If you recently purchased a Galaxy S5 from Samsung, you know it’s a dynamite device that is deserving of its praise. If you want to protect it from the world around you, Pelican has you covered with their ProGear Voyager case. Using the same material as they do in their military endeavors, Pelican has one of the boldest, safest cases we’ve seen for the Galaxy S5 yet.
Built to withstand just about anything you can throw at your Galaxy S5 (or throw your device at), the Pelican ProGear Voyager manages to still look sharp. Often times, a rugged case looks like a VCR tape, but not here. While it absolutely adds some bulk to your device, the ProGear Voyager isn’t obnoxiously large.
Inside the back cover, you’ll find a soft elastomer material that will keep your phone in place and well guarded from scratches. A similar TPR material follows the case around the back, where two bold stripes make for a soft grip. That semi-tacky material also adorns the edges, making sure you never lose grip of your Galaxy S5.
Polycarbonate make up the rest of the case, and provide additional shock absorption. The two materials work in tandem to absorb and distribute shock caused by drops. Pelican says the case is tested to withstand multiple drops, and is tested to military specifications to do so.
A screen protector keeps the monitor tidy, and is designed to withstand scratches. You can use any screen protector you like, and we preferred a recently tested TYLT screen guard. Pelican’s included offering is just fine, though, taking nothing away from the screen. When combatted with keys and the like, both held up just fine.
A holster keeps your Galaxy S5 on the hip, or wherever else you’d like to clip it. The holster is made to hold the phone face-in, keeping it safe from any bumps or impact that may occur. Made of the same rugged polycarbonate as the case itself, the holster is one we wouldn’t cringe for if it somehow dropped with the phone.
Using the phone with the Pelican case was no problem, as the company has done an admirable job keeping a tough case as slim as possible. The volume and power buttons are covered, which takes a bit of getting used to, but we didn’t have any trouble using them. The cover for the power port was tough to manage with the case on, but that’s a Samsung issue, not Pelican’s. Getting that little door open isn’t easy when a Galaxy S5 is naked, but the case stays out of the way as much as possible here.
Touch capacity was a bit hindered, as the case adds a noticeable ridge around the screen edge. In normal use cases (checking email, scrolling a web page one-handed, etc.) the ridge isn’t noticeable. Start to edge toward the sides of the screen, though, and you see where it may come into play.
Adding minimal bulk, you get major protection. For the rough-and-rugged, or just clumsy, the ProGear Voyager from Pelican is a winner. It’s also a good option for those who may have kids that abscond with their phone from time to time to check out movies or TV shows.
The ProGear Voyager is currently available exclusively via AT&T, and retails for $50.
