I paid I couldn't but warn other potential customers.

Alex

Originally posted at

2022-02-15T19:00:00

I've bought three defender series cases for my Mini 6 and all of them have a bulge when the case is put on the Ipad. The case does not fit correctly and has a space between the screen protector and the screen near the Apple Pencil slot. Figured it was just an issue with one case but all that I've purchased have the same noticeable space that is a result of a poor design and manufacturing process.

TruthfulReview

Originally posted at