Review : Pelican Phone Case (The Shield)

Unlike my “new gear” post, this is actually going to be a review……sort of, well more of a cautionary rant, It started when I not only switched to a new phone carrier, but I upgraded to the new iPhone 12 Pro Max as well, so with a new phone comes a new case to help protect it. Right?

First off I’ve used Otterbox Defender cases for years without a hitch, well maybe replacing pieces from normal wear and tear over a long period of time.

This time I decided to try a new case for my new phone; enter the Pelican Shield. To put it bluntly, the case failed me in less than 14 days after purchase. it literally (my phone) slid down my leg with pieces of the belt clip laying nearby. The shell of the case actually did protect the phone when it hit the floor, but the belt clip was in 3 pieces, something you wouldn’t expect from a trusted brand like Pelican let alone a $70 case. Trust me, just because it cost a little more doesn’t make it better.

The thing that was most disheartening about the Pelican Shield, was Pelican allows their name to be marketed to sell this case, the company that actually puts out this case is called Case-Mate; never heard of them till I put in a claim for this case, which was a $7 processing fee for the replacement. I’ve used Pelican cases for my photo gear, and it’s one tough brand to beat. But if Pelican has licensed their name for this poorly made case, for shame. I have since taken the Pelican Sheild back for a full refund and since gone back to Otterbox, and couldn’t be happier.

Footnote, from what I have gathered from my very short experience with this Case-Mate product? their customer service was quick to reply to my claim, but that still doesn’t make the case any better, especially when I thought of having to keep throwing money at this for replacement and the “what if’s” in life, such as what if I was at a restaurant and this happened and I was unaware my phone was hitting on my seat after the clip broke? what if I was on a walking trail and the phone dislodged from the inferior clip of this brand? I can go on and on, but I won’t. Cause in either scenario I would have been unaware and without a phone. Yea, what if.