I’m currently using the second option for my 3DS and it’s awesome! Easy to apply, easy to take off. It does harbor some grease after long time use because of your hands obviously, but it’s super easy to clean lol
Lunarkana on
New 3ds xl’s are prone to peeling. Hard shells can cause the paint to chip and can create scratches if dust or debris gets beneath the case, so it’s better to get a soft TPU case if you can
sivablue on
I go hingless since I have a n3ds – not an xl. I love it however I believe a nXL might have hinge weakness helped by a hinge case?
DOA-FAN on
All the clear shells that am using for the 3DS of my family are from the brand Insten, give it a try 😏
Bulbabysaurus on
Highly recommend sourcing from Zedlabs. You may get a poor quality item from amazon that can damage your 3ds. I got the hinged version, and its working well. The tolerance isn’t perfect, so I do get dog hairs under the case sometimes, but the plastic is high quality and easy to fit on. It adds a satisfying and much needed weight to the 3ds
Nomski88 on
Get one with hinges
johje05 on
Do you want to protect from scratches to the exterior or provide drop protection? If the former, maybe a skin would be better than a shell to prevent the paint damage. I typically go raw with my devices, but my son uses a Starry Night skin on his N3 DS XL and it lasted for years and kept his DS nice looking for years and he was tween/young teen at the time.
IsoSly64 on
Nerf
Slugggo on
I bought the first one in black about 8 years ago and it’s been perfect. Underneath my 3DS looks like it’s brand new.
lulymeowx on
Got one of AliExpress protects perfectly fine and way cheaper
QuantumFury on
I got the tnp one for my old 3ds xl. It fits well. I had shave some excess plastic on the button cutouts (this probably common with any plastic injection parts) but those excess was me being a perfectionist. They didn’t hinder using with device.
I got it cuz I noticed my 3DS xl (brought brand new back 2012) had some wear on the shell and I wanted to protect it.
I got the hard one and it’s pretty good. You just have to be careful with applying it. The top part simply slides on without any force but the bottom part needs a tiny bit of force.
The problem with the soft shell long term is that it sticks to the console and yellows. When it sticks, the paint is at greater risk of chipping. It can be avoided though by protecting it from sunlight/UV when you store it.
Hard one has that initial risk of scratching when careless at applying the shell. There are models that do not chip as easily, which the soft shell is more safe to use for.
Kobih on
common sense
Queasy_Main_1682 on
I just bought one from amazon it was shipped to me broken as in the piece wasnt even in the box so now i have to return it
15 Comments
I’m currently using the second option for my 3DS and it’s awesome! Easy to apply, easy to take off. It does harbor some grease after long time use because of your hands obviously, but it’s super easy to clean lol
New 3ds xl’s are prone to peeling. Hard shells can cause the paint to chip and can create scratches if dust or debris gets beneath the case, so it’s better to get a soft TPU case if you can
I go hingless since I have a n3ds – not an xl. I love it however I believe a nXL might have hinge weakness helped by a hinge case?
All the clear shells that am using for the 3DS of my family are from the brand Insten, give it a try 😏
Highly recommend sourcing from Zedlabs. You may get a poor quality item from amazon that can damage your 3ds. I got the hinged version, and its working well. The tolerance isn’t perfect, so I do get dog hairs under the case sometimes, but the plastic is high quality and easy to fit on. It adds a satisfying and much needed weight to the 3ds
Get one with hinges
Do you want to protect from scratches to the exterior or provide drop protection? If the former, maybe a skin would be better than a shell to prevent the paint damage. I typically go raw with my devices, but my son uses a Starry Night skin on his N3 DS XL and it lasted for years and kept his DS nice looking for years and he was tween/young teen at the time.
Nerf
I bought the first one in black about 8 years ago and it’s been perfect. Underneath my 3DS looks like it’s brand new.
Got one of AliExpress protects perfectly fine and way cheaper
I got the tnp one for my old 3ds xl. It fits well. I had shave some excess plastic on the button cutouts (this probably common with any plastic injection parts) but those excess was me being a perfectionist. They didn’t hinder using with device.
I got it cuz I noticed my 3DS xl (brought brand new back 2012) had some wear on the shell and I wanted to protect it.
[here](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR9ZY2XH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) is what I have and I am happy with it! It also has hinges and screen protectors, but my 11 year old new Nintendo 3dsxl has held up fine over the years
https://preview.redd.it/lk6u3kj872xg1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62356308c15329d2ad7aa487ea9cf356e57165ab
I got the hard one and it’s pretty good. You just have to be careful with applying it. The top part simply slides on without any force but the bottom part needs a tiny bit of force.
The problem with the soft shell long term is that it sticks to the console and yellows. When it sticks, the paint is at greater risk of chipping. It can be avoided though by protecting it from sunlight/UV when you store it.
Hard one has that initial risk of scratching when careless at applying the shell. There are models that do not chip as easily, which the soft shell is more safe to use for.
common sense
I just bought one from amazon it was shipped to me broken as in the piece wasnt even in the box so now i have to return it