I got my Palm Centro in April, and ever since then it has spent most of its time bumping around in a side pocket inside my purse. Usually I have my new gadgets safely wrapped up in cases almost as soon as I get them home, but I just couldn’t find anything I could convince myself to live with. My adorable little Centro has basically been protected by a pair of crossed fingers, and I’m lucky it isn’t as scratched up as an extra from Jurassic Park.

Then someone suggested I check out Sena Cases. They make two cases for the Centro, the LeatherSkin and the MagnetFlipper, and they were kind enough to send me a review sample of the second.

If I was a casemaker, the Centro’s distinctive styling, truckload of buttons and ports, and chunky dimensions would send me screaming into the distance. Fortunately Sena reacted better. They pride themselves on beautiful leather, meticulous craftsmanship, and a slim profile, but to make a good Centro case they’d have to hit more home runs than a doped-up Barry Bonds.

Did Sena pull it off? Hit the jump to find out!

Sena started impressing me before I even got a look at the case. It’s packaged in an attractive, high-quality box, and inside the first thing I saw was a soft drawstring storage pouch. With all that, the case could have been an anticlimax.

But it wasn’t. I opted for the MagnetFlipper over the LeatherSkin because it adds a flap on the front to protect the buttons and screen, but otherwise the two case styles are made very similarly. While Sena offers a rainbow of color choices, having a pink phone kind of cuts down on my options, so I went with Croco Black. I don’t think it’s just me — that is one sharp-looking case.

You can see from the right image that Sena doesn’t get lazy. The crocodile pattern is everywhere on the leather, even on the inside of the case where it will never show. Around the sides and on the front, a thin skin of leather hugs the phone with hardly any added bulk. The back and the front flap are thicker for protection. Both types of leather are excellent quality, smooth and gorgeous.

The case loads from the top and has a snap tab to secure the Centro in place. There are perfectly placed cutouts over all of the functional places on the Centro’s exterior, including the LED light. Although some exposure at the corners was necessary for access, some users might wish for more coverage. Personally, I’m satisfied with the protection, and there’s no room for quibbling about how well the important stuff on the front is shielded. You have to remove the case to get to the MicroSD card, but since Palm buried the card slot under the battery door you can’t blame Sena. Attaching the HotSync cable with the case on is no problem, and although I don’t have one to test it looks like a Centro in a MagnetFlipper could still sit in a HotSync cradle.

Sena’s biggest innovation in the MagnetFlipper case is the flap. Unlike practically every other flip case on the market, it’s hinged on the bottom. When a call comes through, all you have to do is pull the magnets apart and the flap falls straight down out of the way instead of waving around up top whacking you in the head. Why on earth anyone makes it the other way ranks right below the meaning of life as one of the world’s great mysteries.

Another thing I don’t get is the habit some people have of wearing their phone on their belt like they’re a chatty modern version of Wild Bill Hickock. Sena is nicer than I am and includes a very well-built removable belt clip, but the attachment is flush if you choose to leave it off.

This is how the MagnetFlipper case fit my Centro the day it arrived. In this picture you can practically see the stiffness of the leather. Sena’s cases are like a good pair of shoes: they fit a lot better after they’ve been broken in. The idea of breaking in a case seemed weird to me at first, but after the first few days I started noticing the case beginning to mold to the phone and my usage patterns. Now it fits like a glove, and I have the flap trained to swing closed with a flick of the wrist. I get a kick out of the “flick and snap,” but I’m easily amused like that.

Seriously, though, Sena’s MagnetFlipper case for the Palm Centro isn’t just good, it’s one of the best cases I’ve ever used. The design, especially the bottom-hinged flap, works miracles in making the MagnetFlipper protective, functional, slim, and stylish. I was also extremely impressed by the quality of the leather and the workmanship. The MagnetFlipper is similar in price to other leather cases, but none of them feel like Sena’s. This case is an investment worth making.

Related posts:

1. Double Review: Sena iPhone Dockable Case and Sena UltraSlim Pouch
2. Review: Sena MagnetFlipper Case for the Blackberry Curve
3. Review: Sena Cases Leatherskin Case for iPod Touch
4. Review: Sena LeatherSkin for iPhone 2G/3G
5. Review: Brando Metal Case Is Serious Centro Protection