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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/867
116 MacDirectory
REVIEW
SENA > MAKING A CASE FOR QUALITY
The idea of putting an elegant device like
an iPhone into a cheap case made about
as much sense to me as buying seat
covers for a Mercedes at a local discount
store. And after the belt clip failed on one
of my early holsters, I realized that I
needed to seek out a case that offered
some security as well as good looks.
My search finally came to an end at
Macworld in Moscone's North Hall. Sena
is owned by two brothers, who represent
the third generation of a family leather
business. At first, their display looked like
the dozens of others at the show. But a
sound of rhythmic tapping and a
gathering crowd drew me to the back.
There, it was as if I had arrived in a far
different place and an era long ago.
Sena's master craftsman, Ertan Gunay, sat
at his simple workbench, long bolts of soft
leather carefully draped behind him. He
was carefully tapping on one of the metal
dies he used to precisely cut. I picked out
the case I wanted and then watched it
being made from a sheet of polished
black Napa leather. It was their simple
pocket, LeatherSkin model. A snap on a
tab flips over the top to keep the phone
secured and there were precisely
positioned cutouts for the screen and all
the connectors and controls. As is the
case with all good leather, the case took
several weeks to break in and get the look
and feel of something that belongs to me.
I also really wanted a case with a belt clip,
but wasn't quite ready to trust the typical
snap-on clip. For this, I turned again to
Sena and ordered one of their slim Eléga
Pouches with an integrated clip. This was
in a rich, deep tan with a matching velvet
lining and stitched together with the
precision and quality of a custom tailor.
The attention to detail turns out to be
typical of Sena. Lesser brands often opt
for good looks on the outside but ignore
the lining where the phone lives. This can
allow dust and dirt to collect, risking
damage from abrasion. The case was stiff
and offered the phone a good deal of
protection. It fit like a glove. At first, it was
a rather uncomfortably tight glove, but
true to the message that Sena included in
its box, after a short break-in period, the
case molded itself to the phone and held
it firmly but gently. The leather-covered
clip rotates, but feels solidly attached.
In spite of my early experiences, I decided
to accept Sena's offer to try a couple of
their removable clip cases. It quickly
became obvious that they took a very
serious approach to security as well as
craftsmanship. The metal rivet mounts on
the case with a small hex screw (the
wrench is included, along with a spare
screw). It attaches in a way that makes it
nearly impossible for the rivet to twist and
loosen the screw (but you may want to
add a drop of Locktite to the threads, just
to make sure.) You can also opt to leave
the mounting rivet off, so any of these
cases will sit flat in your pocket or purse.
With the button mounted, the case snaps
into a rather thick and durable belt clip,
topped by a quick-release button. The
phone slides in locks with a satisfying
"chunk!" The thickness of the clip makes
the phone protrude out a bit more than
I'd like—the design's only real drawback.
Sena uses the removable/optional clip on
many of their cases. My favorite of these is
the Dockable flip case. This has a flip-over
cover that snaps in place to protect your
screen while you're wearing it and folds
out of the way so the phone can be
charged or docked without being removed
from the case. This model, I find, offers the
best balance of security and convenience.
An interesting variation on the theme is
the WalletSkin case. The idea behind this
is if you have an iPhone, credit card,
license and maybe a few business cards,
you're ready to go. The WalletSkin case
offers everything you need to hit the road.
With this design, the iPhone screen is
facing out, but your other valuables are
snapped away inside the flip-open case.
Each of the designs is available online in a
huge variety of colors and textures—far
more than you'll find at a retailer. You'll
also discover that Sena makes fine leather
cases for nearly all the current iPods and
even the MacBook Air. Even though there
are literally hundreds of cases out there,
I'm happy to report that I finally found one
that my iPhone actually deserves.
WORDS BY RIC GETTER
Product Sena iPhone cases
(LeatherSkin, Eléga Pouch,
Dockable and WalletSkin)
Made by Sena