Review: STM Dux case for Surface Pro 3

My thoughts on the STM Dux case for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 are mixed—some goods with some bads. One of the major drawbacks is that it only offers about 45 percent protection of the Surface Pro 3.

It has no screen protection and on the back the top half above the kickstand is the only protected area. Which is only protected by a thin clear plastic piece. The kickstand is not protected which I like and dislike. I like it because then I can extend the kickstand to the full position without issue. And of course I dislike it because there is no protection of that area.

The top, bottom, sides, and buttons are all protected by black super hard plastic that adds about a quarter inch of thickness to the tablet. The four corners are open to where dirt and dust can get in, which is another downfall.

Another issue with the STM Dux case is there is nowhere to store the Surface Pen. I have been using a CleanStylus Pro with my Surface Pro 3, but it doesn’t fit with the Dux case attached, so I have to revert to using the pen loop attached to the Type cover.

All the ports are open and easily accessed. The power cord, however, can only be connected in one orientation.

Installation takes about a minute. The case slides on in less than 3 seconds and then you use the included screws and tool to screw in the bottom bar that holds it all in place. This can be quicker or longer than some of the other cases on the market. For me this was quicker than installing my son’s case on his Surface tablet as it was leather that doesn’t stretch very well and is super tight so trying to get the Surface in took about 20 minutes.

Scratch Protection

I give the STM Dux case a 7 out of 10. It would get a higher score if the bottom back and display were also protected.

Drop Protection

STM claims the case has been drop-tested to survive a one-meter fall. Due to the lack of back and screen protection I am not willing to test this out, so I am not going to give this a score.

Verdict

I couldn’t even find this available in the US right now. The Amazon UK site sells it for 39.99 GBP which converts to about $60 USD I would not buy this at the $60 price point. It offers little actual protection, and prohibits me from using the CleanStylus Pro for the Surface Pen, or from using the Surface Pro 3 in a docking station without using tools to dismantle the case first. If it were $25 I could maybe justify buying this case, but there’s no way I could spend $60 on this.