The GloveFit’s body is made of leather, textured for a very pleasant look and feel. The case is available in black, like the one I tested, and in four other colors that make my mouth water just reading them: Cocoa Brandy, Red Brandy, Saddle Brandy and Cream Brandy. Judging from the photographs, the muted colors look as nice as they sound.
The inside of the body, the lower half at least, is lined with a thick pelt of suede. The upper half, from where the zipper assembly begins, lacks this cushioning. It’s an odd disparity. I found myself wanting either the entire interior to have the suede lining, or none at all. The Body Glove Scuba Case has a similar design, but it’s less of a problem than on the GloveFit. The GloveFit’s leather is much thinner than the Scuba Case’s neoprene, and seems more vulnerable.
The Centro slides in from and zips closed at the bottom. A smaller, black zipper handle would have been less visually obtrusive (read: tacky). Like most soft cases, especially leather, the GloveFit needs to stretch a bit before it feels like there’s adequate slack. Even after putting it on and removing it many times, it still felt and seemed a little on the tight side — but that’s only a disadvantage with putting it on and removing it. You’ll appreciate the form-fitting tolerance while the case is on.
As mentioned, the GloveFit has a transparent plastic shield that spans down and across the entire front face. A smaller transparent shield is stitched into the side cutout for the volume buttons. The front shield is ever-so-slightly convex, giving it enough play to eliminate interference with the keys or the stylus.
If you like the concept of a clear case, but want a less rigid, more organic feel than acrylic, this might be the case for you. If feels great in the hand, and the raised transparent sheet looks awesomely cool.
If you’re a stickler for meticulous workmanship, the assembly and detailing of this case leaves something to be desired. For the price, the Monaco Sleeve Type Case (Buy / Review) or the Body Glove Scuba Case (Buy / Review) might be a better value. But Smartphone Experts have a less common design concept with the GloveFit — a fully transparent screen on a soft case—so design might actually trump build quality.
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