Topic: A Compiled List of Carrying Cases for the Switch

[dabbitydabdabber]

This post takes a more detailed look at the various carrying cases for the Nintendo Switch. I've been looking for a case myself, and decided to share all the things I looked at.

Note: “Cart” means game card or game cartridge. “Entire Switch system” means everything that comes in the box when you buy the Switch. (Console, dock, Joy-Con, Joy-Con Grip, AC adapter, etc.) All links go to the Amazon US listing for that case unless otherwise noted. "Soft" means the case is mostly fabric. "Semi-hard" means the case is tougher, but can flex a little bit. "Hard" means the case doesn't flex.

Note that this guide is just a reference. Please make sure you do your research on the case you want, since I can't be liable if you lose money or get a crappy case that breaks your Switch or something.


Smaller Cases

Nintendo Official Carrying Case + Screen Protector
(http://amzn.to/2nXfSDy)

•   Price: $19.99
•   Company: Nintendo
•   Color variants: Gray in the West, Red and Blue variants in Japan
•   Handle: None
•   Cart capacity: 5
•   Durability: Probably semi-hard
•   Notes: As is the case with many of these, the inside has a microfiber or similar pad that protects the screen, and the pad doubles as the cart pouch location. It also can double as a stand of some kind, according to the Nintendo Japan site. It comes with a plastic screen protector for the Switch console. The Amazon preorders are sold out, but places like Target still have them last I checked.


Nintendo Sheikah Slate Case (included in the Special and Master Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
(http://amzn.to/2pnC4Yk)

•   Price: $99.99-$129.99 (price of the Special and Master Editions)
•   Company: Nintendo
•   Color variants: Sheikah Slate
•   Handle: Yes
•   Cart capacity: 12
•   Durability: Semi-hard
•   Notes: This case only comes with the Breath of the Wild Special and Master Editions. (PDP appears to have manufactured this case, and they are selling similar pouches in their Starter Kits.) It has a pouch for accessories, the screen pad doubles as a strap to secure the Switch in the case, and it has an interior flap with 12 cart pouches.


PDP Premium Console Case
(http://amzn.to/2oZWH0d)

•   Price: $14.99
•   Company: PDP
•   Color variants: Gray, Mario, Zelda, Mario (Canada), Zelda (Canada)
•   Handle: Yes
•   Cart capacity: 14
•   Durability: Soft
•   Notes: The Switch console is held in place by a mesh pouch with an (elastic) band on the top. The cart pouches are on the roof of the case, and there is no interior flap. It includes a cleaning cloth.


PDP Starter Kit
(http://amzn.to/2otDvHy)

•   Price: $29.99
•   Company: PDP
•   Color variants: Gray, Link’s Tunic, Mario Icon, Mario “M”, Sheikah Eye (Gamestop)
•   Handle: Yes
•   Cart capacity: 12
•   Durability: Semi-hard
•   Notes: The Starter Kit includes a carrying case, a plastic screen protector, a cleaning cloth, analog stick grips, earbuds, and (rubber?) grips for each Joy-Con, like the ones the Wiimotes had. Here’s where things get confusing. Every variant besides the Gray one includes a carrying case that’s the same build as the Sheikah Slate case that comes with the Breath of the Wild Special and Master Editions. (Gamestop has a listing for a Sheikah Eye variant Starter Kit, but the coloring and visuals are different from the Sheikah Slate Case.) However, the Gray variant comes with the same soft case as the PDP Switch Premium Console Case above. This listing specifies the hard case in every variant but the Gray one.


RDS Industries Game Traveler Deluxe Travel Case
(http://amzn.to/2nXnNRh)

•   Price: $19.99
•   Company: RDS Industries
•   Also available in: The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway (Grey), Norway (Blue)
•   Color variants: Black, Link – Blue, Link – Gray, Sheikah Eye – Blue, Sheikah Eye - Gray
•   Handle: Yes
•   Cart capacity: 8
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: Thicker than the average case, this product has a zippered pouch on the padded divider, and instead of cart pouches, it comes with 2 plastic game card cases that hold 4 carts each. It also has 2 microSD card cases that hold two cards each, and those cases can fit inside one of the slots for a Switch cart. The case has a false bottom with grooves that fit the 2 cart cases, as well as grooves for the triggers (like the Surge case below, but the Surge case's grooves are more pronounced on the outside of the case). There isn’t an accessory pouch, but I assume there’s plenty of room for them given how thick the case is.


