For a while now, I’ve been on the lookout for a good, secure card case that can help hold all my memory cards during my upcoming travels. The Ruggard Card Case is just that — a secure, hard case that will keep your memory cards safe and secure.

The Good

This case has some beef to it! I wouldn’t be surprised if it could hold up to constant drops, throws, stomps…you name it. I have no doubt in my mind that my cards will be kept safe with this case.

Available in a variety of different formats, I tried out the 12 SD card version, which can also hold microSD cards. Ruggard also makes card cases that hold CF cards, XQD cards, SxS cards and a combination of various formats.

The exterior design of the case is well thought out. It has a latch that can lock the case together, which seems secure and hefty. The yellow rubber creates a seal between the top and bottom parts of the case when closed, making sure that no moisture or other elements can get in. In my tests, running water over the case surely got the outside wet, but the inside was dry as could be.

Once inside, I found that my cards were kept securely in their slots, and didn’t move around in the slightest.

But, there is one thing that keeps me from recommending this case.

The Bad

But what I found was that the cards were so secure inside, that they were nearly impossible to get out of the case. I could not pry them out of the case with my fingers, instead relying on a pen to gently push them out.

From a few of the reviews I read, similar complaints were made, so much so that a user broke his SD card from trying to get it out of the case. Those with longer fingernails may have better luck, but I feel like you shouldn’t need to pry these out of the case in order to use them.

For me, this is reason alone why I won’t be using this case. For high-pressure, fast shoots, I don’t have the time to pry memory cards out of a case. I want to grab them and run, going back to shooting as soon as I can without much of a delay.

Conclusion

While your cards will certainly be kept safe inside the Ruggard Card Case, you may not be able to easily get the cards out in a timely manner during a shoot. And that’s why I can’t recommend this. The fact that it’s nearly impossible to get the cards out seems like a design flaw, and it’s a major one that I can’t compromise on.

Author Note: Ruggard does make other cases — including this 8 card SD case — which seems to have more favorable reviews. The design also seems to be slightly different, featuring a slight lip at the bottom of each SD card slot, which may make it easier to pop the cards out. This may be a better option in terms of usability and design.