Reviews

StylusCentral Week: Piel Frama Leather Case for the palmOne LifeDrive

July 14, 2005

When you put the words “luxury” and “leather case” together, you may already think of Vaja. They make some excellent cases for handheld electronics, but they’re not the only player in town. Piel Frama, a company based in Spain, also makes some incredible leather cases. Today I’m taking a closer look at their new case for the palmOne LifeDrive.

The Piel Frama LifeDrive case is made of top grain leather that is very soft to the touch. Unlike most cases the thread used for the stitching is the same color as the leather, something I always like to see. The exterior is completely plain, with no logo or emblem of any kind. The case closes with a snap, but not a magnetic snap—this is the only small “flaw” that prevents this case from earning a “Perfect 10” rating. On the back you’ll also see a metal nub that allows you to attach the optional belt clip, which is included with your case purchase. If you don’t want to use the clip, you can remove the metal nubbin and replace it with a small plastic plug so there won’t be an open hole on the case.

Open up the case and you’ll find a leather “yoke” that holds your LifeDrive. It’s open at the top so you can slip in the handheld, and there are cutouts for the voice recorder and screen orientation buttons on the left, as well as the headphone jack, charge/sync port, and reset button on the bottom. The interior of the case is finished in a warm brown leather that is petal soft to the touch. Underneath the yoke you’ll find the Piel Frama logo as well as a notice that your case has been handmade and is therefore unique. I like the fact that this tells you a bit more about the case and the company without emblazoning the outside of the case with a huge logo.

The flap offers quite a lot of storage, including three business/credit card slots and two SD card storage slots. The SD storage slots are a rather tight fit of course, though the leather does loosen up a bit over time. The two slots are slightly recessed at the top, and the bottom of the card is covered by leather, but I still worry about the potential for the screen getting damaged. I personally won’t store cards in these slots on a regular basis, though they’re certainly handy in a pinch. There’s also a somewhat hidden money slot at the very edge of the flap; at first I thought the black leather was sewn to the brown lining, but sure enough you can slip a couple of folded bills in there.

The Piel Frama LifeDrive case is beautifully made of top grain leather, and the workmanship is excellent, If you can’t afford a fully customized Vaja case, or if you just happen to prefer all black instead of a brighter Vaja color combo, the Piel Frama is a great choice. It’s usually 69.00, but you can get it at StylusCentral for $59.00. The deal gets even sweeter when you remember that orders over $30 get free ground shipping, which is a much better deal than ordering direct from Piel Frama in Spain. If you buy direct, the cost is 60 Euros (which is about $73 US) and worldwide shipping is included. Either way, the Piel Frama Leather Case for the palmOne LifeDrive comes elegantly gift boxed and would make a lovely gift. You can get it at the StylusCentral online store.

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