Surge Carry-All Case
(http://amzn.to/2olGK3s)

•   Price: $12.99
•   Company: Surge
•   Color variants: Gray
•   Handle: No
•   Cart capacity: 8
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: This specific case is available in the US only; however, the Prif Small Carry Case (UK), from what little information there is about it, might be the same case, or at least very similar. This case has the standard divider pad with cart pouches, elastic bands to hold the console in place, and an accessory pouch. What sets it apart is that the bottom of the case has large grooves for the trigger bump on the back of each Joy-Con, so the Switch console itself lies flat in the case. (Personally, this is my favorite case due to the trigger grooves, small form factor, and price.)


Snakebyte Travel Case (Currently Unavailable on Amazon unfortunately...)
(http://amzn.to/2o2dgoL)

•   Price: $14.99
•   Company: Snakebyte
•   Color variants: Gray
•   Handle: No
•   Cart capacity: Unknown (2-4?)
•   Durability: Probably semi-hard
•   Notes: This case isn’t available right now, and there’s next to no information about it. The Snakebyte Starter Kit includes this case, along with a screen protector, analog stick grips, and earbuds. There a couple other Snakebyte cases, but none of them have enough information yet, and they can't be ordered either, so I won't add them until they can be ordered.)


Hyperkin EVA Hard Shell Carrying Case
(http://amzn.to/2otxomD)

•   Price: $9.99
•   Company: Hyperkin
•   Color variants: Black
•   Handle: No
•   Cart capacity: 5
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: The cheapest one on this list, this case has a mesh pouch for accessories, a padded divider with 5 cart pouches, and elastic bands on 2 of the corners to secure the Switch in place.


Orzly Carry Case
(http://amzn.to/2oTczST)

•   Price: $12.99
•   Company: Orzly
•   Color variants: Black, though it could be considered Gray
•   Handle: No
•   Cart capacity: 0, so you’ll have to buy a separate cart case
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: This case only has an accessory pouch inside. It doesn’t have cart pouches or even a padded divider over the screen like most cases do. Also, it doesn’t seem to be in-stock until March 31st, and it won’t be delivered until mid-April at the earliest.


AVIDET Carry Case
(http://amzn.to/2pnT29d)

•   Price: $13.99 (plus around $5 shipping)
•   Company: AVIDET
•   Color variants: Black, Blue, Red
•   Handle: No
•   Cart capacity: 8
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: This case is unique in that instead of having the Joy-Con attached to the Switch console while in the case, this case is smaller, so it fits just the Switch console on the bottom, while the accessory pouch on the top holds the Joy-Con, along with cables and such. Otherwise, it looks like a pretty standard Switch case. The company seems a little shady, though, so buy at your own risk.
•   Special note: The “Navitech Black Premium Compact Travel Hard Carry Case Cover Sleeve For The Nintendo Switch” is the same exact product, but costs $9.99 with around $2.50 in shipping. The reviews seem to be for a 3DS XL case, and the Switch case is in-stock on February 20th. Very shady, so I recommend you don’t buy this one.)


Butterfox Hard Carry Case
(http://amzn.to/2oZGmZn)

•   Price: $19.99
•   Company: Butterfox/Brendix
•   Color variants: Black, Red, Blue
•   Handle: Yes
•   Cart capacity: 20
•   Durability: Probably hard
•   Notes: This case has a larger accessory pouch than most, so you can potentially fit a USB-to-wall plug in there. It has 2 middle dividers with 10 cart pouches each, and it has grooves for the Joy-Con Triggers. It even has grooves on the opposite side of the bottom so you can put your Switch in backwards if you want.


Larger Cases

BD&A Everywhere Messenger Bag
(http://amzn.to/2nXmpOs)

•   Price: $39.99
•   Company: BD&A
•   Color variants: 1 (Gray/Black)
•   Product type: Shoulder bag
•   Can hold: Switch Console + Joy-Con, Dock, AC Adapter, Joy-Con Grip or Pro Controller
•   Durability: Soft
•   Notes: This bag has pouches for the Switch and the dock, and another area for cables and a controller. I don’t think it comes with any cart cases or cart pouches, so you’ll have to buy a cart case separately. This bag also comes with a soft case for the Switch + Joy-Con, but it can’t fit anything besides the Switch + Joy-Con.


