It’s not often that I pick up an accessory and wonder why it exists. But here I sit holding the new holster from TekSkins thinking that they shouldn’t have bothered. Don’t get me wrong, I have their Horizontal Organizer and think it’s great. The new holster is meant to be universal: made to fit most any cell phone, mp3 players, and small cameras. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it looks – like an attempt to appeal to everyone and results in appealing to no one. There is little to distinguish it from a dozen other mini holsters available to fit “every phone.”

It seems to be made well. The leather is soft, the stitching heavy and even. The non-detachable belt clip rotates 360 degrees and is solid. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a fan of the one piece belt clip. I prefer a spring clip if I’m going to use one at all, so that I know it’s not going to slide up and come off my belt.

Three wide bands of elastic separate two pieces of felt-lined leather to form the holster. Nothing goes over the top of your device, so there is nothing to prevent it from falling out. The top of a Treo sticks out the top, so it would offer some protection if the entire holster falls off your belt, but not much. The holster will hold a Treo or a Tilt nice and tight in case the whole thing slips off your belt, but due to thickness, phones like the Centro or even the BlackJack are more likely to pop out. The elastic sides don’t cover the length of your device, so that leaves more exposed surface. The good news here, is that you can easily access the volume rocker on a Treo, and at least the up button on the Centro.

The sole unique feature of the Tek Holster is the front pocket, designed to hold either a Bluetooth or wired headset. It’s not quite wide enough for a credit card, but you might want to use it for a dollar bill or two. Due to the design of the elastic front of the pocket, it does hold a headphone securely.

In summary, if you are the kind of person who switches phones a lot, this could be a great solution. But if you’re looking for something that offers more protection or perhaps custom fit to your phone, this isn’t it.

Filed under: Accessory reviews