Case review: dbrand Grip for Pixel 5

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Deleted member 739586

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Disclaimer: This review was neither sponsored, nor did I recieve any personal discounts. My personal opinion about this product is unbiased.

Pricing
dbrand lists the case with a skin for 39.90 USD. I applied a newsletter subsription and paid 35.91 USD. No shipping fees were charged.

Delivery
The case was shipped from Canada to Germany in about 12 days and a tracking code. Although I thought that sales taxes would apply and be collected by the customs, the package had a "customs free" sticker on it and no taxes were charged. I dunno why but I do not complain. :)

Pictures




Retail box
The retail box is a gem. I took some shots of it so you see what I mean. It contributes nicely to the product and makes you feel having purchased something precious. Nicely done, robots!

Assembly
If you purchased a skin with the case, you have to bring it up to the case first. If you watch and follow the video guide, this is fairly easy and led to a perfect result for me.

Build quality / Durability / Looks
For my last 5 phones, I used SPECK cases and therefore was used to bulky cases. In comparison, this case feels lighter and even slim. It sure is a good amount bulkier than typical "slim case" but it comes with a decent amount of drop protection. Thanks to the Pixel 5 being a compact phone, it still can be held with one hand in a comfortable manner when wearing the case.

The edges feature a slighly nobby texture that feels just great and should also prevent accidential slips. The texture of the Matrix skin looks dope.

All in all, this case looks high-class and also provides nice haptics. In my eys, it is worth the money.

Protection
The case feels sturdy and protective. I am confident that my Pixel 5 will survive some serious drops with it.

The lip on the frontside has the signature curve: Thick at top and bottom, flush at the sides. This makes the back-swipe gesture a breeze while still preventing screen contact when placed on flat surfaces. I am a bit unsure wether this will lead to trouble with face-down falls on uneven surfaces, but I assume that a evenly formed lid might not perform much better in this scenario.

Fitting / Cutouts / Buttons
The case fits like a glove. The buttons are super clicky and it's a joy to use them. The cutouts are precise and the port cutout should be big enough to provide space for most cables.

Unfortunately, the fingerprint cutout is rather small. This makes the "swipe down for notifications" gesture definitely harder to use although it still works. For me, this is not a show stopper but it might be for people with fat huge fingers. I just wish that dbrand would have made the cutout a little bit bigger since this is my only point of criticism with this case.

Durability
If you search the internet about the dbrand Grip cases, you will stumble upon many stories where the cases fell apart. Then I found this thread, where dbrand gave a comprehensive explaination why this happened and which counter measures were taken. This case is the latest generation and comes with all the described improvents. Only time will tell wether this case will hold up better.

Verdict
I highly recommend the drand Grip case for the Google Pixel 5: It looks and feels great, provides good protection without adding too much bulk. The customizablity with new skins is unique and might tempt you to spend more money. This being said: If you have huge fingers, the fingerprint cutout might be too small for you. I am confident that this case will not fall apart (or dbrand being obliging if it does).
 
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dragos281993

Recognized Contributor
Mar 29, 2014
2,941
4,078
Iasi
Could you please take a picture from the top with the screen on and with a white background on (you could go to the settings or anywhere else that shows the entire screen from edge to edge)? I would give an idea of how much bulk it adds to the phone.
I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
 
D

Deleted member 739586

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Could you please take a picture from the top with the screen on and with a white background on (you could go to the settings or anywhere else that shows the entire screen from edge to edge)? I would give an idea of how much bulk it adds to the phone.
I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Here you are:
20201215_202041~2.jpg
 

Vio281

Senior Member
May 14, 2020
233
56
you gotta be out of your damn mind to pay for this...Ringke case, 12 bucks, owned, tested (not intentional) and it even got a cool Lanyard loop.
 

boombeef

New member
Aug 7, 2010
3
0
One of long term video reviews showed edges warping near cutout and buttons. How is it holding up so far? Price gives me a reason to pause even with the super 'grip" edges.
 
D

Deleted member 739586

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After using it every day, it is still in mint condition.
 

Macsloth

New member
Feb 23, 2019
3
1
Thanks for the really good review. Just one point to clarify: can you please confirm that the back of the base (not just the side bumper) also has a grippy texture? If you put it on your pant leg when sitting, for example, will it slide off easily?
 

dillionzachery

New member
Aug 21, 2021
1
0
If you're looking at phone cases to protect your phone's screen, you need to check out one of the screen guards. Screen protectors are becoming more advanced as the years go by. Some are built right in, some you have to put on separately. Either way, these are the best ways to make sure that your screen is safe. How can I make my phone case grippier?

You should also make sure that the cases you're looking at are anti-skid. This means that the case doesn't just slip over the phone, but stays put instead. If your phone slips out of the case, it will stop the phone from sliding all over the place. How can I make my phone case grippier? Start looking for cases with anti-skid features!

