[Samsung Galaxy S9+ Accessories] meyerweb:
Something different: "Loopy" case review

"Loopy" Case

Now for something completely different: The “Loopy” case. If you look at the picture, the meaning behind the name is obvious.

I really like my S9 +, but it IS big. Too big for me to comfortably use one-handed. My S7 Edge was borderline, but with the extra height (and slightly greater width) I simply can’t reach everything I need to reach to use it one-handed even some of the time, and I just know that if I try I will, sooner or later, drop the phone and shatter the lovely screen. So enter the Loopy, a case which promises one-handed use AND greater security against drops. Sounds like a great combination. And with a 30 day no questions asked money-back guarantee, what’s to lose other than a few bucks for shipping? (Don't worry, it comes in other colors, too.)

First Impressions: I got the matte black version. Other than the strap, it looks like a $2 Chinese TPU case. Thin, flexible, devoid of any styling touches to try to enhance the look. This is very definitely function over form. Every other case I’ve purchased offers at least a little bit of style: a brushed metal appearance on the back, or fake Carbon Fiber, or something. In terms of protection, the case offers little padding, and there’s no extra cushion in the corners to protect it in a drop. Then again, the point of this case is to prevent drops, so maybe that doesn’t matter? It does have nicely raised edges at top and bottom to keep the screen off of surfaces if you put the phone face down. Which you’ll do a lot with this case.

I don't think they offered the "teak wood" version when I ordered mine. If they had, I would have probably ordered it. At least it doesn't look like a $2 case.

Edit: I contacted Loopy, and they let me swap my black case for the "teak" version at no extra cost other than postage to return the first one. No one would mistake this for real wood, but it does look nicer than the matte black one. The functionality doesn't change, of course.

https://www.loopycases.com/collections/samsung

In use review: Mixed, very mixed. It fits very well, and all the cutouts are precisely aligned and finished. But even $1 Chinese cases get that right, so that doesn’t really mean much. The button action is quite good. Not quite the best I’ve used, but close. Close enough that button action isn’t something you think about at all. The main feature, of course, is the loop, so how does it work? Pretty well, actually, with a few caveats.

It’s easy to put one (or two if you don’t have large hands) fingers in the loop, with your thumb and other fingers wrapped around the sides of the phone. And it definitely feels secure. I think you’d have to work really hard to drop your phone if you’re using this case correctly. And it certainly makes one-handed use more secure. But…..

Even with the loop, the S9 + is still too big for me to hold the phone in one hand and comfortably reach both the status bar and the navigation bar, especially the far icon on the nav bar. So, for me, it’s not completely a one-handed solution, but it’s an improvement. If your hands are bigger than mine, you might not have this problem.

And the loop does have some side effects that I probably should have realized, but didn’t occur to me. You can’t use a wireless charging pad with the case on. The loop holds the phone too far away from the charger. And you can’t lay the phone flat on a desk face up. You can use the loop as sort of a kickstand in landscape format, but it doesn’t really hold the phone at the right angle for that. So it’s not a completely positive experience.

Conclusion: I’m probably going to keep it. It won’t ever be my everyday case, though. It’s interference with wireless charging and inability to lay flat on a table are too annoying. But I can see myself using this when going into “high risk” environments, where the extra security against dropping the phone outweighs the inconvenience. Outdoor events, times when my hands might get slippery, on a boat…..

But the cost really does bother me. Without the strap, this would be a $2 - $4 case from a Chinese seller on ebay. And even many of those cases have more style than this one does. At $35, the profit margin on this must be HUGE. Or Yuuuge!

Finally, be aware that you need to choose a left or right handed version, because the strap is angled to one side or the other, not straight up and down. You can use it with the other hand, but it’s definitely less comfortable.