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Have you ever heard of a material called aramid fiber? Before trying out the absolutely stunning looking Pitaka Aramid Phone Case, neither have we. However, most of us are more familiar with the name Kevlar, which is one of the trade names of aramid fiber. Kevlar is of course well known for its bullet stopping capabilities and it is used in a wide range of industries from aerospace to body armor to racing cars but how does it perform as a case for your smart phone? Stick around and find out.

The founders of Pitaka, Yutaka and Pittman were dismayed that in order to provide adequate protection for their iPhones, they had to cover up the phone’s sexy good looks with an ugly and bulky “military grade” phone case that is usually an overkill. They then set out to design a phone case that provides adequate protection for daily use in a real world situation. At the same time, the phone case has to be simple, provides adequate grip and maintain the phone’s good looks.

After going through many materials, aramid fiber was chosen because it is five times stronger than steel which allowed for a phone case that is super thin and yet provides adequate protection. While aramid fiber has similar looks and properties to carbon fiber, there is one very important difference as far as phone cases are concerned. Carbon fiber cases block your phone’s signal dramatically! Compromising on signal strength is definitely a huge no-no for a phone case.

Pitaka produces aramid fiber phone cases for a variety of phones including the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Edge 7. For our review, we were provided with the iPhone 7 Plus case.

First off, we have to comment on the impeccable packaging that the case comes in. We usually just tear through the packaging but with this case, the experience begin with the unboxing itself. Once you start unboxing you immediately feel that this is a premium product and it is going to be something special. It is obvious a lot of care and consideration was put in the design and product user experience and Pitaka have to be commended for that.

Next, we tried fitting the case on the iPhone itself. It is a very tight fit but there is no actual difficulty in putting on the case. At the risk of sounding cheesy, we would like to say it fits on like a second skin. Pitaka are really serious about making the thinnest and lightest iPhone cover.

As far as designing a phone case that does not obscure a phone’s sleek looks, Pitaka has definitely achieved this goal with full marks. The Pitaka Aramid Phone Case is precisely engineered and manufactured. It is a perfect match for the iPhone build quality and we dare say that if Apple were to come up with a phone case for their iPhone, it would probably look something similar.

The aramid fiber design and texture is superlative. Your phone won’t look out of place as part of the interior of a luxury supercar. The phone feels easy to hold with the textured surface providing the right amount of friction. It is non-slippery and yet at the same time non-sticky. It is a delicate balance between the two but we feel that Pitaka has nailed it.

As a bonus, a screen protector sheet is included with the case. Just like the case itself, it is a high quality part that is precisely cut and a perfect fit for the iPhone screen. Instructions on how to apply it properly are easy to understand.

We are not sure of the level of protection from physical impact that this phone case provides. While the aramid fiber shell itself is super strong, there is a lack of cushioning to dampen a strong impact from a high fall for example. However, for normal abuse from daily use, the Pitaka Aramid Phone Case should provide more than adequate protection.

The only fault we can find with the Pitaka Aramid Phone Case is that it can be quite hard to detach the cover due to the tight fit but we don’t see that as a real concern unless you like to switch phone covers on a regular basis.

Overall, this is one of the best iPhone cases we have come across. Pitaka has managed to successfully blend design, form and function and pull it off with style and flawless execution. We are eagerly looking forward to their future products.
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