Customer Reviews

Speck Products Tough Skin Rubberized GPS Case for Garmin nuvi 4.3-inch GPS Devices (Black)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was so happy with my new Garmin 255w; it got me across the state of Michigan over the Christmas holiday with nary a hitch. The only problem? I was having trouble holding onto the darned thing! It slipped through my fingers twice and nearly met its end on the concrete. I found this Speck case on Amazon, and I thought I'd give it a try. What a great product! It fits the device perfectly, and it gives it a nice beefy feel. Now I have something to hold onto. Like some of the other reviewers, I decided not install the screen protector; I am primarily interested in protecting the device body and making it more grippable. Once fitted on the GPS, the Speck gives added depth to the front of the device; the screen is now "sunk in" further, and I think that will be sufficient protection for me. All in all, I think this is a very well-made product, and I highly recommend it!

The Speck ToughSkin case provides a nice layer of impact protection for my Nuvi 260W. It fits snugly and all of the openings line up with the ports, power switch, etc. The included belt clip also provides the attachment point for the Nuvi's mounting clip which, from some reviews I've read, may not have been apparent to some users. This isn't too surprising though as Speck uses simple illustrations instead of printed instructions for their products, which can be a bit vague.

One gripe I have is with the "screen protector". It's glossy so there are some reflection issues and it also seems to react with polarized sunglasses causing a "rainbow" effect. The material is easily scratched and with it's thickness and stiffness, the inevitable minute speck of dust causes a large air bubble. Basically it looks trashed immediately after being applied and will probably end up being removed and tossed.

Other than that, the Speck ToughSkin is an excellent way to give your GPS some protection from everyday bumps and bruises.

This fits my 255W perfectly. Gives nice rubberized protection and makes it just sticky enough to keep the unit from sliding around when I'm fumbling for the beanbag base unit. Works great with the Garmin mounting clip. And when one of the little tabs tore off of the screen protector during installation the Speck folks sent out a free replacement same day -- great service! One thing that could be improved: those plastic sheets that protect the screen are high-gloss and make the unit hard to see when there is any glare. The low reflection type would be better... But this is not the reason I bought the cover in the first place, so I just took it off.

The Speck Toughskin is a great case for the Nuvi unless you have a 265wt or 285wt. I specifically asked Speck Customer Service if this case had an opening for the microphone and was told yes. I guess they forgot to actually look at the case as there is no such opening.

If you have a bluetooth enabled model, this case covers the microphone and muffles your voice during calls. In all other aspects I find this case to be of superior quality.

As for the quality of the Speck Customer Service reps, I guess you can't have everything...

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UPDATED 06/11/10: At first I thought that this skin wasn't compatible with the car mount. It turns out that it is. I expected that I had to remove the belt clip but you actually keep the belt clip on, and the car mount clips onto the belt clip rather than directly onto the unit itself. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. Not 5 stars because the bad screen protector.
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Pros:
- Thick and durable, looks like it would provide superior shock protection if you dropped your GPS on a hard surface
- Cutouts on the back for the USB/Power connection and the speaker
- Removable belt clip attaches to the top and bottom mount bracket notches
- Works with the stock car mount, too (must keep the belt clip on the unit for this to work).

Cons:
- The included screen protector is horrible.
--- It was already scratched when I got it.
--- Any minuscule speck of dirt will make a huge air bubble.
--- The corners of the screen protector are beveled, the GPS screen isn't.

Bottom line, This is a good skin but get a separate screen protector because the included one is worthless.

The case appears to be made of a thick, sturdy rubberized skin - think of it as a pumped up version of the rubber IPhone cases. It simply slip fits onto the GPS system and fit my Nuvi 255W with no problems. It comes with an accessory clip that also works as an adapter for the suction cup base/clip that comes with the Nuvi GPS unit. The original Nuvi suction cup/base will not work without the additional clip that comes with the skin as the skin is simply too thick. My main nitpick about the whole package is the screen protector it comes with is not very good (as noted by other users). It was impossible to apply without creating dust specks and bubbles. Plus, the instructions included for the screen protector do not match the one provided. Also, my package was missing the screen cleaning cloth that was supposed to help resolve the dust and bubbling issues. However, other than the issues with skin protector, I am very satisfied with this product.

I purchased this based on a review from a GPS blog and they were spot on. This is a fairly economical way to protect your expensive GPS. Fits great and works with your existing mount.

We purchased one of these to protect our Nuvi 255W. The package includes three things: the case, a plastic belt clip that snaps onto the back of the GPS, and a plastic screen protector. The product is apparently intended to allow you to take your Nuvi places you wouldn't ordinarily. While this product does add a considerable amount of protection to the GPS, it by no means makes it "rugged", and I wouldn't, say, go hiking with my Nuvi clipped to my belt. My first line of protection is a zippered case, and I use the rubberized skin as a second line of protection, in case I accidentally drop or ding it.

First, the case. It's made of some ruberized plastic which both looks and feels really nice. With it installed the edges and corners of the unit have better protection and can take some dings and bumps, but probably not drops onto hard surfaces, and definitely not sharp blows. The back is covered with a thin layer of the rubberized plastic, which doesn't offer as much protection. There are openings in the case for the USB port, speaker, switch, and SD card slot. It's easier to handle to GPS with the case installed, too.

The term "case" is a little misleading. It's not really a case. It's more of a cover, protecting primarily the sides/edges of the GPS and, to a limited extent, the back. There is no protection for the screen. So if you drop your GPS and the screen happens to hit something, you're out of luck. If they could figure out how to add a cover that you could close over the screen, thus protecting it when not in use, this would be a really outstanding product.

Should you choose to use it, the belt clip snaps onto the back of the GPS after the cover is installed. It snaps into the mounting grooves on the top and bottom of the GPS. The clip has identical grooves on its outside, so you can mount your GPS in your car with the clip attached. With the clip installed the back of the GPS is covered by a sheet of reasonably tough plastic, thus adding more protection. A window in the plastic allows access to the USB port and speaker on the back of the unit.

The clip itself is a piece of molded plastic, and is not hinged in any way. This means that if your belt or whatever is too thick or wide you will place some strain on the clip. Do this too many times and I think that the clip will likely break. An improved clip would really help.

The screen protector is a plastic sheet that adheres to the screen and protects it from fingerprints etc. It was a pain to install, primarily because the instructions were incomprehensible. I contacted the company about it, and they're aware of the problem and indicated that improved instructions were forthcoming.

I received a garmin nuvi 255w for Christmas 09 and wanted to protect my present, so i looked at this one and purchased it, based on all you fine people's reviews! first off thanks everyone for the reviews and feedback,fits like a glove.i think it looks very tough and much cooler when i put it on.i would recommend it to everyone who wants to protect in the longevity of your investment.just got my case, and will keep up with the feedback as i use it more and more. thank you!

I hated to spend more money when buying the GPS, however, this protective skin is really nice. It makes the GPS easy to handle so I feel better about handling my Garmin without dropping it! Great idea and product. Highly recommend it.