So if you had to choose, which would you pick?
That's a good question.
I think ultimately I would still recommend the Caudabe Sheath, and here's why:
While the Caudabe Sheath is rougher in my hands and it hurts my pinky when comparing it to the Ringke Air-S, the Air-S has more cons that don't make it worth it over the Sheath. (Although, the Air-S is a really inexpensive case, so "worth it" is relative.)
- The Sheath feels more rugged, so it can be handled more roughly. You can toss the case around without worrying about damaging or scratching the case. If you put your phone in your pocket with your keys or in your purse, the back of the Air-S is going to wind up looking ugly. The case is a soft touch matte material, so it will have scratch marks and the material will eventually peel. You can always adjust the way you hold the Sheath if it hurts your pinky, but the amount of stuff you have to adjust for the Air-S (storing it on its own, being gentle when setting it down, etc.) is greater.
- The lanyard holes on the side feel annoying. They're almost the size of the bottom smaller speaker grill cutout with a tiny piece of the material in the center that sticks out, so you always notice them.
- (This is personal preference) I prefer cases that have an even lip all around, which the Sheath has.
- I've had the case on my phone since 5:34pm. It is now 8:45pm. I didn't touch my phone for about half an hour during dinner. The back of the case has areas that are so shiny right now from my hands. You know how dbrand came out with an MKBHD icon skin, and when the phone is tilted, the icons shine? That's what the back on the Air-S looks like, except the shiny parts are finger-shaped.
I realize that some people don't care about cases getting scratched up (my first point) because at least it's not the phone, but I'm one of those guys that likes a pristine looking case, too. It bothers me when people have cases that are falling apart.
I hope that helps. I don't know if I did a good job of explaining the cons.
