The first thing you will probably think about doing when your shiny new Apple iPad 2 arrives is to find a suitable case or skin for it – unless of course you have taken the plunge and ordered one of those cool official smart covers.

If you haven’t been swayed by the official cover yet then you may be interested in the Speck PixelSkin HD WRAP for the iPad 2, which is a light weight skin with a contrasting glossy and matte pixel finish; it also comes in three trendy colours: Cobalt (blue), Raspberry, and Black.

The slim looking HD WRAP fits the iPad 2 very snugly whilst ensuring sufficient gaps are left for the two cameras and connectors whilst it also includes provides protection for vital buttons including the power on/off and volume controls.

The HD WRAP is made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) which gives some resistance to oil, grease and abrasions whereas the official smart cover which is made from just PU (polyurethane).

Fitting the iPad 2 into the cover ensures a snug fit which should reduce the chance of it slipping out and the elasticity of the cover helps to ease the iPad 2 into place.

The HD WRAP also features a micro suction closure strip which we initially thought was a magnetic seal until we took a closer look. The closure strip aims to keep the HD WRAP closed when not in use although if you use the tri-fold cover as a stand regularly the front cover does take a little while to flatten back out fully so it would have been good to see some way of securing the front cover more fully when closed.

It is difficult not to draw comparisons between the HD WRAP and the official smart cover as the HD WRAP has clearly drawn some inspiration from the smart cover in the way it functions. The front cover of the HD WRAP tri-folds in a similar way to the smart cover which provides a mechanism for keeping the iPad 2 upright. However, the Speck HD WRAP goes a step further and offers additional protection around the iPad 2, whereas the official smart cover only covers the front.

Unlike the smart cover the Speck doesn’t have a magnetic hinge – though, on balance, we prefer the wrap around protection of the HD Wrap.

The range of colours, together with the contrasting design, is effective and the light weight of the wrap makes it desirable for use when travelling.

The wrap around protection offers an additional bonus in offering some protection from scratches and knocks.

Overall, the Speck PixelSkin HD Wrap is an eye catching alternative to the official smart cover.

To learn more head over to Speck: PixelSkin HD Wrap for iPad 2.