For years I have seen Judie review many a Vaja case for many a device. I have always wanted one of my own, to smell the leather, see the fit, and have the experience that is Vaja. I was delighted when they sent me a case for my BlackJack. I received a honey yellow case designed to fit the extended battery.
The case comes in a nice white Vaja box. While it is no frills, it does look nice, and much better than a plastic blister pack.
The case looks amazing. As I said I choose the yellow colour, and I am glad I did. The case is so vibrant and bright. The leather of the case definitely has that beautiful leather smell that Judie has talked about in her Vaja case reviews.
A piece of clear plastic covers the BlackJack screen to protect if from scratches, which is particularly good if you don’t have a screen protector (I’d still recommend getting one though). It’s pretty hard to keep clean as lint tends to work its way under it.
The “build quality” of Vaja’s cases is fantastic. The stitching is clean and precise, and there are no loose or hanging threads to be found.
The back of the case has a nice broken texture which adds character and style to it, unlike other cases that are just plain, flat and black. It is also very ridged, and the rounded, stiff corners serve to protect the device in the event of a fall. Openings for the camera and speaker line up just right, and are shown through a plastic window. I’m not sure exactly why the window is there though, as just an opening in the leather would have sufficed.
The front of the case is also quite stiff for the same reason. Vaja has perfectly aligned the case so that it doesn’t interfere with the buttons, keyboard or microphone. I can type just as well when my BlackJack is in the Vaja as when it’s not.
A metal mesh covers the phone speaker and looks quite nice next to the silver Vaja logo.
Cutouts for the scroll wheel and USB/charing port let you use both while the BlackJack is still in the case. Instead of cutouts for the volume and back buttons symbols have been printed on the soft leather that holds the front and back pieces of the case together. This doesn’t impede their functions at all.
The case does add some thickness to the device of course, but as little as possible. I’d say it is about as thick as my Treo 750 was without any case at all. The version for the standard battery would be a bit thinner as well.
I love the Vaja case, and on the first day I took it out for a spin I got comments from two people in my university class on how good and different it looked. The warm yellows contrasts nicely with the black case of the BlackJack, the quality is top notch, and it will definitely help to protect the BlackJack from the things life throws at it. It can be customized with a belt clip and laser engraving for that extra personal touch.
The Vaja Balance case can be bought directly from Vaja.
MSRP: $65 + customizations
What I Like: Looks great, the colour of the case is fantastic, fits and aligns perfectly,
What Needs Improvement: The case is great just as it is!!
Gorgeous case! 😀
Thanks for the review, I’ve been looking for a case for my Blackjack and that might fit the bill quite well. I’m wondering though.. With the built in screen protector; if I don’t have a screen protector on already, won’t I run the risk of scratching the screen with the Vaja protector? If dust and what not can get under there and not a suprise, then I think the screen potector becomes even more necessary..
Glad to see Vaja continuing their fine tradition of quality design and manufacture
BTW, I’ve ordered a clear plastic case from Brando..
I absolutely love Vaja’s products. However, I ended up getting an EB Cases Enovo case for my Treo as Vaja’s cases just didn’t do it for me in this case (no pun intended) – I wanted a flip case, and they don’t have any for the Treo 750. The Enovo case is similar to Vaja in build quality, though, so it isn’t all bad. 😉