The word “stowaway” brings many things to mind, such as: pirates, fancy boats, and walking the plank; but the idea of throwing this case overboard definitely isn’t one of them.
The Look: Once you get the Stowaway out of its well-secured packaging, the case is aesthetically pleasing and very well constructed. For being a unibody design, the case is rather bulky, and doesn’t have much wiggle room, meaning it doesn’t bend or flex very much. The case looks very sharp, and comes in several colors: Black, Deep Navy, Plum, and Sand. One of the great things about the color options and the design of this case is that it doesn’t conflict with the color of your phone. Because the case covers the entire phone - minus the little porthole on the back for the camera and fingerprint sensor - you don’t have to worry about limiting your color options to ones that pair well with your phone color. I really like the encapsulating design because many times I am worried about getting particular colors in phone cases because of the contrast issues, but the Stowaway case removes all of the worry when it comes to this issue and allows you to choose whatever color you want without fear of how it will look. I’m very happy with the Deep Navy color that I have, and it looks fantastic paired with the S8+’s dark screen when the display is off.
The Feel: The surface texture of the case is really good. It isn’t slick, but it has a unique feel to it that reflects the premium build quality, and makes it feel secure in your hand. Honestly, it feels kind of weird at first because it’s almost like the surface feels velvety, but it’s not. The only issue I have with the surface of the phone is that it seems to absorb oils and other residues rather easily and needs to be cleaned occasionally, unlike a hard-plastic or rubber style case. Other than that, the case feels great, looks great, and it does a great job providing solid protection for your phone. As I stated above, the case is rather rigid and bulky, which definitely obscures the form-factor of the device, which may or may not be a good thing. I like to keep the natural form factor intact, whenever possible – especially with the S8+ because it’s such a sleek and gorgeous device. However, the compromise on the ergonomics of the device and bulkiness also gives you much more protection over a normal bumper style case, so the trade-off is justifiable, especially when it looks so darn good in the process. The cutouts and buttons work well on this case, and I am happy to report that I didn’t have any problems at all with the power connector cutout digging into my finger, which is fantastic!
Security: The Stowaway is rated at 6ft of drop protection, which is a little surprising considering the bulkiness of the case. I would have thought that it would be rated for at least 10ft, but 6ft is more than adequate. Think about it... if the average person is 5-6ft tall, how are you going to manage to drop your phone 10ft in day-to-day situations? It's not a very likely scenario. Finally, another safety feature built into the Stowaway is the chin of the case which hangs over the edge of the screen, keeping the display screen safe from surface contact if you decide to lay your phone face down on a normal, flat surface.
The Stowaway Compartment: Another fancy feature of the case is the namesake "stowaway" card holder, which also doubles as a kickstand, and can hold up to three cards inside of it. The flap flips out and can be used as a kickstand, which seems to be a semi-popular feature with some of the recent cases I’ve seen. Of course, you don’t want to use the hatch for the card holder as a kickstand while your cards are in it… The card compartment is a nice addition to the case though, and Incipio even provides a film-style protector to put on the backside of your phone to protect it from any potential scratches or unwanted scuff marks from placing cards inside the case. The reason for this is because the compartment is open-backed, meaning there is no protective liner inside between the device and the cards – you can see this in the pictures.
Conclusion: I am very pleased with this case and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a stylish case that provides comprehensive protection, and looks great. Normally I like my cases to be as minimalistic as possible, but with this device the added protection and design of the case just works. It’s a pleasure to hold, and it’s also convenient to be able to stow your driver’s license, or credit card in the back, eliminating the need for a wallet. What’s even better is the fact that the phone has Samsung Pay, which means you can even eliminate the credit cards if you’re brave, and tote this case as a standalone payment method, and only carry your driver’s license or a backup card.
Pros:
- Provides great protection and looks cool doing it
- The color options are nice, and don’t clash with the device
- The stow and go capability for cards in the back is nice
- The case offers great security and features for the price
Cons:
- The soft-touch surface picks up residues easily
- The form factor is definitely obscured by the case
- The price – it’s not cheap, but it’s definitely worth the price
- If you only have one or two cards in the compartment, they rattle around a little
If you’re interested in picking up one of Incipio’s new Stowaway cases, you can grab one over at their website for $34.99. Shipping is not free, and varies by location. Feel free to check out the Stowaway and the rest of Incipio’s other case offerings at: https://www.incipio.com/cases/smartphone-cases/samsung-smartphone-cases/samsung-galaxy-s8-plus-cases/stowaway-samsung-galaxy-s8-plus-case.html. As always, feel free to ask questions or leave comments in the comments section.
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