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When I picked up the Motorola RAZR HD last month (here’s my unboxing video), I figured that I probably didn’t need a case for it. The front is protected with Corning’s legendary Gorilla Glass technology and the back is made with some pretty decent Kevlar. It’s a sealed design that should make it somewhat water resistant too. Despite this relative level of toughness, though, I decided that getting a case wasn’t such a bad idea in case I dropped the phone.

And that’s how I came to the Speck Products Fitted Case for the Motorola RAZR HD, which is the same as the Motorola DROID RAZR HD sold through Verizon in the United States aside from the radios involved. Perhaps the most notable feature of the Speck Fitted Case is that it comes with a unique fabric back. This is decidedly different from the plastic, metal, or silicone backs that we see in just about every other smartphone case on the market.

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This offers a couple of interesting advantages. The first is that the fabric gives a pretty good grip, so you’re less likely to drop the phone while using it. The other is that, because it’s different, you’re able to stand out from the crowd just a little more. This particular version has a monochrome plaid pattern, but there are some other variations for other phones with different designs.

I personally found the fabric to be an improvement over the Kevlar back in terms of grip and comfort. I was hoping that the Kevlar wouldn’t pick up fingerprints, but it does. The fabric, understandably, does not. This helps to maintain a relatively cleaner appearance overall, though the Fitted Case does add some bulk to a phone that’s already not exactly small.

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The case itself comes in two pieces, both of which are made from a durable hard plastic. They click together quite easily and offer a snug fit for your phone. I appreciate that although it is a hard plastic, the case has a matte soft touch coating for added grip and comfort. I’m usually more inclined to use a silicone or TPU case for the softer finish and I’m usually concerned about breaking hard plastic–I’ve broken an Incipio case or two that way–but doesn’t appear to be a problem here.

While putting the case on isn’t a problem, removing it is another matter altogether. Because the two hard shell pieces snap together, separating them can be a bit of a pain. I was able to pull them apart on the sides, but couldn’t really release the top and button. I also feared, as mentioned above, that I could crack the plastic. I eventually decided to slide a credit card between the two pieces to open them up. Normally, you wouldn’t need to remove the case, but it does block the tray where you access the SIM and microSD cards on the RAZR HD. You won’t need to do this all the time, thankfully, but the case does get in the way when you do.

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There is also a noticeable raised edge all the way around. This protects the glass if the phone falls front first, but it does take away from the sleekness of the design. It also means that all your buttons and ports are now recessed; reaching the power and volume buttons takes just a little more effort now. I suppose that’s both good and bad, but it does take some getting used to.

While the iPhone and even the SGS3 people have a lot of choices when it comes to cases, that’s less the case when it comes to “more obscure” devices like the RAZR HD. Considering the Speck Fitted sells for less than $30, it’s a pretty reasonable investment for some added protection, comfort and style. It may not be for everyone, but I do think it offers a good “fit” for those who like that fabric-style design.

For more mobile accessorizing, be sure to check out our video from CES 2013 with products from Antec, Luxa2, Kingston, iDAPT and Joy Factory.

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