Review: Silk Wallet Slayer iPhone Case

To case or not case? For many folks, adding a protective enclosure around one’s smartphone is a very personal choice. Me? Since my very first iPhone (an iPhone 4), I’ve always used one. It’s all about protecting my investment. Plus, who likes to use a smartphone with a cracked screen anyway?

I bought my Otterbox Commuter case for my iPhone 7 last year with protection as a main consideration. But the other big draw for me was the ability to hold up to three credit cards inside the case. This is a massive time-saver. Inside of fumbling for my wallet at the register, I just pull out my phone and retrieve the appropriate card. All in all, the Otterbox Commuter case is a nice piece of kit.

But it does have some annoyances. First and foremost is the flap. While it does a good job of protecting the iPhone from accidental scratches inside your pocket or purse, it’s not very practical when mounting the device on a smartphone dash mount. The flap always has to be pulled back, which contributes to more wear and tear on the product. Over a period of a few months, the Otterbox Commuter case really started to show its age.

But this isn’t a review about the Otterbox Commuter. It’s about a product called “The Vault”, aka “The Wallet Slayer”, a case made by the designers and engineers at Silk.

The Silk Vault (a very cool name, I might add) offers protection and the ability to hold up to three cards, without the front flap. It comes in 4 colors (red, black, blue, and purple) and fits most iPhones, including the iPhone X. (The company also offers a comparable model for the Samsung Galaxy S7 through S9 smartphones.)

The Silk Vault retails for about $15 – a price that’s definitely light on the wallet (see what I did there?). It features a textured grip on the sides to improve grip, and is billed as being “ultra-light” to hold. It’s made from polyurethane, like many of the cases you may have already encountered.

The Vault’s back mounted pocket can hold three credit cards and some cash (one or two bills based on my testing). Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty – which is nice, but – let’s be honest, who’s planning to use the same smartphone for more than 4 years? Still, it’s nice to know that the company feels confident about their product.

The Vault case comes with a plastic screen protector to protect the display from scratches. I don’t know what it is about these things, but I can never seem to put them on without seeing air bubbles. After several failed attempts at installing the screen protector, I tossed it out.

As for the other components, in my use over the past two weeks, the Vault case held up admirably well. Accessing my three credit cards was practically frictionless. The cards stay in place well until they are needed. The rubberized grip around the edges makes the iPhone easy to hold. Best of all, it also fits in my pockets really easily.

With Silk’s Vault case, I’m losing screen protection (by my own choice) – which is the only downside compared to my Otterbox Commuter case.

At $15, the Silk Vault a.k.a. Wallet Slayer is a good value and is a perfect addition to my every day carry. While my screen remains vulnerable (which I’m not happy about), the sides and back should withstand my every day usage. Time will tell, and I’ll be sure to update this post with any new information. The specific case I purchased will work for iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 devices, but if you don’t own either of those models, chances are good you’ll find a similar model to choose from via Silk’s website.

Update: In the time I have owned the Wallet Slayer, I have dropped my phone accidentally a few times. Once from desk height to the floor, and the other from my iPhone mount on my mountain bike to our concrete drive way. I’m pleased to report that in both instances, the Wallet Slayer protected my iPhone perfectly.

-Krishna

Krishna July 16, 2018 iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone case review, Otterbox Commuter, Silk case, smartphone cases with wallets, The Vault, Wallet Slayer review