I fell in love with Golla cases back in January when I reviewed the Golla Gale Brown Pouch for Treo/Centro. I used that pouch all the time for my Treo 680 and Treo 750. I still carry it whenever I carry the 680.
When TreoCentral let me borrow the Glacier White Centro, I looked around in the TC store to see what case would go well with the White Centro with those lime green keys. When I spotted the Golla Joy Case I knew it would be perfect.
The Golla Joy's color is the perfect shade of green to match those green number keys on the White Centro. There are three other Golla pouches that would go perfect with those green keys too, but for this review, I'm talking about the Golla Joy. The Golla Joy also comes in Red and Black so whatever color your Centro is, there is a pouch that would look great with it.
Design and Usability
Golla cases are really fun cases because most of them are very colorful and have interesting patterns. Plus there are cases that are geared toward women and some geared toward men, and there are some that could be for both women and men. Some of the Golla cases are universal like the Golla Gale Brown. I could carry my Treos, Centro, and iPhone in that case.
The Golla Joy pouch is listed as being compatible with the Centro in the TC store, and doesn't mention any Treos. The pouch is more narrow and thinner front to back than the Golla Gale Brown pouch so I wasn't sure if my Treo 680 would fit inside. But it does and so does my iPhone. I think I'll just stick with putting the Centro in this pouch though.
The Golla Joy is made of a very soft and padded material. The outside of the pouch is 100% Linen. You can clearly make out the tiny stitching in the material which is a light green color. This green really goes great with those lime green Centro keys as I've already noted! There are lime green colored flower patterns pressed into the Nylon material that have a rubbery feel. I would assume that these patterns were applied with heat. I scratched at one of the larger petals and it began to lift so I stopped messing with it. The flower patterns are definitely not sewn into the Nylon though, and that's what I was trying to find out by picking at them. The lighter green color of the petal patterns really brightens up the pouch and gives it a look of "Joy". (Pun intended)
Also on the front of the pouch is a pale green strip of leather sewn into the top of the pouch. The word Golla is written across this leather strip. Plus the word Golla is in white on the bottom, right side of the pouch in the same rubbery material as the green petals. This looks very nice.
The back of the pouch is the same color as the front but doesn't have the rubbery flower patterns. There is a zippered compartment on the back that is as wide as the case is long and is very roomy. A great place to put change, extra micro-SD cards and other small items.
The inner lining of the pouch and the zippered compartment are made of slick feeling, pale green Polyester/Nylon blend; 80% Polyester/ 20% Nylon. The zipper pull is made of leather that is a tad brighter green than the pouch itself. The zipper pulls back and forth smoothly and hasn't snagged at all.
The Golla Joy is a top loading pouch, and the top stays closed due to Velcro placed at the top. Very nice! I love this sort of pouch because you don't have to worry about your precious cargo accidentally falling out. You can turn the pouch upside down and shake it and the Centro won't come out.
There is a sturdy D-ring in a neat carabiner style that comes with the Golla Joy. This D-ring is identical to the one on the Golla Gale Brown. There is a leather lanyard ring sewn onto the top back of the pouch for the D-ring to clip into. The green leather matches the zipper pull.
Golla also included a fairly long, black bolo-type lanyard with the Golla Joy. I haven't used this lanyard since I prefer to attach the D-ring to my purse or just carry the pouch in my hand.
I don't like to have to carry a lot of stuff around so the Golla Joy is perfect. I can put my driver's license, credit cards or some extra cash in the zippered compartment and I'm ready to go. No purse to lug around. When I carry my purse, I'm usually going someplace where I'm planning to stay awhile. The Golla Joy is great for quick trips to the grocery store or visits with family and friends, and even those dreaded trips to the doctor. Anyway, it's nice to have the different carrying options with the Golla Joy. Clip the D-ring to your purse, belt, gadget bag, or laptop case. Plus you can slip the lanyard either through the lanyard loop or the D-ring and carry the pouch over your shoulder or around your neck.
You have to take the Centro out of the pouch to use it unless you are using a bluetooth headset and can answer a call wirelessly. Getting the Centro out of the case is very easy as it slips right out after you've unfastened the Velcro.
Protection
The Golla Joy provides nice protection for your Centro. Since there is a zippered compartment on the back of the pouch, the back is thicker. I prefer to put my Centro in the pouch with the screen facing the back for added protection. Even though the front provides ample protection, the material is thinner. In fact, when I have the SIM card in my Black Centro instead of the White one, and have the White Centro in the Golla Joy with the screen facing the front, I can see the LED light blinking through the material of the pouch.
As mentioned earlier, the Velcro closure at the top of the case keeps the Centro from falling out. I can vigorously shake the pouch while holding it upside down, and the Velcro holds nicely. The Velcro is placed in the center of the top of the pouch, so that leaves two very small openings on the sides. I wouldn't worry about those two little openings unless you're out in a gully washer of a storm. And believe me, we have our share of those down here in the North Carolina foothills. In cases like that, you can put your pouch in your pocket or purse or hold it under your shirt or jacket.
I'd personally stick it as far under my clothing as possible with some of the hard rains I've seen. One time I was at the very bottom of the mountain when one of those gully washers came along. I was pulled up in front of a convenience store with some friends. The wind was blowing the treetops sideways and making the hard rain blow sideways as well. It was thundering and lightning to beat the band. One of the friends was so terrified of the thunder and lightning that she wanted to go inside the store because she felt she'd be safer. So I decided to go inside with her. Well, it only took a few seconds to jump out of the car and run the few feet to the inside of the store. I kid you not, I was soaked from head to toe and looked and felt as if I'd been dunked completely into a river. It was unbelievable. If I'd had the Golla Joy back then, I really don't know what the water would have done. The Nylon in the inner lining could possibly make a huge difference with water getting inside the pouch. I'm not going to test it and find out though.
Conclusion
I love the Golla Joy Pouch! I think it looks great with the White Centro with green keys. Of course it also looks great with the Black Centro. Hey, Black goes with anything. ;-)
I like the feel of the pouch and I think the color and designs look great. The pouch is easy to carry my Centro in since it's a top loading pouch and has the very convenient Velcro fastener. I love having the extra zippered compartment and the extra carrying options.
The pouch is very lightweight and certainly doesn't add extra bulk to your Centro. The Golla Joy is priced right too at $19.95, so check it out. Take a look at all the Golla pouches. They all look great to me!
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| Pros |
Fun color
Design
Lightweight
Top loading
D-ring sturdy and removable
Extra storage pocket
Lanyard included
Velcro closure
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| Cons |
Everybody begs me for it. Sorry, it is MINE!
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