Krusell ActionCover Case for the Samsung Galaxy Note

In a world of beautiful cases and holsters, Krusell tries hard to ensure that none of their products stand up to those expectations: except for the Krusell ActionCover for the Samsung Galaxy Note. The ActionCover provides decent protection, pretty good looks, awful grip, and a built in kickstand for those who like to use their Note in a portrait mode to watch movies or listen to music. Unfortunately though , that’s not very many of us so choosing whether or not to purchase this case is an easy decision.

Build, Quality, and Price

     The Krusell case provides the quality you would expect, including a scratch resistant hard plastic construction with very few moving pieces to keep the case in the best shape for as long as possible. The few moving pieces are created out of the same hard plastic, and include metal rods to allow the kickstand to slide in and out, while we use that phrase loosely.

     The case keeps slim on the device and follows a similar design scheme as the Case Mate Barely There and Elago case for the Note and other devices. While the case keeps mostly slim, it adds a little additional bulge on the back where the kickstand is placed: personally, I like it. It keeps the device off of the table or desk a little more than usual and allows the device to be picked up easier. That being said, the material that the device is made of leaves more to be desired. While I like the construction and believe it feels durable, it leaves the device being far too slippery. Using the device in one hand like usual, it was difficult to keep it there without the textured back or a rubbery construction like the Seidio Active Case.

     Which brings us to the next point of the protection provided by the case. If you’ve used a barely there case before, you can probably just skip this paragraph. Due to the slim design, the case protects the corners, sides, back, and offer a little protection for the device face-down if laying on a flat surface; if the device were laying on concrete, there’s a good chance the screen would still touch. It provides the usual cutouts for the cameras, speakers, stylus, etc. While leaving no feature blocked, it restricts the ease of access to the battery port. Installing the case over the device is simple, and removing generally is too if you can get a decent grip on a corner and lift it off that side.

     For a case that’s built around including a built in kickstand, they sure do make it hard to get it out. The first few times in trying to open the kickstand without lengthy fingernails proved difficult, but became easier over time. Due to the way the kickstand is held into the case (a small extruding piece) I can’t help but feel that could become loose over a period of a few months and might allow the kickstand to pop out when you wouldn’t like it to. Despite my complaints, the kickstand does its job and holds the Note correctly in the portrait position, and does it quite well. Even while putting extra pressure or tapping the stand while open, it held its position well.

     Although the kickstand is not designed for landscape mode, that seems to be the only kind of kickstand I’d want for a phone like this so I figured I would cover it too. The kickstand does hold it’s position and landscape decently, however, if you put it on even a slightly slanted surface, or apply pressure to the top of the device while in landscape it tips it and will make it fall flat on its back. Due to the design being built for portrait, although not ideal, having it half work in landscape is simply a bonus.

     Overall I believe the Krusell case is a decent quality case considering it does what it is meant to. It could use a back with a bit more texture, a landscape kickstand design, and a higher quality kickstand latch to make it really stand out. So if you’re looking for a slim design case, a built in kickstand, and a price around $20 or less, this case could be the case for you. Otherwise, check out the Elago G4 Slim Fit case ($9.99, half the price!) or the Case Mate Barely There ($19.97, same quality as the G4) instead.

Here’s some more pictures of the case to take a look at

Build	Bulk	Protection	Price
High quality construction and feel The case makes the device rather slippery compared to the usual textured back/other rubber constructed cases Although useful in portrait, the kickstand is very touchy in landscape mode for movies/music	The case adds very little bulk, and the bulk it does add I prefer as it raises the back of the device off of the table It allows for every feature to be accessible, including the stylus and various ports	It provides an adequate amount of protection, covering the sides, corners, and back Although the case is slightly raised, the screen is very susceptible to damage	The case costs $20 and is available on Amazon Athough a decent price, you can get other cases for cheaper that have the same level of protection, without the portrait kickstand, for half the price.
Worth it?