Review: Seidio Rubberized Treo 680 Holster
If you are a new Treo 680 owner, you are probably in search of the best way to keep your Treo with you at all times - and that means getting some sort of case. There are many types and brands of cases. However, if you like the idea of being able to easily access your Treo without keeping it in a bulky case, then the Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Holster might be just what you are looking for.
There are actually two versions of this case, one for unskinned Treos and another for skinned Treos. For this review I’ve focused on the holster for unskinned Treos.
As the name suggests, what makes the Seidio Rubberized Holster special is the coating of black rubberized plastic. This material has a soft texture which feels really nice to the touch and should do a good job of protecting your Treo from getting scratched by the holster as you insert and remove your Treo.
The inside of the holster, the part that faces the Treo’s screen, is covered by a soft black felt-like material, and the clip that holds your Treo in the holster has a rubber “bumper” that provides additional protection in an area that has the most potential to rub against the surface of your Treo.
One of the things I really like about this holster is the low profile of the belt clip which helps to keep the holster and your Treo closer to your hip. This not only looks better than a holster that sticks further out, but it also reduces the amount of jiggling the case does as you walk around, thus decreasing the chance the holster will catch on something.
To insert the Treo into the holster, just stick the bottom of the Treo into the bottom of the holster and then press the top of the Treo towards the holster. The clip will move up and then snap tight over your Treo once it is fully inserted. If you rotate the holster 90 degrees so it is horizontal you can also use your finger to push back the clip as you insert the Treo into the holster so there is less friction.
I should also point out that, unlike the Treo 650 and 700 which have the SD card slot on the top of the Treo where it can catch on a holster’s retaining clip, the top edge of the Treo 680 is mostly smooth and only has the ring/vibrate switch. This makes it easy to insert and remove the Treo 680 from the holster. The only problem I found was that if the Treo was pushed from the side in just the right way, it would sometimes move the ring/vibrate switch to the other position.
Conclusion
I’ve always liked holster cases for their slimness and the quick access they provide to my Treo. If you are looking for a holster case for you Treo 680, then the Seidio Rubberized Holster should be at the top of your list. It is both well designed and constructed of quality materials that feel great to the touch.
Pros
- A great low-profile holster for the Treo 680
- Rubberized texture feels really nice to the touch
- Belt clip is solid and keeps your Treo firmly attached to your hip
Cons
- Like all holster cases, it is possible for the Treo to accidentally get knocked out of the holster if pushed hard enough from the side or if something catches on the retaining clip
- If your Treo gets bumped around a lot while in the holster, the retaining clip can sometimes cause the ring/vibrate switch on the top of the Treo 680 to move to the other position.
Tested using Treo 680.
Related Links
Buy Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Holster for Unskinned Treo 680
Buy Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Holster for Skinned Treo 680
Filed under: Accessory reviews
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I have owned this holster for a month now and i am happy with it.. however the one thing that bothers me about it is how easily the top clip lets go of my phone, allowing it to fall out unskinned, unprotected. This has happend to me 5 times in the month i have owned it, i have dropped my brand new treo on floors, mud, and just recently tar.. . i blame the holster since it seems like my treo just shoots out of my holster every time the clip is barely touched by my coat or anything i am carrying, they need to make it so it holds onto the treo better because it is very easy to knock out your treo. Other than this problem it is a great design and i really like the soft material that the face of the treo touches in the holster. Just make sure you have a protection plan if you are not going to use a rubber band to hold the phone in…
jek3:
I have to admit this is always a concern for me when using a holster and unskinned Treo, but I haven’t had the problems you mentioned.
I’m curious where your holster sits on your belt. I tend to keep the holster located between my hip and my back rather than on the outside part of my hip so it is less likely to catch on things like doorways or when getting in/out of a car. I did have a few close calls where my Treo almost popped out of the holster because my shirt or jacket had been caught between the Treo and holster when I inserted the Treo, but fortunately I noticed that the Treo didn’t feel quite right going into the holster. Now I do a quick “perimeter check” after inserting the Treo in the holster to make sure it is firmly seated.
I’m also looking at the possibility of getting the holster that will hold the skinned Treo so I can get the best of both worlds. My only concern is that it might add more bulk than I want because I really like how closely the unskinned Treo and holster sit next to my hip compared to other cases and holsters.
I carry the holster directly on my side, which could be why it keeps coming loose when getting out of my truck.. I really like this holster, but i can’t get past how my treo just falls out when the clip gets caught on something. I am using a seidio extended battery also so if i was to get a skin for my treo it would have to fit the extended battery to, resulting in a very thick treo… So i am looking toward maybe a leather flip or a holster that will hold the skinned, extended 680 haha. Anyways, good write-up.. this is a great product that i will most likely continue to use but i am definently going to try clipping it somewhere else on my belt, thanks for the advice. :)
Is there one that will work with the 700p?
I agree. Mine falls out very often. I had to replace my phone because the “vibrate” stopped working.
I bought this clip on eBay for around $8 — and even at that price, it was a terrible waste of money. Try this: put the phone in the clip, and then press straight down on the top of the phone. The phone pushes right out the bottom of the clip. Sorry, but my phone is too important to me to drop it on concrete several times per day. The clip isn’t worth getting for free if it puts the phone at such risk. I switched to a leather case with a mag latch. It’s not as quick to get out, but at least the phone has NEVER fallen out of that.
jek3,
I can’t understand why you keep saying you’re happy with the holster when it results in your phone dropping all the time. How can you say that it’s a “great product” when it’s very nearly destroyed your very expensive phone? Your “endorsement” of it alone convinced me not to get one. A friendly recommendation: get rid of that piece of crap and save your Treo.
Seidio made a holster case that instead of having a tensioned clip at the top consisted of a molded plastic spot that clipped on the top right of your Treo as you looked at. I misplaced that holster and bought the one mentioned in this review. Complete disaster. My phone fell out 5-6 times, including once on the beach at midnight and finally finishing in the bottom of a swimming pool. It also almost cost me an SD card, as the clip knocked up against the SD card when removing the phone. I like Seidio products, but this one is a disaster. It looks like they don’t carry the case I like anymore, but I was able to pick it up on Ebay about a month ago. It holds so tight that there is some discoloration on the plastic of the case, but at least the phone is safe.
empiredevil:
The holster I reviewed is for the Treo 680 which has the SD card on the side, so there is no way the clip on this holster can hit the SD cards slot unless you are using it with a Treo 650 or 700p, for which it is not designed to be used with.
So I’m pretty sure either you aren’t talking about this specific holster or you were using the wrong holster for your Treo.
Arcie:
I tried what you described and no matter which direction I push the top of my Treo (towards my hip, sideways or away from my hip) it doesn’t pop out (unless I push REALLY hard).
I’m thinking that maybe you may be talking about a different holster or are using a Treo other than the 680 with this holster. Or it is possible that you received a defective unit.
All I know for sure is that this holster holds my Treo very securely…as long as I make sure to insert it correctly. There have been a couple of times when I didn’t insert it properly, but I always do a quick check with my hand around the corners to make sure it is properly seated in the holster before I let it go and as able to reseat it before it fell out.