ArmadilloTek Vanguard Heavy Duty Case

bill-e

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Jul 8, 2011
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ArmadilloTek Vanguard Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Case, Military Grade Full-Body Rugged with Built-in Kickstand [Screenless Version] - Black

Great curved glass screen protection! Great Price!

I purchased the ArmadilloTek Vanguard case in black for my Galaxy S21 Ultra and it looks great! I also have a much lighter duty ESR case but with the cost of this phone I was uncomfortable with the protection it affords. The ArmadilloTek Vanguard is a very heavy duty with protective lips all around the screen and camera.

For full disclosure, after I bought it I saw the email from ArmadilloTek asking if you wanted a free case so I applied. They did end up refunding the purchase price which was $17.08.

For 17 bucks, this is a real heavy duty case. My main concern being that this is my first curved glass phone is just that, the curved glass. Every case I looked had raised lips on the top and bottom of the screen but the sides were pretty much exposed.

This is a 2 piece polycarbonate case. The back is hard with the sides softer like rubber and provides a great grip. It goes together very easily but taking it off requires some diligence.

armadillotek-0.jpg

You can see in these first four pics that there is plenty of protection all the way around including the screen.

armadilloTek-1.jpg

armadilloTek-5.jpg

armadilloTek-2.jpg

armadilloTek-3.jpg

The back is armored and should withstand any fall while allowing for Fast Wireless Charging. Unfortunately the only fault I found with this case is the fact that the back is too thick for Power Sharing.

There is also a built-in kickstand which is sturdy and can prop up the phone in both portrait and landscape modes. I am still in awe of the all around protection afforded by this case as compared to all other cases I looked at.

All the cutouts aligh perfectly and there is a cover for the USB-C port. Buttons are effortless to press.

armadilloTek-7.jpg

armadilloTek-6.jpg

armadilloTek-8.jpg

The case is a bit bigger than most and the below shots are my attempt to show you it's size. From left to right there is an iPhone 11, Note 3, S21 ESR Kickstand case and the ArmadilloTek Vanguard. To me the width's are reasonably comparable but it is the case thickness that you will notice most.

armadilloTek-9.jpg

The next few shots are my attempt to show you the case in my hand and I compare it to the ESR Kickstand case with is pretty minimalist. Notice the ESR case is narrower in my hand but then again, the protection is also much less. I'm used to carrying around big phone and it was a natural transition from my Moto Z4 which was actually a bit wider though a quarter inch shorter.

armadilloTek-10.jpg

armadilloTek-11.jpg

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So in summary the ArmadilloTek Vanguard case is here to stay on my phone as it has the protection afforded by cases that are much more expensive. I love the protection it provides to my $1400 phone which in my opinion offsets the slight bulkiness.
 

sftl97

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Aug 13, 2013
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I happen to like this case on my Ultra as well. I applied to ArmadilloTek for the free case and received the qualified email but never received the payment.
All in all it's not a bad case for $17.
 

777vegas

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Jun 26, 2011
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I also have this case. I agree that it seems to provide excellent protection of the s21 ultra. One point that I really liked was the raised portions on the side for grip. I found the grip amongst the best of all cases I have had to date. I also liked the buttons on the case. Seemed well formed to the phone.
 

rcab

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Nov 15, 2012
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I have this case for the regular S21, taking advantage of the promotion offer. I agree with the other comments about the quality of the case. I bought a couple other cases at the time I ordered the phone and have them now in a drawer.
 

bill-e

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Jul 8, 2011
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I also have this case. I agree that it seems to provide excellent protection of the s21 ultra. One point that I really liked was the raised portions on the side for grip. I found the grip amongst the best of all cases I have had to date. I also liked the buttons on the case. Seemed well formed to the phone.

As I said above that this is my first curved screen phone and I was very concerned about the lack of side protection on every case I researched. I am super happy with this case though I do have the Watch3 and was disappointed that it would not Power Share. I would love to find a case with this edge protection that could Power Share.
 

bill-e

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Jul 8, 2011
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It's not a Whitestone (thankfully) it's a clone and was cheap. They did send me one replacement and I haven't installed it yet. The issue is more the kludgy way I was trying to install in on an unstable surface in my bathroom because of dust in my 260yr old house. When I do the last one I'll figure something else out.

I am using an ESR TPU film protector which I'm happy with from the look and feel prospective but I'm hot from the impact resistance perspective which is why I do want a glass one.
 

bill-e

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Jul 8, 2011
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It's been a month and I'm still happy with my case.

Bill
-----
Galaxy S21 Ultra 512g (VZW), Galaxy Book (original), Tab S4, Watch3
 

jhnnyblze2000

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Dec 9, 2009
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ArmadilloTek Vanguard Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Case, Military Grade Full-Body Rugged with Built-in Kickstand [Screenless Version] - Black

Great curved glass screen protection! Great Price!

I purchased the ArmadilloTek Vanguard case in black for my Galaxy S21 Ultra and it looks great! I also have a much lighter duty ESR case but with the cost of this phone I was uncomfortable with the protection it affords. The ArmadilloTek Vanguard is a very heavy duty with protective lips all around the screen and camera.

For full disclosure, after I bought it I saw the email from ArmadilloTek asking if you wanted a free case so I applied. They did end up refunding the purchase price which was $17.08.

For 17 bucks, this is a real heavy duty case. My main concern being that this is my first curved glass phone is just that, the curved glass. Every case I looked had raised lips on the top and bottom of the screen but the sides were pretty much exposed.

This is a 2 piece polycarbonate case. The back is hard with the sides softer like rubber and provides a great grip. It goes together very easily but taking it off requires some diligence.

View attachment 332131

You can see in these first four pics that there is plenty of protection all the way around including the screen.

View attachment 332132

View attachment 332133

View attachment 332126

View attachment 332135

The back is armored and should withstand any fall while allowing for Fast Wireless Charging. Unfortunately the only fault I found with this case is the fact that the back is too thick for Power Sharing.

There is also a built-in kickstand which is sturdy and can prop up the phone in both portrait and landscape modes. I am still in awe of the all around protection afforded by this case as compared to all other cases I looked at.

All the cutouts aligh perfectly and there is a cover for the USB-C port. Buttons are effortless to press.

View attachment 332117

View attachment 332134

View attachment 332118

The case is a bit bigger than most and the below shots are my attempt to show you it's size. From left to right there is an iPhone 11, Note 3, S21 ESR Kickstand case and the ArmadilloTek Vanguard. To me the width's are reasonably comparable but it is the case thickness that you will notice most.

View attachment 332119

The next few shots are my attempt to show you the case in my hand and I compare it to the ESR Kickstand case with is pretty minimalist. Notice the ESR case is narrower in my hand but then again, the protection is also much less. I'm used to carrying around big phone and it was a natural transition from my Moto Z4 which was actually a bit wider though a quarter inch shorter.

View attachment 332120

View attachment 332121

View attachment 332122

So in summary the ArmadilloTek Vanguard case is here to stay on my phone as it has the protection afforded by cases that are much more expensive. I love the protection it provides to my $1400 phone which in my opinion offsets the slight bulkiness.
Awesome review! I was wondering what clock widget that was?