Cellet iPhone 4/4s belt clip review

During the 90’s, when cell phones were becoming all the rage, the belt clip for phones became a status symbol of sorts. Since phones started out so large that they wouldn’t fit in a pocket, clipping them to a belt (or hiding them in a fanny pack) was an acceptable way to transport them. Even today though, when a smart phone is thinner than a pack of cards and not much larger (in many cases), some people prefer to have their phone clipped to their belt. On cooler days when I wear jeans to work, I usually use a belt clip for my phone, since my work shirt has no pocket. That’s why I was excited to test out the Cellet Leather iPhone belt clip case from the folks at the Wireless Emporium.

Note: Images can be clicked or tapped for a larger version.

The Cellet case is a leather pocket case that is designed to stay on your belt or waistband, and you take the phone out of for use. The outside is a black smooth glove leather measuring 2.5″ x 4.5″ x .75″ The interior is a light brown leather of similar texture, and the case is stitched together with a single-needle top stitch. The edges where the two leathers meet are all folded under, giving a very smooth and well-finished appearance.

The front of the case closes with a magnetic snap button made of a silver polished metal. On the back are two different types of belt clips. One is sewn on and snaps on the top flap. The other snaps into a bracket that is sewn into the space between the sewn-in attachment strips. (See photo, below.)

The case is snug, and the iPhone will only fit in one way. When it first arrived, I tried putting my iPhone 4S in and was sure the case was not designed for the 4s, because my phone kept going into shutdown mode. This was because I had it turned so that the top (sleep/wake) button was being pressed by the side panels of the case. Once I flipped it over, things were just fine – except that it takes two hands to remove the phone from the case. The fit is really tight.

Also, since the Cellet is so form-fitting, no other case can be used on your iPhone. While some folks may like this, I’m not a fan. Plus, when it’s this hard to remove your device from the belt case, there’s a greater possibility that you’ll have it slip out of your grip.

I really wanted to love this case, but the combination of being so very tight with not letting me use a case was a deal breaker. If neither of these things matter to you, it may be just the thing.