Many companies have made their livelihood providing accessories, like fine leather cases, for all sorts of Mobile Devices. Krusell, a Swedish company, offers some nice alternatives for the BlackBerry Pearl which will be the subject of this review.

While not in the stratospheric price range of many of the finer leather cases - Krusell manages to offer quality leather cases for very reasonable prices.

Read on to see if one of these options is right for you.

Krusell is a Swedish design company renowned world-wide for its craftsmanship
and quality. The brand’s backbone is an extensive line of high quality leather cases
and other accessories for mobile phones, PDAs, MP3-players and digital cameras
that combine stylish and functional design with the finest materials and detailing. Krusell does not only rapidly adopt trends in portable electronics but also takes inspiration from the fashion industry as well as ideas created by society itself. This makes the brand successful among people, cultures and generations that, in spite of their differences, share a special need to get carried away. Freedom, Quality and Innovation are the maxims of the brand and the basis for the company’s vision of becoming the leading brand in its niche on every local market – around the world.

Krusell employs local craftsmen to design products that bring together function, fashion and the right materials.

A product from Krusell will upgrade your customers’ status, improve their dressing and last but not least – consolidate the outer image. At the same time the products also protect against bumps, drops and loss of the device. Most models come with the intelligent and unique Multidapt®-system.

You can choose from six different collections. Grand Kru, Blue Label, Red Label, Orange Label, Green Label and Black Label.

The Krusell system of finding the right case is a little confusing with the various "Labels" to navigate on the web site. This is certainly not the most user friendly of sites. That being said, it is worth the slight inconvenience to find the right case, because Krusell cases are well designed and crafted and the give you a good case for a great price.

In this review, we will take a look at the Horizontal XS Wide case and the Cabriolet Multidapt case - both for the BlackBerry Pearl - but both available for for many popular phone models.

Design:

Both of these cases take a different track at cradling your beloved Pearl. The Horizontal case is for those who want to protect the Pearl when not in use - but like to hold just the phone itself in their hands when they make a call or check email.

The Horizontal case is nicely stitched with a harder leather feel to it. The Pearl fits snugly in the case, but comes out quite easily when needed.

The Horizontal case can be fitted with Krusell's Multidapt clip - a great system for attaching your case to your belt - it is completely removable and doesn't protrude when out of the clip. The Horizontal case also has leather straps on the back for running your belt through.

The Cabriolet is an interesting design. The case fits completely over the Pearl and is designed to stay on the Pearl at all times. The Cabriolet has cutouts for all the Pearl's function keys - both convenience keys, volume up and down, charging port and mute buttons are all easily accessible.

The Cabriolet also includes a clear, plastic screen over the Pearl's screen. Now, I am not convinced that the Pearl needs another layer of protection over the screen since it is not a touch screen. However, too much protection can't really be bad thing - and this particular screen protector doesn't provide the glare that I have experienced on other cases.

The back of the Cabriolet snaps down so you can access the camera lens easily.

Craftsmanship:

Both cases, like previous Krusell cases I have reviewed, are nicely crafted. The leather is not of the soft, supple variety - it feels strong and sturdy and supportive. These case are far more utilitarian rather than works of art. That being said, they do a very good job of protecting the Pearl. They are sturdy and well made. The stitching is precise and the screen protector is securely attached. Ever cutout is exactly where you would hope it would be. The fit was snug, but not too tight. Both cases felt nice to the touch and looked good on the fashionable Pearl.

Using the Optional Arm Band:

A new product on the Krusell site is a very nice Armband - which uses the Multidapt connection. I found this to be not practical for the Horizontal case, but the Cabriolet fits easily on the ArmBand. For exercise - this is great - just clip on the Pearl to the Arm Band and you are off. The arm band was secure, but not too tight and I never felt like the phone was going to fall off.

Overall Conclusions:

Krusell offers affordable, well made cases for all kinds of mobile devices. Their offerings for the BlackBerry Pearl are well made, nicely crafted, practical and affordable. If you are looking for Vaja luxury - these are not for you. If you are looking for an affordable leather case to protect your investment and add some style - these cases might just do the trick.

Pros:

• Nicely made
• good value
• secure fit

Cons:

• Not too many leather options
• screen protector might not be necessary

Pricing is not on the Krusell site - (www.krusell.se) but they will link to a retailer near you - their cases are also available from Internet retailers from $19.95 - $35.99 for the Cases and $10.00 - $15.00 for the Arm Band.