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|
Is this still a good way to protect a cell phone? |
To illustrate how not interested I am in keeping up with the various
Jones, here is a recent photo of that same sleeve protecting my circa 2012
Samsung Galaxy Ace Q phone. What can I say, I love its slider keyboard and quite frankly (since I still have a landline and am tied to my
computer for all else), I only use my cell for texting and the odd call when I'm away from
home.
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Finally, there is the consideration of whether or not you need to have your smartphone encased in any sort of extra protection, plastic or otherwise. "Experts" generally say that yes, it's needed, but it's really a matter of an individual's usage. The addition of bulk with a case is annoying to some, particularly as phones have increased in size. There are some folks who insist that they're never had a problem with dropping their phones or that they don't tend to drop them, period.
'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁
Back then – prior to everyone having a large screen smartphone attached to
his/her hand – a sleeve that could be sewn up easily with fabric and fleece
was sufficient protection.
Kinda different nowadays. While we might still sew up small bags or armband
contraptions that allow us to tote smartphones around, most smartphone
owners protect their investments with a fitted case of some sort.
In mid-January, I paused for a YouTube ad and learned about a
company called Pela (pelacase.ca; pronounced pee-la).
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| Pela phone cases come in a variety of colours and patterns (image courtesy of pelacase.ca)... |
Did you know that well over a billion plastic phone cases are thrown away
every year? (I've seen estimates up to 1.6 billion.) Even though most people
are now waiting up to three years before upgrading their phones, the amount
of plastic going into our landfills from all of these discarded phone cases
is beyond astounding. Not to mention that since cases come out pretty much
at the same time as the phones themselves, there is a significant amount of
waste that occurs with new unsold ones when the models are not as popular as
expected.
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|
Actual product is definitely more of a "mustard" colour, which is somewhat different from what's depicted on the website... |
Which is why, when I saw Pela's ad for a compostable solution, I had
to watch it all the way through. Their proprietary Flaxstic
material is made out of flax shive combined with a plant based polymer, with
the resulting cell phone cases designed to compost in under six months, when
placed in a regular composting environment.
I've always believed that whatever we can each do to ensure a better outcome
for our planet, we should do it. Saying that
what I do won't matter in the overall big picture is a surefire way
to bring about environmental calamity sooner rather than later. If choosing
a compostable cell phone case is something that you can do as your "little
bit", then bravo!
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|
Customized iPhone 11 case (image courtesy of pelacase.ca)... |
When I originally started writing up this post, I had no actual experience
with this company. (Due to my reduced blogging frequency, many weeks –
and even months – can pass between my starting to write a post and it being
published.) But with my faithful Galaxy Ace acting up to the point of
annoying me – turning itself off unexpectedly, including in the middle of a
call – I reluctantly began a search for a replacement in late February. Amazingly enough, Pela still had options for my chosen model (it was a refurbed unit), so it's my phone that you now see here with the
Honey (Bee Edition) case.
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| My new-to-me cell encased in an environmentally friendly protective shell... |
Given what I've seen of the full range of reviews and user experiences, this
type of case may not be the right choice for everyone (i.e., those
who are particularly rough on their phones). Also, since they ship from the
US and Canada only, international purchases will incur duties and
customs taxes, which in some instances may be substantial enough to hinder a
decision to buy, for those living overseas.
 |
Customized Google Pixel 8 cases (images courtesy of pelacase.ca)... |
But as you can see from the photos above, they can be customized. (Well,
some can be.) In actuality, only a portion of their inventory –
namely cases for late model iPhones and Google phones – can be personalized
with an image. Select others can have text added to them. (Both types
will cost an extra $12.) Unfortunately, nothing for mine could be personalized; although I do love the bee theme, even
if the colour isn't quite what I was expecting. Nevertheless, I would
love to have a cell phone case featuring one of my own designs, so I hope
Pela is working on making this feature available throughout their inventory.
By the way, not only is the case eco friendly, Pela also wants you to be
responsible with any old cases that you may need to dispose of after
purchasing their product. The envelope that they use to ship to you can be
reused to send your old case back to them for disposal/recycling. Check
out the program at pelacase.com/360.
