Tech21 Patrol Case Fit Issue

[kgenova]

Hi! Does anyone have any experience with the Tech21 Patrol Case for iPhone 5? I recently received one from Tech21, and while it seems like an outstanding case, it doesn't fit very easily on my iPhone 5. It is very hard to snap the outer case on, and even harder to get off. The inner case is an Impact Shell (which is just like an Impact Mesh, except for the lack of a dotted pattern on the back), and that part fits just great--it's the outer shell that is the problem. I am a big fan of Tech21's products and already have an Impact Mesh case as well as an Impact Shield on my iPhone 5. Their quality is usually unimpeachable. However, it seems to me that this issue may be caused by the change in the Impact Shell/Impact Mesh line where the bottom of the case was changed from one long opening to a reinforced bottom with separations between the headphone jack, charging port and speakers. The version of Impact Shell that I received with the Patrol Case is the updated one, but from online reviews when the Patrol case first came out, it appeared to ship with the original version of the Impact Shell. Perhaps the revised version of the Impact Shell is just a little too big for the outer case to fit easily on top? It is frustrating, because the case is otherwise quite outstanding and I'd like to be able to use it without fear of breaking my phone in getting the outer case on and off. I have contacted Tech21, but haven't heard back from them yet. I'm sure that is because they are very busy with the launch of their new Tech21 Impact Shield with Anti-Glare (which is really neat--I saw one at my local Apple store over the weekend. It looks great, and the Apple Store employees seemed really excited about them), but it is still a little frustrating.

If anyone has any experience with this case or any suggestions, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Kristin

 

[saxman211]

Hi Kristin,
Unfortunately, I have no experience with the Patrol case, but I do have a mesh case and the anti glare screen shield.. I have to say both are pretty amazing. I actually dropped my phone outside of my car while I was getting in.. I'm not sure if I ran over it, but I pulled off and didn't realize my phone wasn't with me until I was a block away. When I returned to where I had parked it, the phone was perfectly fine... I just took a look at the patrol case and it looks kind of bulky... I honestly think all you need is a mesh case and a screen shield.... Good luck with everything.

 

[kgenova]

Thanks for your reply--your story is quite a testament to the quality of Tech21 products. You should email them with your story!

In looking at things more carefully, I believe the issue I was having with the Patrol case was due to the Impact Shield on my iPhone 5. I adore the Impact Shield, but it is fairly thick, and that thickness is enough to make the difference between a firm, secure fit on the phone, and one that is just a bit too tight (and consequently a bit too hard to get on and off). I tried my Patrol case on my husband's screen-protector-free iPhone, and it fit much better than it did on my iPhone.

If you are interested, check out my review of the Patrol case:

http://greatdealsaustin.com/2014/03/28/review-tech21-special-ops-patrol-case-for-iphone-55s-in-pink/