REVIEW – Let’s face it, phones are as slippery as they are expensive. But what do we do? We buy these fancy phones that make our wallets cry, only to cover them up with a bulky and ugly case to protect them. There has to be a better way right? That’s where CatTongue Grips come in. Let’s check them out and you can be sure that no actual cat tongues were harmed in the making of this review.

What is it?

CatTongue Grips are specially designed peel & stick sheets of material that add “gription” to the back of your phone.

Design and features

CatTongue Grips are available in a variety of colors and patterns and in two sizes, Kitty cat and Tom cat. As you probably can guess, the Kitty cat size is 2.25 x 4.00 inches for smaller phones, while the Tom cat size is 2.50 x 5.00 inches for larger phones.

I was sent 2 of the Kitty cat size grips in gray and a cool blue/green gradient.

For this review, I used my Huawei P30 Pro which is insanely slippery. So slippery in fact, that Huawei includes a clear case with the phone. I used this freebie case for a long time and then one day I decided to be daring and took it off because I don’t particularly like cases. Long story short, The caseless phone slipped out of my fingers and fell onto the concrete floor in my garage from about waist high (I’m 5’6″). Luckily the screen didn’t break, but the fall did scuff up two of the corners. Needless to say, the case went back on.

But then I was offered the CatTongue Grip and the case came back off again because I like to live dangerously (sorta).

Each CatTongue is a flexible soft almost quilted sheet of plastic.

Although you think it would be sticky like a cat’s tongue, it really isn’t. Instead, it reminds me of one of those bottle gripper thingies that helps you grab the top of a bottle to open it.

Installing the Grip on the back of your phone is as easy as you would imagine it would be. Just remove the protective sheet over the adhesive…

And press the CatTongue Grip to the back of the phone. Done!

I was sure that a product that has been designed to “stick” to surfaces would a magnet for all manner of dust, dirt, hair, and fluff, but I am happy to report that I was wrong in that assumption. I insert and remove my phone from pockets all day long and nothing at all is stuck to it.

The Grip isn’t very thick which can actually be a problem because it’s not thicker than the camera bump on the back of my phone. That means that the phone doesn’t always lay flat so that the full surface of the Grip comes in contact with the surface that it’s placed on.

Even so, I was able to drive with the phone on my dash as you can see above. Even driving over potholes didn’t dislodge it. I didn’t see if stopping suddenly would cause it to fall though. I don’t drive around with my phone on my dash, but I have found that the Grip does add just enough gription for me to pull the phone out of my pocket without me worrying that it’s going to slip from my fingers and fall on the ground.

What I like

• Easy to apply
• Adds grip without being a magnet for dirt

What I’d change

• Nothing

Final thoughts

This material is an interesting alternative to a case for people who don’t usually drop their devices. If you already use a case because you’re a clutz, I would not expect this product to change that and it should be obvious that it will not protect the corners or display of your phone if you do drop it on a hard surface. CatTongue Grips are easy to apply sheets of material that provide some extra grip to an otherwise super slippery device.

Price: $14.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by CatTongue Grips.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cases and Covers

CatTongue Grips non-slip phone grip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2019 at 1:26 pm.

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REVIEW – Looking for something unique in your next phone case? The Dairy may have you covered. They offer a whole range of unique case designs from artists around the world. And if you want to bring your own design like I did here, they’ll print it for you with a proprietary 3D printing process that embeds the design in the shell. It’s pretty neat. To the review!

What is it?

It’s a snap-on phone case that can be purchased with different unique designs, or you can bring your own.

Hardware specs

The Dairy has two styles of case, called Snap and Armored. The Snap case is a simple polycarbonate shell. Mine is the Armored case, which adds a TPU sleeve beneath the shell for extra protection.

Whether you choose a design from the site or bring your own, The Dairy uses a patented 3D printing technology to embed the design in the layers of polycarbonate for high resolution image quality and long-lasting endurance.

Design and features

I’m an artist and designer, so the products from The Dairy intrigued me right off the bat. They contract with artists and graphic designers around the world to create all kinds of interesting designs that you just don’t see on the street. Browse their web site and you’ll find everything from unique floral prints to graphic patterns and statement pieces.

Now if you prefer to create your own design, they offer a customization option that allows you to do your own thing. A set of pre-designed colors and backgrounds are available, to which you can add customized text. A preview mode and easy-to-use interface allows you to quickly tweak the design to your specifications.

But the thing that really intrigued me here was I could take one of my own designs and have it printed. So I uploaded one of my illustrations for testing using that “upload image” option to make it the background on the phone. I could have added text if I wanted, but I did the design to stand on it’s own. Check it out:

Here’s the really interesting thing about their printing process: this isn’t a sticker, or some sort of laser-printed top layer. It’s printed with a proprietary photo-quality 3D technology that embeds the artwork in the polycarbonate case. That means it won’t fade or scratch away over time. The result was truly stunning. You’ll see in the pictures below how the process captured every nuance and detail of my original illustration.

Now, all of this artsy goodness wouldn’t do without a phone case that actually works well, and The Dairy delivers here. Mine is the Armored case, which incorporates a TPU jacket with the polycarbonate sleeve for extra impact protection. Here’s a shot of that internal jacket:

The finished case is machined precisely for my iPhone XS Max. Here’s a shot showing the bottom ports:

The phone itself snaps snugly into place with a bit of an edge to protect the phone’s perimeter.

You’ll see that every port has that extra TPU jacketing too. Here’s the camera port:

The volume buttons are accommodated with TPU overlays that are integrated into the case, while the sound on/off switch is exposed. Functionality is crisp and precise right out of the box.

Here’s a super close-up of the printed work. I do my stuff in Procreate with a lot of digital painting & airbrushing effects. Check out how every shade and brush stroke is captured! You’ll get the same quality from the pre made designs or custom pieces. It’s really well finished.

Here’s the other cool bit: my finished custom phone case came in at a final price of $55. That’s pretty crazy given the quality of the finished piece!

What I like

• Excellent quality and finishing.
• Great selection of designs by artists worldwide.
• Ability to customize with a simple online interface, including your own images or artwork.

What I’d change

• Nothing that I see so far.

Final thoughts

I’ve been beating this case mercilessly for a month now, and I’m not seeing any obvious mars or scars. There are some scratches here and there (I did take it to the beach for a week), but nothing has negatively impacted the glossy finish. It’s really impressive for a simple iPhone case, especially one that you can rock with a unique design that represents your personal style. Highly recommended.

Price: Prices start at about $30 USD depending on phone style. My iPhone XS Max Armored case retails for about $55 USD.
Where to buy: Visit The Dairy Web Site.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by The Dairy.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cases and Covers

The Dairy Custom Phone Case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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