Last week I received a package in the mail – it was my new tan suede phone case from The Snugg. Last time, I reviewed one of their iPad cases, which to date is still going strong. There are a few dirty scuffs on the inside but other than that, it’s protected my iPad very well.

I bought my white iPhone 5c last September, after I had my previous iPhone for about a year. The reason I chose the 5c was because of its price and design. Affordable, simple, not too clunky, and a very smooth design. I disliked the blockiness of the iPhone 4S even though I got used to it after a while.

I didn’t use a case for the phone for the first few months. I had a watermelon purse which fit my iPhone quite snugly, and I used that as a pouch for my phone. When I went to Japan I decided to look for some phone cases. I had looked on eBay, but I wasn’t too sure about buying cheap cases that I couldn’t physically hold and feel before I spent my money on them. Before trying the Snugg phone pouch, I had been switching between a slim plastic one with a Japanese pattern on it, and three brightly-coloured soft plastic “jelly” ones.

I decided to try the Pouch Case in Tan Suede (and not the other designs) because I had never used a phone pouch before. I wasn’t too sure if I would like it. I generally don’t like taking my phone out of a pouch to be able to use it. When I answer calls or reply to messages, it seems quicker to be able to just pull it out of my pocket.

It was hard choosing between the red, yellow and tan colours – I wanted to choose red because it is my favourite colour, but I wasn’t too sure how it would look on a leather pouch, and I already have two red phone cases anyway. I wasn’t too sure the yellow would look good either, so I went with tan because it was a neutral colour.

When the phone case arrived I immediately noticed that the base of the phone would be at the bottom where the holes were. I didn’t like this idea, because I usually like to put a phone charm in the headphone jack, which is at the base of my phone. No worries, though, I decided to put my phone in the other way. It fit perfectly fine!

The case is a really snug fit. I like the elastic tab on the back. It is a small feature, but quite a smart one. You don’t really want to be shoving your fingers into your phone case at the edges, struggling to pull it out. The tab means that you can just pull it, and enough of your phone is pulled out of the case so you can easily take it out.

I have used the card slot for my multi-ticket, which comes in handy because I don’t have to keep reaching for my wallet every time I hop on a bus, train or light rail. It makes things a little bit easier because I usually catch all three modes of transport at least once a day. Often, my skirts won’t have pockets, so my wallet will be in my bag and slightly out of reach. The slot is definitely handy. I tried a regular plastic card, and it fit nicely, but I couldn’t simply slide it out. I have to hold the card between two fingers if I want to pull it out. Regardless, it is a nice feature.

I have used the case for a week and I am quite happy with it. I actually think that using it upside down, as I have been, and pulling it down instead of up and out, is a better idea. Most of the time when one pulls out their phone, they press the button/s at the bottom of the phone.

I don’t really like that the suede catches dirt easily, but at the same time it doesn’t look too bad. The case is very sturdy and tough, and overall I am happy with it.

I may not like pouch cases as much as other cases, but I have no huge complaints about this one other than the material. Suede picks up dirt easily anyway. I may slightly regret choosing a suede case, but it feels nice and I guess it looks alright on a tan-coloured case. I might have been really disappointed if it was a lighter coloured case.