Treo Pro Case Round up. Part Two: Vertical Cases

In Part One of this three part series I reviewed horizontal cases for the Treo Pro. Now we move to vertical cases for the Pro. Which style of case is best is purely subjective, often changing from individual to individual. While the horizontal case rides higher on the hip, the vertical case extends below the belt line. Some find this to be uncomfortable while others prefer the narrower width.

While there are a good many vertical cases out there, here I’m going to look at a long-time favorite, the Nutshell Leather Case and another popular case, the Sena Elga Pouch. I should note that while the cases reviewed in this series are fitted for the Treo Pro, most are available for other Windows Mobile devices. To see how the vertical cases shake out, read on after the break.

Sena Elga Pouch

Sena has built a reputation for quality cases and the Sena Elga Pouch ($39.95) represents the Sena pedigree well. Available in brown, black, red, pink and blue leather the Sena pouch is padded and lined with soft suede material.

The Sena is well constructed with clean stitching. The initial fit was extremely tight and while it slid into the case without much effort, pulling it out was somewhat of a choir. Combining the tight fit and that the phone sat low in the case, gives you very little real estate to grasp on to. The bottom of the case is firm so pushing it up from the bottom wasn’t an option.

The case rides securely to your belt by way of a sturdy, leather wrapped clip. The case is a smidgen narrower than other vertical cases and that adds to the comfort. Two holes are cut out of the bottom to eliminate any vacuum placing or removing the case would create. The holes are not large enough or positioned where you could sync/charge or use the headphone jack while the Treo Pro was in the case.

The padding adds a little more protection to the Sena case. While the leather alone will protect your phone to a degree, the added padding will help protect the Pro from short falls.

I liked the slimmer size of the Sena Elga Pouch ($39.95) but the difficulty in placing and removing the Treo Pro from the case was hard to ignore. I came close to missing calls while I struggled to remove the phone. The protection and comfortable carry the Sena case offers makes it very attractive but all the protection possible won’t distract you from the difficulty in removing the Treo Pro from the case.

I used the case for two days and while the leather relaxed a bit, I just don’t see it relaxing enough to make removing the phone easier. If the Treo sat a little higher or the fit was just a hair looser, this would be an exceptional case. While the difficulty in removing the Pro was the only drawback I could identify with the Sena case, it’s enough for me to shop around before committing to this case.

Nutshell Leather Belt Case

The Nutshell Leather Belt Case ($54.95) has been around for a good while. I can remember looking at this case back when I used a Palm Treo 650 and it came highly recommended on just about every Palm Forum on the internet. The New Zealand company offers a very simply, straightforward leather belt case that is probably one of the more durable cases on the market.

The case itself is made of leather that looks double stitched together with corner and center cut-outs at the bottom of the case. The case is lined with soft suede to help protect your phone. A metal clip with “D” ring at the top completes the design. The sturdy metal clip is wrapped in leather and secures the case nicely on your belt. Nutshell’s website address is Tuff-As-Nuts.com which is a good way to describe the build quality of the Nutshell Case.

The Nutshell fits tightly around the Treo Pro but not too tight. Placing and removing the Treo Pro was uneventful. Unlike the Sena, the leather isn’t as firm allowing you to slightly push up on the phone, giving you more real estate to grasp on to. There is a center cut at the bottom and corners of the case. The center cut out is positioned in a manner where you can use the headphone jack while the Pro’s in the case. You might even snake the sync/charge cable in but I’m afraid you might stretch the leather too much.

The Nutshell rides surprisingly comfortable on your belt. The metal clip holds the case nicely and while I normally use a horizontal case, I wasn’t bothered by the vertical ride. As with the Sena case, with the case being vertical it’s not as wide on your belt as a horizontal case and not as prone to snagging on corners, seatbelts, etc.

Another nice feature of the Nutshell is the companies two year warranty. Quoting from Nutshell’s warranty card, “Our guarantee does not cover any Nutshell that has been used while (or for) putting out oil field fires, deflecting bullets, or shielding from bomb blasts….Nor will a Nutshell protect its contents when driven over, dropped from a dizzying height, or trampled by buffalo.” However, should any defects due to faulty materials or workmanship appear within 24 months from purchase Nutshell will replace the case free of charge.

I used the Nutshell Leather Belt Case ($54.95) for several days and found it hard to find anything bad about the case. It’s not padded but the leather is thick enough to offer a good bit of protection. I did accidentally press the on/off button while placing the Treo Pro in the case. Some may see the price as a little steep but I can’t help but think this case will last the lifetime of two (maybe three) lower priced cases.

Overall Impressions

Personally, I’m more comfortable with a horizontal case. I like the higher ride and low profile these type cases offer. Vertical cases always seemed bulky and awkward to carry. While this perception may hold true to some vertical cases, it doesn’t hold true with the Nutshell Leather Case and the Sena Elga Pouch. The Sena Case does have some issues with regards to fit but I still find it difficult to find any drawbacks to the Nutshell. If vertical is your preference, the Nutshell definitely gets my nod of approval but the Sena needs to loosen up a bit before I’d add it to my short list of vertical cases.

One last thought on vertical cases is that I had the darnedest time getting used to removing/placing the phone in the case. It’s not an indictment against vertical cases but more so just being so used to horizontal cases. I can’t count the times that I tried to put my Pro in the vertical cases sideways. I do think it’s easier to use a horizontal case when you’re sitting down but again, I think it’s more an issue of being accustomed to something as oppose to a design flaw.

If you have a particular case you’d like reviewed, please email me the information at george.ponder@wmexperts.com. Up next in the last installment of this series; alternative cases. I’ll be looking at Mobi’s Skin Case and Marware’s CEO Sleeve.