Seidio Active Case vs. Otterbox Defender vs. Seidio Surface

[btgarris]

I have always carried my phone on my hip and have used both seidio and otterbox cases in the past. I am still on the fence about the note 2 due to its size and the added bulk that a case will add could be a determining factor. I saw someone with the phone in the otterbox last night and they let me try it on and hold it to see the size and man was that thing HUGE!! It kinda deterred me away from wanting the phone in a way because of how much bulk it added. I was wondering if anyone had gotten the seidio ACTIVE case (with the belt clip) and what your experience with it has been. I see that best buy currently sells the "surface" line for the note 2 however I see multiple compaints about it fitting too tight on the phone and not allowing a screen protector. Any input on any of these 3 cases would be helpful and pics are always a plus. Thanks!

 

[specops2k3]

I have the Seido active/w holster. So far I like it. I wear it towards the back of my hip and it's not to bulky.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Android Central Forums

 

[KahneFan]

I know it's not those 3 cases, but I have THIS CASE from BestBuy and it adds just enough protection, and feels great on the phone.

 

[planoman]

I have the Surface combo. The phone is big, so I wanted some protection but not the bulk of the active or defender. I have dropped my phone twice with the surface on and not a scratch! Thank goodness!

 

[btgarris]

I know it's not those 3 cases, but I have THIS CASE from BestBuy and it adds just enough protection, and feels great on the phone.

That is the same as the surface combo, best buy just rebrands it as "platinum series" I really like the added protection that the active offers but I'm just afraid it'll add too much bulk...I could be wrong though. Also, do you have a screen protector on your device and does the case cause any problems with that like some from the best buy reviews have stated?

 

[mcgeorge36]

I have the active combo and I'm loving it right now. It is kinda big on the go, so I turn the holster sideways when I wear it. Felt ab little weird at first, but after a day or so I got used to it and it's not that big on my hip that way.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Android Central Forums.

 

[byrds8]

Ive used all three of the cases you have mentioned. Personally I did not feel like the Surface nor the Active provided the protection I wanted. In the end I took the Surface/PT series from Best Buy back. I still have the Active but I use the Defender. The Active case to me for one was a bit too slick. For two, It seemed a bit flimsy to me. The rubber was loose fitting and attracted a lot of dust and dirt. I was looking for less bulk than the Otterbox when I used those other two but end the end I opted for more bulk and more protection. Just my 2 cents worth

 

[EWT]

I've got both the Active and the BB version of the Surface. The Active protects a little more and the Surface is a little (but not as much as you'd think) thinner. The Active isn't a "bulky" case - it just feels different because of the two-part construction with the silicone layer surrounded by a plastic layer that covers part of the back and the corners. It is not like an Otterbox Defender that adds significantly to the bulk of the device - the silicone layer is pretty thin. I prefer the feel of the Surface better because it doesn't have the stretchy silicone layer and the phone feels a little sleeker. The Active was on it the one time I've had a good drop so far (about 3' from my lap to the driveway getting out of the car), and did its job perfectly. The only downside to the Active so far other than feel is that it doesn't fit very well into the Samsung dock I have on my desk , so I usually take the phone out of the case to use the dock. It goes right in with the Surface. They are great cases, I'm happy with both of them.

 

[Centro85#AC]

I have a seidio active and holster as well. I hate cases but this phone is so big, and my other samsung broke so easily, i figured it was almost mandatory. The seidio actually isnt bad at all. It really doesn't add that much bulk. The kickstand isn't great, its a little too small for the phone, and if you use the handwriting recognition at the bottom of the keyboard you have to pull the kickstand out or it makes a small dead spot at the bottom left of the screen for the spen. Normal things like snote etc aren't affected by the kickstand at all. Overall I like it. Its really just a thin TPU case with a thing plastic back that covers the four corners. The only 2 issues i've noticed as far as size are 1) With the phone in the holster, I have to have it back behind my hip or the phone blocks the "5th" pocket/lighter pocket in my jeans. I just simply stopped using the small pocket and now its no problem. 2) The phone is so big that when it is in a windshield dock its actually distracting. However, I haven't used windshield docks in a year or two and i'm starting to get used to it. Even with the seidio active I really don't have an issue with the size day to day. you can adjust your grip on the phone and do a lot one handed. Especially with the one handed keyboard enabled.

 

[btgarris]

all of this is great info! I finally decided to pull the trigger and get the Note 2 and love it, however it's taking some time getting used to this huge thing. I got the best buy version of the surface combo and like how it fits but I don't feel like it adds enough protection. It's also very slick and I feel like its going to slip out of my hand every time I pick the phone up and use it. I love the protection that the otter offers but the size just turns me away from it. For those who have used the ottter and the active, how much of a size difference is there between the two?

 

[byrds8]

There is some difference between the two. I can definitely tell the Otter is a bit bigger but it does not bother me. Id rather have the protection.

 

[jneusch]

I used the BB Platinum for the first week and my Defender arrived 1 day ago. Wow! Huge difference in bulk and size. I love the Defender series and have used them on iPhone and my GS3.

