It is a spanking New Year, and perhaps you made some New Year resolutions. If you made any promises to go green in 2011 Proporta has a case for you. It is made from recycled leather, and has got a bamboo sheet to protect the screen. Proporta goes all the way in creating an environmentally conscious case, and even the lining is biodegradable. Sadly they haven’t found any eco friendly closure mechanism such as a button or magnet. This might mean that just like most New Year resolutions the case won’t be remembered or honoured no matter how well thought out it was.
The Smart Recycled Leather case is based on the now classic Proporta three pronged flip case. It goes under many names, but to recap it is an open construction with strong holders keeping the phone in place. Having the two side holders, and the prong at the bottom is certainly enough to keep it secure for everyday use. The main benefit is that there is no intrusion whatsoever to the screen estate.
For protection this case has the entire back covered, and the top mounted flap covers the screen. Inside the flap a sheet of bamboo absorbs any impact, and disperses it safely. The flap, and back leather stick out enough to protect the sides and bottom of the phone from impact. There is however a lack of scratch protection if you have the phone in a pocket or bag with for example keys.
A major flaw in the design of this particular case is the lack of any kind of closure mechanism. The front flap isn’t held in place by itself, but rather extend away from the screen. There are at least three different methods Proporta could have used to get the case to close: magnets, buttons or simply a leather string around the case. Now the case ends up being a nuisance, as it wants to open all the time. This also means that the screen isn’t as protected as it should be given that the case has a flap.
The recycled leather is from cut-off material that has been compressed, and ironed back to usable shapes. It feels almost as good as un-recycled leather, and there is really only one thing that tells it truly apart: it wrinkles at the bend where the flap extends from the back. This is a minor complaint, and perhaps not even a complaint at all. It might be a nice way to remember the decision to go green by seeing the case age and wrinkle along with you.
I applaud Proporta, and their usage of recycled material, sustainable bamboo and biodegradable hessian lining for their Smart series of cases. Even the low key packaging using the bamboo sheet as a hanger for the stores is pure brilliance. All the information is found on that sheet of bamboo that you then insert in the case to protect the screen. No unnecessary plastic packaging at all.
With some slight alterations the Smart Recycled Leather case can turn into something I can fully recommend. The lack of closure mechanism makes it quite cumbersome, and unpractical. It is however a decent case, and a good gift to those who want to go green.
Final Rating
Proporta Smart Recycled Leather Case at Proporta.co.uk £29.95
