We've already introduced you to the EcoLife Elements Side and Top case. Ecolife produces a quality constructed case made from recycled materials. Along with the Elements Case, they also offer the Vitalit Case.

The Vitalit Case is a horizontal case made the same PET recycled material (recycled water bottles) that reminds me of cordura. While I'm partial to leather cases, I've been using the Ecolife cases for the past few months and have found them to be durable, comfortable and easy on the pocket book ($22.95).

Ease on past the break to read more on the Ecolife Vitalit, a few inherit problems, and possible solutions to make this case work with your Touch Pro 2/Tilt 2.

Construction

The Ecolife Vitalit shares the same quality construction as the Element Case line. The PET Material is a firm, cordura-like fabric that has just enough flexibility to make it work. The interior is lined with a felt-like material to help prevent scratches.

A large clip is mounted to the back of the case that is lined with the PET material. The wider size helps keep the case in place on your belt.

The key design difference in the Vitalit and Elements case is that the magnetic flap is cut at an angle and is secure by a single magnet on the Vitalit. The Elements flap is larger and is held in place by two magnets. One magnet or two, the Vitalit's flap holds things in place nicely.

Magnets

The Ecolife cases are "blackberry ready" in that there are magnets sewn into the lining to activate standby features on Blackberry devices. The problem this can create with the Touch Pro 2 is that these magnets can interact with the internal magnets on the Touch Pro 2 that are used to wake the device up when you extend the keyboard or extract the stylus. It's simply a case of magnets being magnets and not an exclusive problem to the Ecolife cases.

While you can use the Vitalit with other devices (Samsung Omnia II, Touch Diamond 2, AT&T Pure) the case fits the Touch Pro 2 extremely well. You can minimize the time it takes for the screen to go to sleep to reduce the impact of the magnets or you can install a simple .cab file or tweak the registry to disable this feature.

Performance

The Vitalit is cut thin to match the width of the phone extremely well. The Tilt2 rides close to the hip and doesn't feel bulky at all.

I'm on my fourth month using the Elements case and can see very little if any wear on the case. With the Vitalit sharing the same quality construction, it should share the same durability.

Overall Impression

If you're looking for a long lasting, comfortable, economical case the Vitalit may just be up your alley. The one caveat that is present is the magnet issue with the Touch Pro 2. There is a solution to this problem but in doing so, you disable the slide to wake features.

Elements or Vitalit? It all boils down to personal preference on design. The Vitalit seems to stand out a little more but it's truly a subjective measure.

If you can live without the slide to wake feature on the keyboard or stylus, then you will be hard pressed to find a better case for your Touch Pro 2 or Tilt2 Windows Phone.

At the beginning of the year I reviewed Seidio's Super Slim Hard Case for the Mogul, followed by a review of Seidio's Clip Holster for the Mogul a month later. After 9 months, I am still using both. The challenge with that is that these two do not work together. To answer this Seidio does have a clip holster that will hold a Mogul with their Super Slim Hard Case. Seidio calls it Hold n Store Crystal/Rubberized Case Holster for the Mogul.

I am going to take a look to see if these two items can work well enough together to gain my trust to hold my phone securely without any fear of it falling out of the holster. Read on to see what I have found.

Build Quality

First of all, the quality of build is nearly identical to the original clip to be used with a phone without the hard case. It is a hard plastic that is all but unbreakable under any imaginable normal circumstance. It has soft felt on the inside to protect your screen from getting any scratches while holstered. The top arm that secures the phone in place is firm yet easy enough to move to make it easy to secure and remove the phone from the holster. The belt clip has 6 locking angles so you can have your phone on either side of you or at virtually any angle you could want.

Everyday Use

There are two factors I look at in a case. Ease of use, and how securely it holds my phone. I will look at how securely it holds the phone first. With Seidio's Super Slim Hard Case on the phone, it snaps into the holster very securely. Seidio has obviously taken time to make sure that they fit together perfectly. Once snapped into the holster, the phone is secure with little fear of it falling out. The only word of caution is to make sure that the arm that secures the phone is facing in the direction you are walking. That way if you bump into something, it pushes the arm against the phone. If the arm is facing the other way, you could bump into something just right and that might push the arm up just enough to release the phone. This is not a design flaw, but a bit of advice of common sense when using a clip style holster of any kind.

The Seidio Crystal/Rubberized Case Holster is very easy to use. To put the phone in the holster, simply put the back of the phone in the holster and put the top against the arm, which easily gives way until the phone is snapped securely into place. The to release the phone, simply lift the arm enough to pull the phone out. This is easily a one handed operation that after two or three tries will be automatic without a second thought when doing it. Just watch out if you are wearing a shirt that goes below your belt as it can sometimes get caught between the holster and the phone when mounting the phone in the holster.

I gave Seidio's Super Slim Hard Case for the Mogul and Seidio's Clip Holster for the Mogul 5 stars when I reviewed them individually, and I cannot help but wish I could give them one more for how well they have integrated the two together!

SPECIAL NOTE: Please be very careful when purchasing the Seidio holster as one is for use only without the hard case and one is to be used only with the hard case.

Smartphone Experts has cranked out some really good cases for phones lately. The SPE cases are not only well made but offered at a competitive price. One of their newest products is the SmartPhone Experts Leather Hardcase for the Treo 750 ($29.95).

To see how the SPE Leather Hardcase measures up, read on!

The SPE Leather Hardcase is a leather wrapped, hard shell, slip case. SPE offers the case in five colors; black, graphite, crimson, copper and arctic. It is designed to have the phone slip down into the case with cutouts to the side to expose buttons, memory card slots, along with a cut out for the charging/sync port and camera. The case comes with a removable post (essentially a screw) that can be attached to a belt clip.

The case is designed for the Treo 750 but will accommodate other Treo models such as the 680. A leather skin is stretched and wrapped around a hard plastic shell. The stitching on the leather is done really well and I could not see any loose stitching or fraying. The interior of the hard case is lined with a soft, felt type lining.

The hardcase fits snug and is cut really well for the Treo. It adds a little bulk to the phone but not enough to be an issue. Removing the phone is a little challenging but that just reassures me that the case is securely around the phone. It does offer a good bit of protection from bumps and scrapes. My only concern with construction is that the leather may be prone to scratches and with the lighter colors, the case tends to show dirt a little quicker than the darker leather cases.

I like the fact that you can remove the belt clip post to make it more comfortable for pocket carry. Wearing the case on your belt is comfortable. The post sits securely in the belt clip but the clip swivels a little too loosely for my tastes. When carrying it on the belt it rides with the screen out, not an ideal way to carry the phone.

Overall Impression

The SmartPhone Experts Leather Hardcase for the Treo 750 ($29.95) is a strong reflection of the quality found in SPE products. The phone fits securely in the case, enjoying a moderate level of protection. If belt carry isnt your style, you can remove the post and it makes for a good pocket carry case or protection for briefcase/purse/backpack carry.

The only drawback is that for belt carry you have to be careful in that it rides with the screen exposed. If SPE developed a way to carry the phone screen inwards, it would dramatically improve this quality case.

If you are looking for a simple carry solution for your Treo, the SPE Leather Hardcase deserves a strong look.