Having shifted some 40 million S3’s, Samsung have quite a few users out there who need their babies protecting. Understandably it’s a big market, and on the back of it, many specialist companies have emerged to deal with demand.

There are simply endless choices these days when it comes to choosing a case. Some go for protection, others looks, something to fit your personality or maybe even practicality.

For me, I want a combination of all these things, and Snugg are a company with their finger on the pulse when it comes to designing cases which encompass many of my wishes.

 

Specifications:

Snugg Samsung Galaxy S3 Pouch Case in Distressed Brown PU Leather

The Snugg S3 Pouch Case in Distressed Brown PU Leather.
This case has been designed to provide the perfect fit for your S3. The sides have been reinforced to give a sturdy and supportive hold, while the soft, brown, nubuck fibre interior, keeps your phone snugg and free from scratches. With a brown stitch finish along all the edges and the Snugg logo pressed into the corner, this case looks and feels high quality. We’ve included a great, easy to access place to keep business, bank and oyster cards – there is a card slot on the back of the case!

On the front of the case there is a tab, debossed with the Snugg icon, this pulls out to pop your S3 out of the pouch. The tab is on a strong elastic strap that retracts quickly back into place when you release it. The tab is also magnetic so it sticks to the side of the case meaning it always stays in place. There is also a cut out for the S3’s speaker, so you’ll never miss a call or text, even when your phone is cased.

We think this product is great, it also comes in distressed brown leather and a tan suede, as with all our products it comes with the Snugg Promise of high quality materials and craftsmanship and a Lifetime Guarantee.

Features:
–    Samsung S3 Distressed Brown, PU leather Pouch Case.
–    Handy card slot on reverse.
–    Elasticated pull strap to easily pop your S3 out of the case.
–    Soft, brown nubuck fibre interior.

Price: £19.99 / $19.99

The particular case I’ve been using for the last few months is the “TheSnugg Distressed Brown PU Leather Pouch”, seen on the companies website here.

http://www.thesnugg.co.uk/smartphone-cases/galaxy-s3-cases/snugg-samsung-galaxy-s3-pouch-case-in-distressed-brown-pu-leather.aspx  Replace .co.uk with .com if you are outside the UK. They also have it in Black or Tan. The Tan variant is a little more expensive. I actually wanted the tan one, but at the time it wasn’t available in stock, so it must be popular.

The first question I had was “what’s PU leather?”. Well according to my research it’s Reconstituted Leather (small leather scraps) or Bonded Leather that is layered with thick Polyurethane to give it a sheen like real leather. It’s possibly not got the longevity of real leather, however it looks and feels pretty much the same to me. Incidentally TheSnugg do give you a lifetime warranty (you need to register your purchase through the website)– although this obviously doesn’t cover wear and tear or any accidents you may have with it. At the rate people replace their mobiles, I doubt there’ll be too many people claiming a replacement in years to come.

The pouch feels like it’s well made, not mass produced – if it says anything, it says “quality”. I don’t think the average teenager will drool over it, but I’m guessing it’s aimed at an older audience – well that’s me. As it’s name might suggest, your phone will fit very snugly into it, and won’t fall out on it’s own. That’s because each case is designed around a specific model, there’s nothing generic about TheSnugg products.

To get the phone, you need to pull on the tag attached to it. This takes a bit of getting used to. When you pull the elasticated tag up, the phone will magically appear – at least 2 inches of it anyway. This is enough to grab the phone and pull it out of the case. It is a tight fit as I said, so you’ll need to be quite firm with it. Pushing it back in is simpler, and easier to do. The tag itself sits neatly on the outside of the case with a magnet.

The inside of the pouch is lined with “nubuck fibre”. If you aren’t familiar with what nubuck fibre is, it’s quite commonly used on upholstery. Imagine thousands of little fibers which together create a very soft, similar to suede material. It’s kind to surfaces, it almost seems to polish your screen each time you insert or remove it.

There’s a couple of other features of this pouch, if you can call them that. Firstly, there’s a round hole, which more or less lines up with the speaker. There are no holes for anything else, so to use, and even to answer the phone, you need to take it out of the pouch. This might be annoying for those that make and receive calls regularly, but is fine for those who leave their phone idle for longer periods. Perhaps more annoying is that you’ll also have to remove the phone to charge it, exposing it again to the hazards around you. There is a side pocket, large enough for a couple of business cards, or your bank card maybe. Personally I haven’t used this for it’s intended purpose and prefer to keep my cards safely in my wallet.

I’ve been using this for a couple of months, and it’s in and out of pockets mostly, generally it’s still in the same condition as when it was received. There is a stray thread emanating from the hand sewn side stitching which I’m hoping won’t turn into a bigger problem – but if it does, there’s the lifetime warranty to fall back on.

 

Conclusion:

With an asking price of £19.99 or $19.99 in the US (clearly less in the US), there are obviously lots of cheaper alternatives out there. If it’s style and quality you are after though, it’s not a lot to pay for the protection it offers, keeping your handset free from scratches and dirt. You need to ask yourself though if you need protection (against dropping) whilst using the phone – because this obviously doesn’t give you that. The very act of removing the phone from the pouch can be tricky and could even lead to potential accidents, so it’s not for those with butter fingers either. If you are a heavy phone user, this isn’t for you as pulling the phone out each time you want to use it (and charge it) can become a chore.

Generally I’m pleased with the case though, I like the look and feel of it, and as a light user, it doesn’t bother me that I can’t really use it while it’s cased.

 

Pros:
+Stylish
+Quality, well made
+Protection from scratches
+Lifetime warranty

Cons:
-Need to remove phone to use it
-Potential accident when removing the handset

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance

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