UAG outfits my phone and tablet with Mil-Spec Scout and Scout Fol

Our next review comes from a company new to me, Urban Armor Gear, and they have provided me with their military spec cases for the iPhone 5/5s and the iPad­ mini. UAG is a Southern California based company that has the adventure seekers in mind when designing their lineup as all products provide a rugged and protective design to survive the bumps and falls a bare phone would not typically survive. Their composite cases offer multiple function protection via a hard outer shell teamed with an impact resistant core and an array of colors to also turn heads and stand out from saturated phone case market.

I will start with the Scout case for my iPhone and this case with fast and easy to put on and the first thing in which I noticed were the larger volume and lock button, making it easier to locate and press while the low profile case avoids adding too much bulk to an already slim phone. The corners are raised and the border also prevents the phones screen from resting flat on surface to help prevent superficial scratches to the screen. The design does a great job of providing a tactical look for enthusiasts and protection for the abusive phone users by way of a patent pending honeycomb design on the inside to increase protection over that of the more standard cases by making sure that each case meets military drop test standards. The Scout case is available now in a variety of seven colors for the price of $34.95.

Next up is the Scout Folio case for the iPad Mini and if you couldn't gather from the name, this gem sports a folio design that protects the screen when not in use and sturdily holds upright when in use. This case does include similar feature to the Scout phone case, such as the lightweight composite construction, large tactile buttons, impact resistant core, and meeting military drop standards. Where it does stand out is the design and materials in which it is wrapped in, as it has a soft hexagonal material that is easy to grip and prevents sliding. Like most folio cases out for the apple tablets, this does make use of a Smart Cover to preserve battery on top of protection and the cover also folds put to stand upright in landscape layout for watching, browsing and typing. The Scout Folio is available now in black for the price of $49.95.

I was impressed with the UAG lineup for my apple devices as the sported a tactical look, provided protection from the overly fragile devices, and an affordable price tag. Sure there were some nuances, mostly just the loose fit along the bottom of my phone, but the extreme heat of Arizona is usually the cause and the bulkiness of the cases. The Scout for the iPhone's added bulk wasn't too bad, but the Scout Folio really added some girth to the tablet. If you are a fan of tactically designed tech accessories but do not have an apple phone or tablet, worry not as UAG also has cases for a number of Samsung's devices and the HTC One.

Element Case outfits us with the Officially Licensed Ducatl linueup

My next review comes from one of my favorite case makers, Element Case, and this time around we have another collaboration, this time with a well-known exotic motorcycle manufacturer, Ducati. As a teenager, I was obsessed with Ducati's 996 and over the years the bikes have continually looked better. These sleek, subtle, and bold designs have been incorporated into accessories to protect recent apple devices. The items from the Ducati lineup that I received were the Solace case for the iPhone 5/5s, the red Vapor Dock for my phone, and the Soft-Tec case for the iPad Mini.

First up is the Solace case for my iPhone and for starters, the issue in which I had with the Hogue case is gone as there is no back plate to stick to the phone. The case wrapped my phone snugly in a strong polycarbonate shell and to give it that Ducati feel, the top and bottom are made up of anodized red aircraft aluminum crowns. This case is sexy as it is durable and if there were any one thing in which I did not like about this case, it would have to be the amount of time wiping smudges from the soft touch Ducati branded case. One of my favorite parts of getting sample units from Element Case are the cases that come with it, with Hogue there was the tactical holster and with the Solace, the contents included a Soft-Tec wallet case to ditch my wallet. The Solace Ducati Edition case is available now for $99.95.

Next in the Ducati lineup is the Soft-Tec folio case for my iPad Mini, which Element Case has also tailored to the Apple's other tablets. I had previously received the Soft-Tec Pro for the pint-sized tablet and it was a bit bulky, but this case uses a low profile shell to cut down on the girth. The inner lining is synthetic suede in a bright red to go with the Ducati logos pressed into the front and back of the case. The synthetic texture that wraps the outside makes the case easy to grip on the go and also prevents slippage when propped up on my desk or lap. Speaking of when the case is propped up, the hard-shell has a soft rubber feel that grips to the bright red suede at most any angles. The Soft-Tec Ducati Edition case for the iPad mini is available now for iPad Mini and Air for $79.95 and $89.95 for the iPad 2/3/4.

The last of the trifecta is the Vapor dock, an anodized red aluminum charging dock for the iPhone 5/5s. This sturdy dock is designed for the 8 pin Lightning charging cable with a cable management system on the bottom to give it a sleek cordless look depending in how you may have it set up on your desk. If you are someone that does not use a Bluetooth speaker but use your phone's internal speakers for sound, holes and air chambers have been machined into the dock to help amplify the sound from the phone. The thing that is great about this dock is it matches the Solace case perfectly and has a great snug fit so my phone doesn't wiggle at all while docked. The bad is the charge cable is screwed into the bottom of the case making it hard to remove to say, charge an iPad, and the black spacer easily falls out when moving the dock around making it easy to lose. The Vapor Dock is available now for the price of $99.95.

Element Case partners with Hogue for the ultimate tactical case

I like the rugged iphone cases that are built to take a beating, however I am not a big fan of all the bulk it takes to surround and protect, basically making a high tech device look like a child's toy. Element Case has not only shrunk the mold on rugged case, but also teamed up with some pretty big brands to expand their lineup. The case in which I received is in partnership with Hogue, a company known by military and law enforcement for their pistol grips. The Sector 5 Black Ops case comes packing a non-glare anodized aluminum case with hard corner links, an Attack Back Plate that includes the Hogue grip insert, and the Element Case Tactical Holster, so let’s see how it holds up.

First off, I love the look of the case and as someone that is a gun owner and enthusiast, it is just fitting that these two companies team up for a tactical case. The case in which I received was the Dark Earth color which still has not been scratched after two weeks of hard use. The included rash guards are nice and wrap around the phone so it is not scratched by the case and spare parts are included should you lose a screw or crack a corner. The look of the back plate was awesome as it had the machined G10 grip insert in which Hogue is known for and it also carries a low profile design to minimize bulk. The Tactical Holster is another subtle touch in which I really enjoyed as it fit on my belt or on my laptop bag and actually sported a tactical look.

Unfortunately, the main reason I wanted to check out this case is also the only issue I had with it as well. The Attack Back Plate is not locked into place by way of the aluminum bumper, it is a back piece that sticks to the phone and in my situation would stay on for an hour before beginning to peel up. Now, the actual Element Case is awesome with a minimal profile, easy grip design, protection, and massive curb appeal by limitless customization starting at $99.99. Even though I had an issue with the back piece, there are still two other Hogue branded cases, ION 5 Black Ops and Rogue Black Ops, both in which appear to not have a back plate that sticks to the back of the phone.