You’ve all heard of Seidio right?  They are a manufacturer of mobile accessories like cases, docks, batteries and more.  There latest release is the Seidio ACTIVE Case for the Samsung Galaxy Note.

When you carry around a device the size and price of the Samsung Galaxy Note, you want to protect it and you also need a good place to store it.  This case combo from Seidio does both.

Seidio’s ACTIVE Combo contains an ACTIVE case and an ACTIVE holster. The ACTIVE case is the perfect companion for an energetic lifestyle. It provides shock absorbing protection with two interlocking layers in a thin case for your Samsung Galaxy Note.

The Case

The Seidio ACTIVE case is a two layer design with a Silicone inner layer that hugs your device and gives the anti-vibration protection your looking for and then there is the outer hard shell that protects the extremities from the drops and scratches we all like to avoid.

The case also features a built-in metal kickstand that can be used in landscape orientation for a hands free experience when viewing multimedia, managing photo slideshows, and displaying clocks and calendars.

The outer case is a Gloss White finish that is incredibly smooth and easy to clean, but also means it easily slips on most surfaces you lay your phone.  Something I’m not too much of a fan of. Sometimes I place my phone on my dashboard or the passenger seat besides me and I like it to stay put when I’m driving around.  Laying the phone on it’s face provides some grip form the edges, bu ton it’s back, it’s like a skating rink.

The advantage to this is that it will easily slip into and out of your pocket.

Installation was incredibly simple. The inner gel case slipped over the Galaxy note and the outer shell clipped into position requiring only minor adjustments to ensure that it’s fingers fitted firmly ad securely over the corners and edges of the inner case.

The fit was perfect and up to the standards we’ve come to expect from Seidio.  All the openings for USB, Headphones, Camera, etc.  were perfectly aligned and allows the phone to function as expected.

There are large areas between the finger of the outer shell where there is only the thin inner silicone sleeve that I was concerned about.  As the Note is so long, it means that the silicone sleeve between the fingers is long and being so thin I was concerned that it may cause an issue.  After using the case for a few weeks, my concerns were invalidated.  While these sections can move easily when caught on something, they never stretched and always immediately sprang back into position.

On the back of the case is a built in kickstand that allows you to horizontally stand up your phone on you surface and have videos playing or a use it a picture frame with a slideshow, the choice is yours.

The Holster

The added bonus in the combo kit is the included ACTIVE holster.  Your phone and Seidio ACTIVE case easily slip into the holster by placing the bottom corners in the base of the holster and then pressing the top into place.  The top is secured by a spring loaded clip that forms perfectly around the top of your phone.  This clip can slightly catch as you are inserting your phone into the holster and you really need to hold the clip in its raised position while inserting.  If your phone is not quiet seated into the bottom of the case I found a couple of times where the front edge of the clip actually caught under the edge of the silicone case and lifted the case from the phone.  Only a minor issue and once your aware of this, you just make sure the bottom edge is seated properly subsequent times.

The holster is felt-lined and features a face-in design to protect your Samsung Galaxy Note when carried. A top spring-clip holds your device and lifts quickly for easy removal. Use the swivel belt clip to position your Samsung Galaxy Note in up to seven different directions.

Conclusion

The Seidio ACTIVE case has excellent build quality and the fit around your Samsung Galaxy Note is perfect.  With a couple of minor flaws, one of which is a personal preference, the case comes out in the top of the list for the Samsung Galaxy Note. Did it stay on my phone?  Unfortunately no it didn’t.  If it wasn’t for the shiny finish that made the device slide around too much for my liking, it may have stayed on my phone.  and while I really do like the holster approach when I’m working or visiting client sites in an industrial environment, it was just too big and frequently got in the way.  This is nothing to do with the Seidio ACTIVE case, this purely due to the size of the Galaxy Note.

The Case is very nice and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone.

You can purchase any of the Seidio Accessories directly form Seidio or search around the Internet and find them at some greatly reduced prices.