Another Compostable Option: The Pela Clear Case Review

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We took a look at the Casetify compostable case as well as the Pela Classic compostable case. Now let’s consider another Pela option, its clear case. The Pela clear case is compostable, just like its rubbery counterpart. It has the same flax material acting as a bumper for the case. However, on the back is a clear polycarbonate-like material that Pela says is compostable, despite resembling plastic. In fact, upon closer inspection, you can see that, while it looks and feels like hard plastic, it is not. Or, at least, it’s not untreated plastic, made to break down in an industrial compost pile. Along edges where it’s damaged, it frays off, almost like woven plastic. But Pela says it’s not plastic. They don’t say what it is, but it’s not plastic. Apparently.

The Pela clear case is for someone who wants to show off their phone and still have a compostable case. It offers more protection than a bumper, with the looks of a bumper. But it also provides far more protection than the classic Pela case because this one can actually stay on your phone all by itself.

Sustainability 4.5 / 5

Just like the Pela classic case, the clear case is completely compostable, at least Pela says. It’s biodegradable as well, and Pela contributes to ocean cleanup initiatives with every purchase. However, they don’t go into how they make the clear back different than the sides. Obviously they’re not the same composition, but Pela doesn’t discuss that at all. I’ve noticed with all of these compostable case companies, they’re not very strong on details. However, in their FAQ pages, Pela says it’s a “bio-based polymer.” That’s all the details we get.

I’m holding them to their claims, but details on how these break down would be excellent. Just show a single case break down in a year. Why can’t Pela, which has been around for much longer than a year, do that? They say their cases can take six months to two years to break down, and cannot break down in a landfill. You must compost these.

However, Pela does also collect their cases themselves, if you can’t compost them yourself. You can email them and they’ll collect your cases and give you a discount on your next ones.

Protection 2.5 / 5

This case, more than the Pela classic case, can protect your phone. It grips the edges much better thanks to the rigid plastic-like backing. That gives it the rigidity a case needs to stay in place on your phone.

However, it also has the same problem as the Pela classic case when it comes to the screen. The lip is so small you can easily touch the surface of your phone down on a table when placing your phone face down. You can forget about using something like a Phone Loop. I tried. It pulls the case away by a fraction of a millimeter, which is all Pela gives you for protection. With a phone loop, you lose the ability to put your phone on a surface face-down. The screen is the most important part of your phone, the most fragile part, yet Pela doesn’t adequately protect it on most of their cases.

Durability 2 / 5

This was definitely the most durable out of the three compostable cases I tested. It’s firm, rigid, and the soft parts, while easy to rub off, do last. They stand up to impact well as well. However, the hard parts don’t stand up to impact quite as well. You see, to test or simulate drops, without my iPhone, I was just smacking these cases against a table. It’s easy to see how dents or scuffs form like this, and it’s better than risking my phone in the case in a drop test (though I do a few of those as well). The Pela clear and classic cases could really take a beating. So I decided to test the black plastic of the Pela clear case by smacking it against my coffee table.

Yup.

I shattered it.

Now, to be fair, I hit it fairly hard. This was a stress test, something that your case wouldn’t endure when it’s on your phone. There, your phone can absorb some of the impact. It can keep your case from flexing enough to crack or shatter. The pieces were large, for the most part, and easy to clean up. They’re sharp, but not like glass. This didn’t make a mess.

But, wow, did I feel stupid. Especially since I was just about to do some photos with the case. Yes, that’s why most of these other photos are stock photos. Because this dummy broke her Pela case.

Still, it took quite a bit of force. The soft rubbery feeling parts on the side do come off from abrasion, like from a skateboard’s grip tape, but stood up to pretty hard hits on surfaces without getting much of a mark. It’s definitely not denting or falling apart like the Casetify case does.

