Incase’s Suede Pull Sleeve for iPhone 4/4S ($50) is one of those examples of a product with a name that tidily sums up the whole concept in just a few words. Available in three unusual color combinations — blue on black, yellow on grey, or pink on red, with all of the accent colors in bright, neon variations — it’s made from nice pieces of real suede sewn to a colorful plastic rail that runs along the bottom, left, and right edges. A magnetic flap secures the iPhone in place, and is attached to a ribbon that doubles as a way to lift the device out with a simple pull.
The back has a pocket for up to three credit cards.
Like most sleeves, Incase’s does a good job of protecting the iPhone while not in use, but does very little when you actually need to use the device. Here, the bottom, left, and right edges are covered while the top is mostly exposed. Some cases of this style allow you to access the iPhone’s side switch, take a speakerphone call, or charge by connecting a cable to the bottom, but this one doesn’t.
The pull tab is the only real active feature here, and works well, making it much easier to remove the phone.
Suede Pull Sleeve was a polarizing design around our offices. Two of our editors quite liked the execution—though neither particularly likes or prefers to use sleeves, and wouldn’t pay $50 for one—while a third didn’t like the design, the colors, or the pricing. Not only is it significantly more expensive than most full cases, but at the end of the day, it’s just a sleeve.