Another question you may be asking yourself is how can I make my phone case grippy if the material is hard and doesn't let the phone slide all over? Well, this is another problem that many phone cases have. So many cases are made of extremely hard materials that it's nearly impossible to slide your phone in and out. But luckily, there are some great soft cases available that are great at preventing your phone from sliding around.
 

YorikR32

Member
Sep 28, 2007
27
2
Western Australia
I've been rocking this phone case for over a year. Just ordered the Leather skin insert from D Brand drop and a matte black skin as well. I've had the tear down on it for the year. The case is quite nice and offers good protection. The cut outs make it easy to use gesture controls.
 
D

Deleted member 739586

Guest
Durability
If you search the internet about the dbrand Grip cases, you will stumble upon many stories where the cases fell apart. Then I found this thread, where dbrand gave a comprehensive explaination why this happened and which counter measures were taken. This case is the latest generation and comes with all the described improvents. Only time will tell wether this case will hold up better.
After over a year of frequent use, I switched to an Google Pixel 6 Pro and therefore also sent this case to rest. Time for a wrap up on durability!

Unlike older generations, my case stood the test of time. The rubber did not separate from the plastic and even after some serious drops on concrete, the case is still in mint condition.

Only the skin foil started to get loose around the fingerprint scanner which led to strange haptics when you remove the finger from the scanner (since the foil will move a millimeter with with your finger). A new skin will surely fix this and so would some glue.

Guess what? I already pre-ordered this case for my new Pixel 6 Pro!
 
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    D
    Deleted member 739586
    Disclaimer: This review was neither sponsored, nor did I recieve any personal discounts. My personal opinion about this product is unbiased.

    Pricing
    dbrand lists the case with a skin for 39.90 USD. I applied a newsletter subsription and paid 35.91 USD. No shipping fees were charged.

    Delivery
    The case was shipped from Canada to Germany in about 12 days and a tracking code. Although I thought that sales taxes would apply and be collected by the customs, the package had a "customs free" sticker on it and no taxes were charged. I dunno why but I do not complain. :)

    Pictures




    Retail box
    The retail box is a gem. I took some shots of it so you see what I mean. It contributes nicely to the product and makes you feel having purchased something precious. Nicely done, robots!

    Assembly
    If you purchased a skin with the case, you have to bring it up to the case first. If you watch and follow the video guide, this is fairly easy and led to a perfect result for me.

    Build quality / Durability / Looks
    For my last 5 phones, I used SPECK cases and therefore was used to bulky cases. In comparison, this case feels lighter and even slim. It sure is a good amount bulkier than typical "slim case" but it comes with a decent amount of drop protection. Thanks to the Pixel 5 being a compact phone, it still can be held with one hand in a comfortable manner when wearing the case.

    The edges feature a slighly nobby texture that feels just great and should also prevent accidential slips. The texture of the Matrix skin looks dope.

    All in all, this case looks high-class and also provides nice haptics. In my eys, it is worth the money.

    Protection
    The case feels sturdy and protective. I am confident that my Pixel 5 will survive some serious drops with it.

    The lip on the frontside has the signature curve: Thick at top and bottom, flush at the sides. This makes the back-swipe gesture a breeze while still preventing screen contact when placed on flat surfaces. I am a bit unsure wether this will lead to trouble with face-down falls on uneven surfaces, but I assume that a evenly formed lid might not perform much better in this scenario.

    Fitting / Cutouts / Buttons
    The case fits like a glove. The buttons are super clicky and it's a joy to use them. The cutouts are precise and the port cutout should be big enough to provide space for most cables.

    Unfortunately, the fingerprint cutout is rather small. This makes the "swipe down for notifications" gesture definitely harder to use although it still works. For me, this is not a show stopper but it might be for people with fat huge fingers. I just wish that dbrand would have made the cutout a little bit bigger since this is my only point of criticism with this case.

    Durability
    If you search the internet about the dbrand Grip cases, you will stumble upon many stories where the cases fell apart. Then I found this thread, where dbrand gave a comprehensive explaination why this happened and which counter measures were taken. This case is the latest generation and comes with all the described improvents. Only time will tell wether this case will hold up better.

    Verdict
    I highly recommend the drand Grip case for the Google Pixel 5: It looks and feels great, provides good protection without adding too much bulk. The customizablity with new skins is unique and might tempt you to spend more money. This being said: If you have huge fingers, the fingerprint cutout might be too small for you. I am confident that this case will not fall apart (or dbrand being obliging if it does).
    3
    D
    Deleted member 739586
    Could you please take a picture from the top with the screen on and with a white background on (you could go to the settings or anywhere else that shows the entire screen from edge to edge)? I would give an idea of how much bulk it adds to the phone.
    I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

    Here you are:
    20201215_202041~2.jpg
    1
    D
    Deleted member 739586
    does the Wireless Charger work on pixel+case?
    Yes, I use an Anker PowerWave Alloy and wireless quick charging works flawlessly.