Vaja ivolution stripes - user review

[thetonyclifton]

Vaja ivolution stripes - user review

I will keep this short but thought it might be useful for people who like the look of vaja cases but are unsure about the expense and have no way of seeing them before they buy.

First off some pictures of my custom selection:-



click here for a couple more on flickr

Size
I have purchased previous vaja cases (for older ipods etc) so I had a good idea about how much bulk the case would add. For this reason I stayed away from the regular ivolution as similar styled vaja ipod cases had appeared puffy to me at the front - I thought the hard built in screen cover would be more streamlined.

I am happy with my choice - when closed the ivolution with the screen guard is more streamlined and offers greater access to the screen when open - obviously this is counter balanced by the fact that you either have to leave it flapping or fold it back when the phone is in use. To be honest I do find this annoying but am getting accustomed to it. I can open the case and use the phone one handed which might be important to people.

Build quality
Vaja cases are really built properly and the company have obviously given great care to this aspect of the business. It really does feel like a quality product as soon as you open the box - right down to the smell. With leather there are obviously variations as it is a natural material - so I will give you a run down of my specific case:-

The only leather which gives me any cause for thought is the turquoise blue colour (second from the right), the seam with the stripes beside it are not quite as clean as the others and it does pick up more dirt than the others (I thought the lighter shade would have been grubbier)

Overall I am happy with the quality of the case and ultimately I think it will break in and wear pretty well.

Cost
These cases are ridiculously expensive and depending on your country you may end up getting a customs bill as well - as I have done with previous vaja purchases.

However given that I like a good case and so many people have iphones, these cases really look the part and stand out from the crowd - they do literally reek of quality. What I would say is that if you want to buy a vaja - do so sooner rather than later! - I preordered mine to get it about the same time as the 3GS - you really need to use the case throughout the lifetime of the phone to get any value for money.

I have heard that the cases hold a decent resale value when sold on or alongside the phone itself when you upgrade.

I hope this might help some people - am happy to answer any questions you might have about the case.

[lady_bugz22]

What color did you choose for the outside? Is that the Provincial blue?

[thetonyclifton]

I believe so I will go and check the colours

[thetonyclifton]

Yes the bulk of the case is Provincial Blue, then Dark Blue, Baby Blue and Light Sky in that order left to right.

[Santa]

Thanks for posting this. Three questions:

1) how thick is it?

2) does it close securely? It's hard to tell from the pictures how the latch works

3) does it look like it's going to rub/wear against the phone?

[BrownGem]

Very nice color selections. Santa, the case has a "lip" on the top. A small amount of push/pull will close the flap or open it. It doesn't scratch as it is covered in leather. It does add a bit of bulk as the case is a hard shell covered in leather but I don't find it overwhelming or a detraction from the phones' silhouette.

[ericsinsideout]

thanks for the review, I'm starting to think about getting one, nice colors too!

[thetonyclifton]

BrownGem has answered most of this but...



1) how thick is it?

It adds slightly more than the plastic cases I have used but not enough to detract from the added value of it looking different and a quality product - If you want a guess (I am not great at this) I would say from the total size the phone itself would take up 3/4s - leaving the case with the rest.

2) does it close securely? It's hard to tell from the pictures how the latch works

Yes the screen flap part has a curved leather section on the end when pushed over the top of the phone hooks/cups it closed. This doesnt cause any damage as it is leather - If anything it will wear the leather but leather can cope with that sort of 'damage' it just softens and wears in.

3) does it look like it's going to rub/wear against the phone?

I think I answered this one above - besides the closing mechanism the rest of the case simply grips the phone - when open the case covers most of the back of the phone and grips around the edge of about 2/3rds of the outside (I can take more pics if you want). This makes the case look much smaller and gives you more room and more uncovered iphone as the case doesnt surround/engulf the phone.

[Santa]

Thanks!!!!!

[thetonyclifton]

No probs. If you need more pics just let me know.

Thanks!!!!!