PDP Elite Player Backpack
(http://amzn.to/2oSRM1z)

•   Price: $49.99
•   Company: PDP
•   Color variants: Gray
•   Product type: Backpack
•   Can hold: The entire Switch console system plus carts, headphones, Pro Controller
•   Durability: Soft
•   Notes: There aren’t any images of the inside, but the product description says that it holds “the entire Switch console system”, has “spacious labelled pockets for controllers, dock, cables, and game cards”, and “stores full sized headphones and the Switch Pro Controller”, so it sounds like there’s plenty of room for extra accessories and even other things you might want to put in a backpack.


RDS Industries Game Traveler Deluxe System Case
(http://amzn.to/2olKSAn)

•   Price: $39.99
•   Company: RDS Industries
•   Color variants: Black
•   Product type: Bulky case
•   Can hold: The entire Switch system, plus carts and maybe some smaller accessories
•   Durability: Hard
•   Notes: Basically, this is like RDS’s Game Traveler Deluxe Game Case, but bigger. It comes with the 2 game card cases and 2 microSD cases as well. The console and other things like the dock don’t look super-secure inside this case like they do in other cases, so I don’t recommend this case if you want to turn the case upside-down or anything.


Hyperkin Travel Bag
(http://amzn.to/2pnTaWf)

•   Price: $29.99
•   Company: Hyperkin
•   Color variants: 1 (Black/Gray)
•   Product type: Shoulder bag
•   Can hold: The entire Switch system, and not much else
•   Durability: Soft
•   Notes: Unlike the BD&A Everywhere Messenger Bag, this shoulder bag doesn’t come with a separate case for just the Switch + Joy-Con. You’ll need to buy a separate game card case, although you might be able to fit some full-size cases in there, and Hyperkin said that a Pro Controller might fit as well.

[nickmitch]

Wow! This is helpful.  Thanks for doing this.  The case I bought at launch is terrible, so I'll need a knew one to do some traveling.

Any way we could get you to add images?  We have a how-to guide to help you.

[KeyBilly]

Good to know that the Sheikah case has a non-styled clone.  It has been perfect and keeps the switch safe, with plenty of room for games and accessories without being too bulky to carry.  If I lose it or damage it, I would want a similar case.  I also went with a glass screen protector this time.  If, like me, you have hated the rainbow-creating plastic screen protectors of yore, I suggest you give tempered glass protectors a try.  The plastic Switch screen really demands it, unless you don't mind the inevitable collection of fine scratches.

[Caterkiller]

Good thread. I might just go with the regular official case.

I like that Shieka Slate one but I don't like physical games anymore.

[Soren]

I got the official one and while it's pretty good the sticks on the Joy-Con do cause a slight bulge which isn't great for an officially licensed product.

[ShyGuy]

I will need to get a case when I travel this summer. I wonder which case would be best for carry-on luggage.  I'm nervous about it, maybe I should just take my 3DS.

[Joekun]

I ordered an Orzly case (it was apparently lost in the mail so they are sending another). I was surprised to see everything you listed it lacking so I went back to the Amazon page and the pics show it with a handle, a padded screen divider, and space for 8 carts.

[BranDonk Kong]

You should have called this a "A compiled compendium of cases for the console called Nintendo Switch" because alliteration is the ****.

[Adrock]

I got the i-Lex officially licensed hard pouch. It's clearly imported because all the text is in Japanese. I wanted blue, but only red was was eligible for Amazon Prime. I'm hoping the AC adapter fits. It might be a tight fit, but I think it will. I'll report back on Monday or Tuesday.

[Mop it up]

That's a lot of cases for a system that just launched!

[nickmitch]

Ordered the Butterfox case.  Hoping the case can fit the AC adaptor.  That's an awful of cart pouches, that I don't think I'll fill, but it could be nice to have.

[Adrock]

I got the i-Lex officially licensed hard pouch. It's clearly imported because all the text is in Japanese. I wanted blue, but only red was was eligible for Amazon Prime. I'm hoping the AC adapter fits. It might be a tight fit, but I think it will. I'll report back on Monday or Tuesday.

This is a good case. It's a little snug with the AC adapter, but it should get the job done.

[Lemonade]

Im very happy with the official case

[dabbitydabdabber]

Thank you for your insights and thoughts, everyone

[nickmitch]

Ordered the Butterfox case.  Hoping the case can fit the AC adaptor.  That's an awful of cart pouches, that I don't think I'll fill, but it could be nice to have.

Butterfox case is good.  Also pretty snug fit with the AC adapter in there.  The extra space for your carts feels excessive.