I've never liked putting cases on my phones, as I feel it just takes away from the sleek designs of these devices. I keep it in a sleeve when I'm not actively using it, which is protection enough. The skin keeps the back protected from scratches, but also adds a bit of texture for grip.
I considered getting a mini and then putting a minimalistic case on it (Latercase, Pitaka, etc.), but I really prefer to have a top of the line device and the features I'd be missing were too much.
I've always used dBrand skins for my phones, but had seen a blue version of their Swarm skin elsewhere and really wanted to try it. I was happy with the Sopiguard skin I had purchased for my iPad Magic Keyboard, so figured it was worth a try.
Sopiguard was only $10 + $3.49 shipping, so I ordered this blue honeycomb (their version of Swarm) and the forged carbon I have on my keyboard. Ordered Friday afternoon and received Tuesday (on a holiday weekend, no less). It helps that I live in SoCal and that's where they ship from. The package includes a back skin, camera skin, and side strips. I have never liked the way skins look on corners or the seams where they meet, so I left the side strips off. Installation was pretty straight forward, except the step where dBrand has you take the backing paper off and place it back on sideways - that doesn't work here because the paper is too large. I ended up cutting the backing in half and having to peel the skin back up to align the bottom edge. That resulted in a slight stretch on the bottom left corner, but it's very minor and hardly noticeable unless you're looking for it.
As for the Fitbag, this is the first time I've seen the dual material option, it's soft leather on one side, and suede-like alcantara on the other, which is just perfect for my needs. I like the alcantara for its softness and screen cleaning capabilities, but have found it can sometimes feel a bit damp after being stuck in my jeans pocket on warm days. The soft leather is better for that, and also preferable for sitting on various surfaces without getting dirty. Now with the fusion version, I can keep the leather side towards my body and the alcantara side facing away. Quality workmanship and materials. Delivered from Germany to California in exactly 10 days, which blew my mind. It arrived a full two weeks earlier than the earliest Amazon estimate and a month earlier than the longest estimate.
Pretty happy with this setup.