Looks 4 / 5

This is a bumper case, essentially. It shows off the shiny colors of your phone, and otherwise stays out of your way, appearance-wise. If you like how your iPhone looks, you’ll like how this looks. I will say that the “bio-polymer” back doesn’t remove those sort of pressure marks or the rainbow effect under light as some other clear cases. You can still see a bit of a cloudiness; the clear case isn’t perfectly clear, and it’s not uniformly transparent either. Still, it’s hard to notice unless under close inspection. Otherwise, it looks great. Seriously, until I shattered the thing, it was one of my better looking cases!

Weight 3 / 5

I think it’s because the rigid back makes this case lighter and feel lighter. Have you ever played the “dead weight game?” You know, it’s basically a trust fall and then you just go limp and see how long a friend is willing to drag you before dropping you on the ground. The Pela Classic is dead weight. Just limp. It feels weightier and less a part of your phone, more like a bulky jacket. But this case, the Pela clear case? This feels like it’s actually made for your phone. It’s still quite thick, but it’s not as problematic. Still, I was relieved to go back to my Casetify case, and not just because it can actually continue to work with a Phone Loop, but because it’s significantly easier to hold.

Ease of Use 3 / 5

This was actually the least easy to use out of the compostable cases. The Pela classic case would have been this difficult to use as well if it wasn’t so floppy. All that extra material made pressing the buttons a little easier. However, this case fits properly, and the tough and thick material gets in the way as a result. Most cases have some thinning of the material around buttons. Others actually put slits to help the material move and retain the clickiness of the buttons. This doesn’t do that very well, and, as a result, makes the buttons more difficult to press.

Grip 3.5 / 5

While this isn’t textured like the Pela classic case, it does feature a lip around the edge. Between the plastic-like back and that lip, it’s easy to get a grip on this device. The TPU-like edges are about as grippy as smooth silicone, that is to say, not overly grippy. It won’t pick up lint from your pocket. However, you won’t find yourself fumbling this phone too much. If you, like me, need to use a device one-handed frequently, or just don’t like operating your phone with two hands, you’ll likely want to use something like a Pop Socket. Since a Phone Loop won’t work, due to the lip around the screen being far too small, the next best thing are those Pop Sockets or stick-on loops. Unlike the Pela classic, such a solution won’t pull this case off your phone, you can use one securely.

Value 3.5 /5

These cases are still expensive for phone cases, coming in at $44.95. Due to the flaws with the case when it comes to protecting the screen, I can’t really give it a much better rating than the Pela classic or Casetify Compostable case. However, you do get a more complex case for your buck here. The clear back and bump-like sides definitely offers more originality than Casetify’s plain (unless you write something on them) cases. It also doesn’t crumble quite as easily as Casetify’s option, though it isn’t perfectly durable either. I’d put it in line with many other clear cases, though I wish they didn’t skimp so much on screen protection.

Overall 3 / 5

If you’re looking for a clear compostable case, there’s really no other option. If it offered more screen protection, I would have liked this case a lot. However, without that additional protection, it just feels underwhelming. Its a bit too bulky, you can’t use a Phone Loop with it (my favorite solution for our oversized phones), and the buttons aren’t great to press. Still, if you’re going to go with a Pela case, this is the one to get. Furthermore, if you’re going to go with a clear case, it is the only compostable option. You could always place slits around the buttons yourself, improving usability. I tried to file out a area to make the ribbon of the Phone Loop fit better, but it just couldn’t be done. The plastic sits too close to the device, and the lip around the screen is too small to protect it.

This was my second choice of the three. My first being the Casetify compostable case, which I’ve gone back to using. I intend to keep this series going, buying a few other compostable cases for my next iPhone (hopefully the rumored 5.4-inch iPhone 12). I really hope the future of phone protection is sustainable. Looking at my drawer of discarded and old iPhone cases, I hate that each and every one of these will be in a landfill forever now, never breaking down. My contribution to this planet for thousands of years will be my trash, for something as silly as phone cases. That’s just lousy. These cases confirmed that, while compostable cases aren’t quite up to the quality of their plastic counterparts, they’re good enough to replace them permanently now. I hope more manufacturers do so.

You can find the Pela clear case here, for $44.95.

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All photos unless otherwise attributed taken by myself, Danielle of Leaf & Core