Ematic Protective Carrying Case Review

The Ematic Protective Carrying Case is an inexpensive, sturdy product with a durable EVA hardshell case that helps keep your Nintendo Switch safe in transit, but is held back by a handful of problematic design faults.

Out of the box, you get everything you need. The Ematic Protective Carrying Case includes a 2×3 inch cleaning cloth, a screen protector, and the case itself. The protector isn’t a proper replacement for a solid glass cover, but it’s a nice short-term solution. Keep in mind though that the screen protector does not come with any of the wipes you expect from standalones that help you keep the screen dust and bubble-free beneath the guard.

The cleaning cloth is a bit small, but it serves its purpose, knocking out fingerprints and making you feel a bit better about your console’s cleanliness.

The included wrist strap doesn’t replace a good handle, but it seems pretty secure. I only have one Switch so I didn’t do anything too wild, but I gave it some real violent shakes and the wrist strap held up just fine.

The case (black on top, red on the bottom, black interior) has two zippers for opening and closing, and the hard-shell case feels just as sturdy as my deluxe edition Breath of the Wild case.

Unfortunately, the lack of textured features makes it feel a little slippery, but the feet on the bottom corners give you something to grab onto while you’ve got your wrist strap on.

The interior of the case does its job as well. Elastic bands hold the Nintendo Switch in place, sitting on the edge of the screen, just beside the attached Joycons. The bands make it a bit of a pain to get the Switch out, especially if you have grips attached to your Joycons (I do— fortunately, the Switch otherwise fits well even with grips attached). They catch on your joy-sticks and are just generally a nuisance in the removal process. In travel, I like to get things in and out of their case quickly, without fighting against the case.

The case includes a center flap with game card slots. It covers the screen and fits eight game cards or SD cards. The slots are wide enough to put the game card sideways for a snug fit, and the elastic is strong enough you can keep your cards vertical as well, and not have them slide out.

The flap isn’t centered, but still covers the screen itself, missing out on about a quarter-inch of the bezel. Unfortunately, it does not cover the Joycons. This means whatever you try to fit into the accessory pouch in the lid of the case will rub and bump against your joy-sticks in transit.

The product listing suggests you can fit additional joy-cons in the accessory pouch. I tried, but in order to close the case, you’re putting too much pressure on the joysticks. The case doesn’t fit your AC adapter, either.

Part of the problem with the pouch is that it’s too loose up at the top: small things will move around, and anything big enough for it to get a grip of won’t close well with the Switch. You can still put your charging cable, Joycon straps, grips, other games, and SD cards in, if you need, but I like things to feel a bit more secure.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the Ematic Protective Carrying Case feels sturdy and I trust my Nintendo Switch not to bounce around. It’s functional. It’s relatively inexpensive. It’s secure. It’s not ideal in any regard, but gets the job done.

• Ematic Protective Carrying Case
• Dimensions: 10.43×5.12×2.17 inches
• Weight: 2.8 oz
• Manufacturer: Ematic
• MSRP: $9.99

Review copy provided by Ematic.