In my opinion, a good holster is the ONLY way to carry a phone. When your phone is on your hip, it's always accessible at a moment's notice, which to me is the only way to go. It's annoying to have to fumble around when you hear your phone ringing, and even more annoying to press buttons inadvertently and maybe answer a call you didn't want to answer (the horror!). I have used Seidio Spring-Clip holsters for my Treo 650, Treo 680 and Centro phones in the past, so I was ecstatic when they released a holster for the Treo Pro. Many manufacturers make holsters, but as far as I can tell Seidio provides the best of the bunch.
Design
Seidio's Spring-Clip Holster is made out of plastic and coated with that rubberized stuff that is being used on so many products nowadays. There is, of course, the spring clip on the top that makes for a very easy release for getting the phone in and out of the holster. The inside of the case has a felt padding to it to keep the holster from scratching the casing or the screen on the phone when accessing and replacing the phone. The felt padding is a very nice touch, and speaks to the overall quality and care that went into the design of the holster.
As has been the case with all of Seidio's previous spring-clip designs, this holster fits the Treo Pro perfectly. The back of the phone faces forward, protecting the screen and buttons from any accidental bumps and scratches, which is the approach Seidio uses for just about all of their holsters. The bottom of the holster is molded to hold the phone in place by its bottom corners, which also protects the corners of the phone from damage if you should bump into something. The headphone and micro-USB ports are also accessible when the phone is in the holster.
The belt clip is very sturdy, and rotates 45 degrees in either direction, so you can turn it sideways when sitting down, should you choose to do so. I find that this helps at times, but usually I keep it far enough over to the side of my hip for this not to be a problem.
Usability
The most important aspect of any case or holster, in my opinion, is how easy it is to take the phone out when you need it and put it back when you are finished. The last thing you want is to have to work to get the phone out when it's ringing, or at any other time, really. I probably reach for my phone about 1,200 times a day, so accessibility is the single most important thing to me, even above protection. Luckily, the Seidio holsters make it as easy as possible to access your phone. Simply lift up on the clip with your thumb and use your forefinger to pull the phone away from your hip and into your open hand. To put the phone back in, you only have to place the bottom of the phone back into the molded bottom of the holster, and push the phone back into the angled top of the clip, which will open with just a little bit of force and snap back over the phone. For those of you who have never used one of these before, it's actually even easier than it sounds.
The best thing about the holster is that it is very, very difficult to press any of the phone's buttons when accessing and/or placing it into the holster. Also, because the phone isn't right up against the back wall of the holster, it is virtually impossible to press any of the buttons while it's in there, no matter how hard you run into that wall.
The only complaint I have about the holster is that you can't access the ringer switch on the top of the phone, as it is covered by the clip. This is a minor annoyance, and probably unavoidable, but I figured it was worth a mention.
Conclusion
The Seidio Spring Clip Holster is the best holster (or case, for that matter) that I've used for the Treo Pro yet. It's a little bit pricey at $29.95, but you definitely get your money's worth for it. This is a very good, quality product.
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| Pros |
Perfect fit for the phone
Sturdy, well-crafted material
Headphone and charging port access
Felt padding inside
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| Cons |
No access to ringer switch
Somewhat pricey |
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