We get offered a lot of cases to test here at Ausdroid, and we often say no because most of you know what you like and don’t like, but this one caught my eye. Totallee offers a leather case (among others) for the Pixel 3. I had visions of the leather NFL football skin I put on my Nexus 6 back at the beginning of 2015 and really enjoyed, and eagerly said yes to the review unit.
Unfortunately Totallee’s leather case for the Pixel 3 XL was not of a football-based variety, but it was still a leather case nonetheless. Not long after the leather case arrived, some soft transparent plastic cases for the Pixel 3a XL also arrived.
My impressions
Holy hell these things are thin. That’s to be expected, even lauded for the transparent plastic cases but I the leather case took me by surprise. I had imagined a thick and poor quality leather case, and I was pleasantly surprised by both the quality and the depth of the leather. Better, the leather case added a pleasing amount of grip to the glass bodied phone.
The leather was very thin, and did not add much bulk to the phone at all. The leather is applied to a thin plastic shell giving it shape and allowing it to fit perfectly around the phone adding to the feeling of less bulk.
The plastic transparent case was a bit disappointing. Sure it was super thin, was fully transparent and fit extremely well but it looked exactly like every other transparent case out there. I’m not sure why you should go for Totallee’s thin transparent case over any other that you can buy for a buck or two from eBay.
Both cases had all the holes for ports in the correct place and nothing was missing, as you would hope for but there really is not much to say about a case. These cases are NOT heavy duty due to their thinness but are great for protection from day-to-day bumps and scratches.
Overall the cases are well-made from decent quality materials, while at the same time being easy on the eye.
How much are these thin cases?
The cases are of high quality – especially the leather case. They fit well and look good, but it’s difficult to recommend them for one reason – cost.
The transparent case (also available in a matte frosted clear or a black for the Pixel 3 and 3XL) will set you back US$29 (AU$42). The leather case, US$39 (AU$56). If you are also only buying one case you will pay another US$14 (AU$20) for shipping (there is free shipping if you spend over US$50, but you’ll only achieve that by spending at least US$60).
Most cases can be sent in a letter or small post pack, so the US$14 shipping price seems excessive. The cheapest of these cases will set you back AU$62.
At this stage for the Pixel 3a and 3a XL only the soft transparent case is available.
Along with the soft transparent case the leather case is available for the Pixel 3 and 3XL along with a matte black and matte clear hard plastic case. None are cheap.
So should you buy one?
While the Google fabric cases for these phones add more bulk to the Pixel phones, they come in at AU$59 so it is a hard sell for Totallee. The leather case could be considered as its a different finish to what we’re used to seeing, but with minimal coverage for bigger bumps and drops, it is a hard sell.
In the end you must really want a good leather case to purchase one of these cases. If you do want a good quality leather that isn’t too thick and fits well, look no further. Consider going in with a friend and buying two so you can get free shipping. For a transparent case, look elsewhere.
The MNML cases are better and cheaper
Yeah it would be nicer to have more textured leather. Love the pun in the title though!