Design Time.
"Oh, I've got that phone case, too!" is something nobody wants to hear. We already have a relatively small number of smartphone handsets to choose from, so when it comes to buying a case, cover, or wallet for your phone, you'd much prefer something individual, right? That is exactly what Case Station are offering; a service that allows you to design your own case for them to make and deliver. We've tried it. Here's the lowdown...
Phone case printing has been around for a while, and if we're being honest, we've never bothered. The quality of the stuff we've seen from other companies hasn't always been great, and the cases usually seem to be just novelties and offer zero protection, Which is why it was refreshing to hear about Case Station.
Simply put, you go to the site, pick what kind of phone you have, upload some images or photos, play about with the design, add some text if you want to, and then pay. Case Station print the case to your design and then deliver it. However, this entire process (the web-based bit, anyway) took us about ten minutes, including the time it takes to enter your payment and address details. The UI is very easy to master, quick, and nicely laid-out.
After that, we choose standard delivery, and then we were pretty delighted to get the case in the post just a couple of days later. Nice. And what of the case itself?
As well as selecting a model to fit the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, we also choose the 'tough' type of case. This includes a soft rubbery inner section, and a tough outer case, and we weren't disappointed.
As you can see, we went for our logo on the case, which came out bright and crisp. The colours reproduced well, and the gloss finish is a treat to hold in the hand. Also, the inner rubber section actually feels like it provides a good deal of compression protection, while the outer bit is hard yet flexible. It feels like a higher priced branded case... only with The Test Pit's logo on it.
That's not all. Included in the packaging was a Nanostik anti-slip gel mat to use on a car's dashboard. We never asked for it, but we got in in there, and very welcome it is too. The box was also a bit fancy, as it glides open in two separate directions in your hand, revealing your case at one side, and a Case Station business card at the other. Slick.
On the phone, the case looks great, and it is a perfect fit. All the buttons are accessible, and the case doesn't swallow up or cover the curved edges of the screen. As we said, it feels like a product the likes of X-doria or UAG would make, but this is something you designed yourself for half the price.
Seriously, check out the site. You can go on there and design up a few cases without entering any personal details at all, and no login is required, so you can get a feel for what you can do. Granted, the choice of phone models isn't huge, but iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and - randomly - Huawei owners will be fine.
A fun process, a quick delivery, and a high quality case. Check 'em out.
£29.99 (for our case, although prices vary)
Visit casestation.com/uk