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| A dual purpose shipping envelope... |
So how much does all this cost, you ask? Pricewise, Pela's very competitive.
No match for the cheap ten dollar options from China, but if you compare to
the basic cases that the big cell phone manufacturers put out, the pricing
is pretty much the same, if not better. (They were certainly better when I
purchased mine at the beginning of March, when a BOGO promotion got
me two cases for $45.)
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| Made in Canada (image courtesy of pelacase.ca...) |
In my humble opinion, a huge plus for this company right now, in this
particular moment, is that they are Canadian. Given the geopolitical stress currently affecting us – courtesy of a sadly misinformed choice made by 77.3 million voters south of the 49th parallel
(and by another 89 million people who didn't care enough to vote) – I am
laser-focused on supporting anything that the Great White North is producing
or manufacturing.
Finally, there is the consideration of whether or not you need to have your smartphone encased in any sort of extra protection, plastic or otherwise. "Experts" generally say that yes, it's needed, but it's really a matter of an individual's usage. The addition of bulk with a case is annoying to some, particularly as phones have increased in size. There are some folks who insist that they're never had a problem with dropping their phones or that they don't tend to drop them, period.
I would say that I fall into that latter category; my old Ace Q didn't have
a case around it. But I did have an OMG moment with it when it slipped out
of my bag pocket onto the street a couple of years ago (I had forgotten to
zip up the flap pocket before flipping it upside down). It was probably a
distance of about a metre, and while it ended up in three pieces – main
phone, back access panel, and battery – it worked just fine when I put it
back together.
But the overriding consideration is that I'm not joined at the hip with my
cell phone. It's not constantly in my hands. (And that won't change, even with a more fully featured phone. I'm a talk and text person; I despise apps and my data plan is almost non-existent.) For users like me, if it's safely
in a pocket of a purse or a bag and I'm not grabbing it unless it rings or
unless I need to make a call, it may not need extra protection. Had I not
been able to find a matching case at Pela for my new phone, I would have
gone without.
Or – to circle back to the topic at the top of this post – maybe an old
fashioned DIY sleeve is all that's warranted. Here is one from YouTube
channel
Miarti Reuse:
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| image courtesy of YouTube (Miarti-Reuse)... |
This video was uploaded on October 7, 2023. The channel itself features
numerous projects made out of recycled clothing, so it's worth a look just
for that.
For those who like to be light with their bags and purses but want to have a
dedicated place for their cell phones, a cell phone bag – commonly in
a crossbody style – is something that we sewers can easily fashion for
ourselves. One of my subscribed channels on YouTube is
sewingtimes; she collected six of her best cell phone bag projects into one video that
was uploaded on May 9, 2022.
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| image courtesy of YouTube (sewingtimes)... |
If you're looking for a more manly style, check out a video from
Shooka Leather that was uploaded June 6, 2024. It provides a
pattern and shows you how to make this very professional looking cell phone
bag/wallet.
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| image courtesy of YouTube (Shooka Leather)... |
The channel actually has several similar projects, so if you're up for a
leather challenge, it's all right there for free.
Finally, a regular long wallet can be fashioned with a dedicated pocket to
hold a phone. There are DIYs aplenty in this category, from relatively
simple, like this one from Tendersmile Handmade, uploaded on April 21, 2023...
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| image courtesy of YouTube (Tendersmile Handmade)... |
... to not so simple, like this fully featured one from
Yoan Sewing Studio, uploaded on September 15, 2022...
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| image courtesy of YouTube (Yoan Sewing Studio)... |
This one can be attached to a strap and carried as a purse.
I hope this post has provided you with some options the next time you're in
need of a new cell phone storage solution. Let's do what we can to reduce
the amount of plastic in our landfills, shall we?
Before I sign off, I'd like to extend an offer to anyone who's
interested in putting one of my Canadiana patterns onto a Pela case.
Contact me (indicate whether you want the red or the black design) and I'll send you a JPG file that you can upload with your order. (Keep in mind that personalization will add $12 to the cost of your case.) My only stipulations are that you use the image only for a Pela order
and
that you send me a photo of your phone "wearing" the case after you receive
it.
Sound fair?
'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁
