Review by Mike Barrett

Covertec recently extended their range of luxury protective cases to include a selection for the TomTom GO. Priced at £31.27 plus £8.36 postage and packing (to the UK).

For all of you still waiting for the free TomTom GO case here is an alternative.

We have previously reviewed some of the Covertec PDA cases and found them to be top quality. I am still using them and they are still as good as new after a years worth of heavy use. So what is the new GO case like?

Well it comes in a choice of 3 colours: Black, Red or Tan. That is according to their web site. The sample they send me looks distinctly orange. Certainly on the inside it is anyway.

The case has a nylon mesh front, covering the screen. Don't be concerned though behind the mesh is a hard screen protector so knocks and bumps will not be a problem.

The top and bottom of the case are also padded mesh. Whilst the back and sides are constructed from a single piece of padded leather. The leather for my case was black so this must be where the product colour comes from.

This is all held together by an orange zip, with beige stitching. There is also a black cord looped into a carrying handle. Altogether creating a very functional and modern looking case for your GO.

Looking at the other colours on the Covertec site it looks like the zips for the other coloured cases are black.

The case is supplied in the now standard clear plastic sales presentation pack.

Inside the case on the front flap there is a leather patch with storage space for two SD cards. This works well for me as I can now have my primary card in the GO, and the European maps and USA maps on separate SD cards and not loose them.

I must admit to being a bit paranoid about being away from my computer and having a SD card failure. With the storage space I can always have a backup to hand should a card fail. (Not that it ever has, but the law according to Murphy states...)

This card storage area also adds some additional protection to the screen. I have heard some concerns that the card storage might damage the screen, but I think that it actually provides additional protection as it fills the indent between the screen and the edge of the TomTom GO.

Whilst I was testing the case I stupidly used the cord to twirl the TomTom GO. Yes you have guessed it I wasn't holding it tightly enough! The case with my precious GO clattered on my laminate flooring. Fearing the worst I opened the case to find that the only damage was that the SD card had ejected itself. Lesson number 1 the TomTom GO is not a ball!

Issues and Problems

The only problem that I encountered and that was only once was that the TomTom GO managed to turn itself on when zipped in the case. This wasn't a problem when it happened as I removed it from the case within an hour of placing it in there. It could have drained the battery if it had been in there all day though.

The Covertec TomTom GO case is an excellent replacement for the original TomTom GO case. I would like to have done a comparison between the two, but unfortunately after owning the GO for nearly a year I am still waiting for my TomTom case.

The GO fits the case perfectly and is well protected when wrapped up. It is certainly capable of absorbing some knocks and bumps.

Pros

• Good well manufactured case
• Nice styling
• SD Card storage space

Cons

• A little expensive but comparable to PDA case prices

Resources

Mike Barrett

http://www.1st-ventures.com