Others say...

"NOT real leather - but still best for my needs"
Another reviewer commented on how the "leather" apeared fake - and Incipio told him to burn it to see how it smells to prove that it is. Well folks...I did the burn test - it's definitely fake fake fake. For one thing...it kept burning and growing rapidly...real leather takes quite a bit to get it going. Another thing is that it smells more like burning Styrofoam or Legos than it does Leather. I was at a burn test for some airline seats (needed to get FAA approval) and there is NO mistaking the smell of burning leather.

Also, I noticed how thin the material is where it wraps around at the corners...it's really, really hard to get leather to be paper thin and durable.

Unfortunately, despite the shoddy workmanship and deceptive description, it's still the best case out there - at lest for my needs. I was also less than thrilled with the fact that it came in a little bit of plastic wrap - no box, nothing....but my girlfriend just bought one and her's is in a box so there's some progress at least!


Time to go order another one!

"Item as advertised, no surprises here!"
I love my Zune. I know everyone is on the iPOD this iPOD that trip, but the Zune is a nice alternative. Love the wireless sharing, the wider screen, and the accessory pack that I got with it as well. No surprises with transaction either; professional service, quick shipping, and excellent packaging. All in all completely satisfied with this purchase. Thank you!

"Decent Flip Case"
I have had this about 2 months now. So far, it has met my expectations by providing adequate protection for my new Zune. I really like the magnetic closures. No snaps to break and the magnets hold the cover in place better than I thought they would. The case has openings in the right places to allow for charging, etc. The belt clip works well too. There are a couple of things that I don't really like about it. The most significant problem is that the plastic screen interferes somewhat with the operation of the 'squricle'. If I try to scroll up by sliding my thumb quickly over the pad, the plastic blocks the movement. Sliding down is not a problem, just up. I can hold the plastic down with my other hand and do it, but I shouldn't have to do it. The Zune also slides around a bit, but not too bad and the case is somewhat difficult to open with a headphone jack plugged in. Definitely not show stoppers. Overall a decent case and I would recommend it.

"Materials and workmanship leave much to be desired"
Incipio claims the case is made from "premium top-grain leather", but I really have my doubts. Upon fairly casual examination of the case material, it is obvious that the grain is too uniform in its microdimpled appearance to be real leather. It actually appears to be a vinyl fake leather.

Also, the inner "suede" lining is microfiber, not natural suede. A word of warning to those who have a full-body Invisible Shield installed on their Zune: the lining is dyed with cheap dye which rubs off onto the Invisible Shield and stains it permanently!


I'm a bit disappointed that a case made with such questionable materials should cost so much. Let's not even get started with the shoddy attention to detail. The inner window edge on my case isn't even straight, and looks like it was manually (and rather poorly) cut freehand. The stitching isn't straight either.

The saving grace, which is the only reason for my 3 star rating, is that it does a good job of protection, (the clear window scratches fairly easily, though), and the flap shuts well with the hidden magnetic catch.

The only reason I got the Incipio case over other options available when I bought it, is that I need wider headphone jack clearance to enable use of my Westone UM2 in-ear monitors.



Here is Incipio's response to my email to them about the leather claim:

Quote:
"The Leather Flip case for the Zune is 100% genuine leather. We stand by our products. All of our cases are manufactured to the highest quality. This case has been treated to be water repellent. If you have any doubts that this case is real leather, we encourage you to cut off a piece of the leather and burn it. (It should smell like a burnt steak) If you decide to burn the leather to prove that it is infact leather , we will send you a replacement."

While this is really good customer service, I don't have the inclination to test the case by burning it! I still am really doubtful about the leather claim - but I could be wrong, of course. None of my other premium leather goods have such a uniform, synthetic look and feel. I am outside the country now, so it's not worth the bother to return the case to Incipio.

I feel Incipio is somewhat deceptive in their marketing because even the inner lining is described as "micro suede", which leads people to assume it is real suede, which it definitely is not. Even zune.net mistakenly calls it "suede" in their product detail on their site.

There are now several better available alternative leather case options, and even Incipio's new aluminum case for the Zune 80 (see zunerama for a review and some good photos) looks like a much better buy.

"INCIPIO CASE"
I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH MY NEW CASE! IT IS REALLY GOOD LOOKING AND VERY EASY TO OPEN AND STORE. ALL OF THE OPENINGS BUILT INTO IT ARE PERFECT AND AS FAR AS SOME OF THE OTHER REVIEWS SAID ABOUT AN OFFENSIVE ODER WHEN THEY OPENED THE PACKAGING, I DID NOT FIND ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THANKS INCIPIO AND AMAZON.