Defender - Pros - better grip, better overall protection, great fit and finish, solid belt clip holster
- Cons - too big, no kickstand built in (yes I know the holster), added bulk and weight

Surface (BB Platinum) - Pros - good fit, solid belt clip holster, kickstand built in, no added bulk, thin yet protective
- Cons - too slick, buttons and port not covered, potential KS magnet issue

I am using a Spigen Ultra screen protector, which is no problem on the Surface. I popped out the built in screen protector on the Defender because I have never liked the built in protector. If I can find something to add some tackiness to the Surface case I may go back to it. As much a fan of OB that I am the added bulk is a bit much on this particular phone. I bought the BB protection anyway, so if it breaks during a drop I may just have to use the plan.



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[byrds8]

I forgot about the magnet issue on the Surface case. There is definitely a dead spot on the screen when using the S Pen. However it does not seem to be present on the Active case. Im assuming because its a bit further away due to the inner silicon lining.

 

[btgarris]

Im actually not having any dead spot issues with the surface. It seems like some are and some aren't which is kinda odd. I could care less about the kickstand personally. I had it built into the thunderbolt and used it maybe 2 times in almost 2 years. I'm leaning more toward the active but I'm still undecided. Can anyone post a pic of the active on the phone and in your hand. Just to get a size comparison of how much bulk it adds?

 

[jneusch]

The kickstand never seemed liked that big a deal to me, but with the size of this phone I found that I could open the kickstand and use it more like a grip with one finger wrapped around it. It seems to make it easier holding the phone in one hand. I kind of miss it on the OB Defender.

 

[OffSpot2]

I found that I could open the kickstand and use it more like a grip with one finger wrapped around it. It seems to make it easier holding the phone in one hand.

Good point. I didn`t think about that, it does help... Active Case and holster here and very happy with it. I used that combo for two years previous, but without the kickstand.

 

[Centro85#AC]

I have a business friend I see a few times a week. He has an S2 on sprint with an otterbox defender. It's noticeably bigger than my note 2/active. In every way. the active really isn't a large case. I'm sure its a little more than the surface, but it's really not bad. Its just a thin TPU with a little plastic piece that covers the corners and back. The "side to side" size is only increased by the thin tpu section. However it does seem to work. My sister wanted to play with it after seeing how big it was next to her iphone 4s. She ended up dropping it by accident from about 3ft (sitting inside my full size 4x4 pick up with the door open). She was fiddling with the spen hole, went to hand it to me and just wasn't paying attention. Landed right on the corner. Scratched up the plastic skeleton of the case a bit on the corner, but when it landed it just made a dull quiet thud sound. No damage. My GNex had a case similar to the Surface and I broke quite a few screens with that. Pick up the active. You won't be disappointed with the size, or protection I don't think. As I said, I hate cases, but this one for some reason really isn't bad. The grippy sides keep the phone in your hand, and the smooth plastic back allows you to kind of slide it around your hand to reach other areas of the screen if you want to. My only real disappointment with the active combo (other than the small dead spot at the bottom left of the screen when using the handwriting keypad.. thats the only time I notice it) is the holster. The first layer/TPU case is a little bit flimsy. The plastic skeleton keeps it nice and tight so you never really notice, and I assume this is maybe to add a level of protection by having more rubber to squish instead of it being stretched to a tight fit. When you put the phone in the holster you have to actually flip the top holster click back with one finger, put the phone in all the way, than allow the holster top flap to come down behind it. If you try to just put the phone in sometimes the top holster flap likes to get under the TPU section and clip in under the case. The bottom part of the tpu case is the same way, and can be a little annoying getting out of pants pockets until you get used to it and grab the phone a little more towards the middle, near the kickstand.

All in all, I'm super happy with the active. It's not big for a protective case.. at all.. and seems like it will actually do something in a fall. Maybe not otterbox defender protective, but normal drops and such shouldn't be a problem.

 

[crazyzete]

I just got the Note 2 and received my Active case and holster (from shopandroid.com). I've owned the platinum series (bby) equivalent of the surface for the Droid X and liked that case (if it was as slick, it was a smaller phone so i didn't notice). I had hoped the active would not be as slick as it is. Better than the naked phone, but still have concerns that if i don't grip the phone all the way around, it may slide out of my hands.

I wanted to comment on the S Pen interference. I was hoping this case wouldn't have it, but i do see it when i am in text writing mode. No issue if i pop open the kickstand, but who wants to do that? I'm not sure why Seidio decided to go with this type of approach and indicate they tested the phone and it works well with the S Pen, because it does interfere. How much, i am not sure yet. But one observation i noticed is that with the magnet closed, while the S Pen drawing appears fainter with some dead spots, if you add more pressure in writing, it works fine. The s pen is pressure sensitive and can draw lighter or harder depending on how much pressure you apply. so if you want to use this case with the kickstand closed, press a little harder and it appears fine.

I see no other issues at this point, but if Seidio removed the magnet and added some grip texture to the back, i think they would have a winner. The lint also may be an issue. I had an old surface in my pocket and didn't have much of an issue, but this case appears to pick up a lot of dust on the black silicone.