Everything Motorola Q

ToughSkin Moto Q Case Review

The ToughSkin for Moto Q is billed as "rugged" protection for your smartphone. It comes from longtime case manufacturer, Speck Products.

High Quality Materials

The first thing you notice about the ToughSkin is the rugged look of the material. The ToughSkin is composed of Kraton which is a special polymer plastic. According to Speck, this material is more durable than competing skin cases that are made from silicone. It also has a nice feel to it and this should not be discounted. Realizing the quality of material, the packaging of the ToughSkin for Moto Q actually has an exposed area to allow customers at retail locations to sample the feel of the material. The side of the case has a distinct look that reminds me of treads on a tire. While it's my belief this was done for looks, it actually ends up being a nice feature as the "treads" make it easier to grip the Moto Q.

Functionality

The ToughSkin allows access to all ports on the Moto Q, except for IR and miniSD. The IR port is not a major issue for me, but I could see lack of access to the miniSD as being problematic. For example, swapping cards from the CoPilot miniSD maps card to a mulit-media card could prove to be a hassle if done regularly. One of the features of the Speck ToughSkin cases has always been the built-in screen protector and the Moto Q case is no different. However, I find it as a great option on the Q as opposed to say a Treo, considering the Q does not have a touch-screen. On touch-screen devices, accessing the screen can be vital making the flip-lid screen protection at times a nuisance. On the Moto Q, I have a new fondness of the ToughSkin's screen protector. This option allows owners to put their Q in a pocket or pocketbook without fear of spare change or keys scratching or scuffing the screen. The screen protector fits neatly between the case and the Moto Q. It is optional, so if you take issue with it, you can easily remove it. With previous cases, this was possible, but it affected the fit of the case. As with most skin cases, the 'gummy' feel of the case might make it difficult to grab from your pants pocket. The two soft menu keys are covered, but it felt natural using them with the case.

Size

My beef with previous models of the ToughSkin has been the added bulk and this issue was specific to the Treo. By nature, the Treo is a larger phone, so adding bulk was always a concern. This simply is not the case with the Moto Q and certainly not the ToughSkin. Verizon had sent me a replacement Q and I had not gotten around to returning my original Q. This gave me an opportunity to compare the size of the Moto Q with the ToughSkin and without. As you'll see from the images, there is not that much of a difference. The clip on the holster is also very low profile.

Included Holster

Understanding their customers, Speck ships their ToughSkin with a holster allowing you to wear the case on a belt or clip to a bag. The clip swivels allowing you to wear the Moto Q to your preference. The Q is intended to face inward and this further adds to the level of protection offered by the ToughSkin case/holster combo. Should you accidently dislodge the holster from your belt or pocketbook, the corners of the ToughSkin holster would take the brunt of the fall. With the screen facing inward, this also minimize any damage to the screen or keys. The ToughSkin case slides into the bottom of the holster making it secure and then snaps into place using the grooves in the case. Removing the case felt awkward and I felt myself concerned that I might snap the top corners of the holster.

Conclusion

The ToughSkin case offers superior protection for Q with a heavy plastic screen protector and inward facing holster. Discounting the ToughSkin as "just another skin case" would be an injustice, as their materials and craftsmanship set them apart. While their skin case sets them apart, they do fall short in the holster category. Active users will most likely find frustration with inserting and removal of the Q from the Speck holster. The ToughSkin has a snug fit around the Q which is as good as can be expected from a skin case due to the pliable nature of the material. If you routinely swap out your miniSD cards, then the ToughSkin could prove to be problematic as it covers both the IR and miniSD ports. All in all, the ToughSkin provides a nice combination of rugged looks and serious protection for the Motorola Q smartphone.

The Speck ToughSkin for Moto Q case retails for $24.95 and is available in black.