Recently, vajacases.com was kind enough to send us 2 cases for a few of the 8700's we have here at CrackBerry.com.
I had been browsing Vaja's selection of products for some time now, so when I heard cases were on the way, I was quite excited!
When they arrived, the first thing I noticed of course was the great packaging! A very nice box, very professional... But lets get into the good stuff... We're just going to throw the box away anyway, right?
Both of the cases we received were the 'Classic' model. Out of the box you could tell that these cases were a quality product. One came with vaja's patented 'ultra clip', and one came without. (Vaja also has 3 other models for the 8700, but I'll touch on those a little bit later...)
The ultra-clip is quite nice for those of you that like wearing your berry on your belt/pants/pocket. To use it, you first attach the clip portion to your pants... Then, turn your berry to a 90 degree angle to the clip, slide it on, turn it back another 90 degrees and it clips in, sound and secure. I had no problems with my berry coming out of the case. To unclip it, you have to push in a button on the clip portion, turn your berry 90 degrees and slide it out! Make sense? If not don't worry about it, if you get one you'll figure it out... It's easy :)
The quality of workmanship on the cases is amazing. You can tell Vaja put a great deal of care into making each of these cases. The stitching is tight and there are no loose ends... Plus, the smell of the leather is great too :)
I preferred the look of the black case with my dark blue 8700... The lighter browny green of the case with the ultra clip didn't go quite as well together. However, I did appreciate the ultra clip. I'm kind of torn as to which one I'd prefer to use on a regular basis.
The inner lining of each case is soft and supportive so as not to scratch your BlackBerry. I liked the 'vaja' logo detail on the inside. A cool touch.
Cooler yet... Vaja offers a customization feature on their site called 'Choice'. Basically, 'Choice' lets you customize the color, style of leather, clip or no clip... It even gives you the option to have text or an image lasered on to the back of your case! Customized orders do take a little longer to manufacture, as the case will have to be made once you process the order. But if you're looking for a truly custom case this is a great option!
If you're looking for a quality case that will last a LONG time, I'd recommend Vaja. The classic cases we reviewed come in at $60 each. A bit more than most cases out there... But it is a quality, hand-made product. You get what you pay for.
In all, Vaja offers 4 cases for the 8700 series. The Balance , the Classic (with a flip top), the Normal Classic, and the Classic Pouch.
To check out all cases available for the 8700c and 8700r, click here.
Again, a very special thanks to Fabian and everyone at Vaja for sending us the product for review.
