The Glide ~ Combines your Wallet and iPhone Case

I know you're going to think I'm crazy but I think man's greatest invention is denim. Seriously, think about it, denim has worked it's way into every modern society around the world. It's durable, comfortable, and stylish at the same time. It can be business casual but add some paint spots and then it's trendy. Heck, it can even pose as formal wear in the right circles, who doesn't love a Canadian tuxedo? There's not a doubt in my mind that everyone reading this has a favorite pair of jeans in their closet as we speak, unless of course you're like me and already wearing them. The only problem I ever face with my jeans is that they wear out, not in the knees or the heels, I can deal with that, but in the back pockets. I used to blame it on my George Castanza like wallet, but even when I went to a slimmer style and purged all of the loyalty cards I still found holes, bringing my jeans to premature deaths. SmrtCase has come to my rescue though with an amazing new case called the Glide which combines your wallet and iPhone case into one.

Actually let me rephrase that, the concept of the Glide is amazing, being able to carry up to two cards in your phone case is perfect for going out, especially for women who don't want to carry a purse or a pocketbook with them. "Amazing" is a bit of a stretch though when referring to the physical case itself. Don't get me wrong, it's a good case, but there are a few key drawbacks that keep it from reaching its full potential. Honestly I think SmrtCase put too much focus on making the case thin and lightweight that they actually took away from the overall product. The impact resistant polymer material used for the case is 100% recyclable, which is great but it's so lightweight that it feels almost cheap or brittle. To be fair I do think it's a misperception as I put the case through several impact tests and it withstood them all very well, but a little extra weight would oddly make me more comfortable.

Read on for the rest of our look at The Glide case

SmrtCase advertises the Glide to be capable of fitting up to two thicker cards (ID & Credit Card) comfortably together in the back slot.

The cards are secured in place by the pressure created by sandwiching them between the case and your iPhone, this method creates a few caveats. First, claiming that two cards fit comfortably is an over statement, placing both in at once causes the right side of the case to pull away from the phone's bezel giving the user unnecessary anxiety that the case may pop off at any random moment. Secondly, it's such a tight fit that both cards actually start to bow slightly which could ultimately warp your cards. This certainly isn't the end of the world but nonetheless it's annoying. Thirdly, this design has the cards making direct contact with the back of the phone instead of it being its own separate compartment which overtime could cause scratching. Fortunately SmrtCase foresaw this one and provides a protective sticker with each case. However, because of the tight fit and a need to keep it thin, the protective sticker is a much lower quality then the skins I'm used to seeing on the back of phones. Aside from the air bubbles which are impossible to eliminate, the sticker doesn't fully adhere to the phone around the curved edges. Neither of these facts matter much when the Glide is in place but it does eliminate your ability to quickly swap with other cases if desired. All of these pitfalls could be solved by giving just a little more space to the rear compartment. I realize this would add a little bulk to it but it's a term I'm willing to concede, given the alternative.

Enough nitpicking though, everything else with the case is pure perfection. I've literally gone the past week without carrying or missing my wallet. I know this may not be an option for everyone but I'm sure you could find some card you'd like quick access to, perhaps a bus/train pass, business cards, or Starbuck's rewards card, etc. This is still a pretty new design and I'm sure the 2nd generation is going to fix all of the little issues I pointed out above but in the meantime $30 seems like a fair price to save your jean's lives.

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