Customer Reviews

Arkon GPSHDCSXL Protective Hard Case for 4.3-Inch GPS Devices (Black)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read all the reviews and this case works for my wife and me just great. Yes, there is an insert (if you notice in the ad), and the Garmin does not fit in there perfectly and sort of pushes itself out of it (like another reviewer stated), but since the insert is made of foam and cloth, it acts now as a shock absorber. It sort of sits 1/2 way in this foam insert. Looks like that insert was made for another type of GPS, but it still works for our Garmin 855. I just put my Garmin 855 in the case to test to see if it moves around while I shake it pretty hard, and yes it does move somewhat. I feel very safe that if I drop the case, with only the Garmin in it, the case will protect it 100%. So, for me, this formed foam insert adds to the security that my Garmin will not be damaged if dropped. The middle flap protects our Garmin from anything you put in the mesh bag on the other side. However, it will not fit the suction cup, and it will fit the usb, car charger, and the quick manual with ease. I bet it would even fit the optional ac adapter with no problem.

I did my research on the other cases, and this case seems to be the best bet. I don't have to worry about the case turning the Garmin on, and I don't have to worry about damaging it by dropping the darn thing. It holds just about everything, and has a hard case. We think it is great, and a great purchase.

This Arkon GPSHDCSXL GPS case seems to be pretty well made, but is overall too shallow in depth to accommodate both the GPS and necessary accessories. I purchased this case to protect my new Garmin Nuvi 885T and for ease of carrying its power cord, cradle, and small vent mount. This case comes with a flexible insert to fit a variety of GPS units; however the insert does not seem to properly fit the Garmin Nuvi 885T. If you mash the GPS down in the flexible insert, it pops back up before you can even zip the case shut. If you put the Garmin in with no insert, it slides around loose and has no viable shock protection. The only solution to this that I found was to also purchase the slipcase for this GPS, remove the flexible insert, and put the Garmin inside the Arkon case inside its own slipcase. Regardless of whether you use the insert or slipcase instead, there is no way that anything but the power cord will also fit in the case. If you tried to force in the cradle and/or mount, the GPS would be compressed right in the middle and would probably be damaged pretty quickly. The rigid piece in the middle of the Arkon case intended to protect the unit from such damage is not stiff enough to do a very good job at this. Regardless, this insert is not large enough to cover the entire 885T screen, so there could also be pressure across the whole screen even if you just put the power cord in the case. I did try placing the Garmin face down in the case, but realized that the screen was then facing out if you dropped it. While this case does seem to be well made, it is not large enough to hold the GPS with its necessary accessories for use, but is too big for just the GPS. I can't even carry this case comfortably in one hand (I'm a woman); and since there is no handle or any straps on the outside, I find myself carrying this thing in two hands to make sure that I don't drop it. This case is way too big to put in your purse unless you have a pretty large purse or briefcase. Also, while the case is too small to hold the GPS with accessories, it is actually too large to fit in any normal glove box. Not exactly ideal. Since this case is actually intended to hold both the GPS and accessories, I would gladly forgo a more compact case for one that would hold everything. This would be a wonderful product if it were just slightly deeper to actually accommodate the GPS with accessories and if it had an external handle or just something to snap a carabineer through.

Already saved my gps. Droped it the other day from about 6 feet and my gps still works great. Also has plenty of storage space for your cables and sd cards.

Nice case, but a bit on the bulky side. I carry a large handbag, but, it still takes up a lot of room. I will use it, but will buy a smaller one to use when I use my GPS for the pedestrian mode as I would not be carrying a large handbag at that time.

We like the "hard shell" feature, and this unit fits well into a side compartment of our SUV. (Won't fit in the glove compartment!)

I got this for my Garmin Nuvi255W. It has room for both the GPS and the adapter. Very nice.

Case works great. I took out the foam insert tray that holds the GPS unit and it fits my Garmin nuvi 755T in its "Garmin 4.3-Inch Premium Carrying Case with Flap" perfectly. The other side holds my Garmin cradle attachment, external antenna, AC power charger, and USB cable. I don't try sticking the suction cup windshield mount because I use the great bean bag mount. I love the extra protection especially because I can still use my other case for carrying around in my pocket and I don't have to take it out to store in this hard case.

I bought the case by mid January 2010. After a few days of use I can tell you that quality of the product is very poor. The zipper is not working anymore and some stitches are starting to lose.
Case is relatively big ... but will not accomodate all the minimum gear to make your GPS work (power cable, windshield support, USB cable, GPS). This is probably one of the very few protection cases with no straps to hold the GPS, meaning that it could drop from the case when you open it.
You can get cheaper and better quality cases in Amazon, Walmart or Best Buy. Since I am an overseas customer, it is going to be more expensive for me to return the product than to dispose it ... which frustrates me even more.

Great semi-hard size case to protect a 4.3" GPS. I store my mini audio cable and USB cable in the top compartment.

With the theft of GPS units being stolen from cars I can leave the cables and dash mount in the glove compartment and take the GPS with me. So even if the car is broken into they don't get anything.