I've been vegan for almost a year and a half. i know that being vegan means to not view animals and anything made requiring the exploitation of animals as moral or ethical products, or in some cases as usable products. i am a vegan and i deliberately bought a leather product. i am not making this thread to make excuses. i am making this thread so that my actions can be scrutinized and judged by other competent vegans under the condition that you read the entire post and be completely honest in your opinion. i don't mind if you have rude things to say either.
About a month ago i was looking at phone pouches in preparations for the new phone i was getting. these are the phone pouches that attach to the belt.
to be clear, i need to keep my phone in a belt pouch while i am out and about. i absolutely can't keep it in my back pants pockets because it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable because i don't want to risk bending or breaking it if i sit on it or back up into something. it's a samsung note device so i still feel the need to take precautions against making the battery feel offended. i keep it in my indoor shorts pocket sometimes when i walk around my home and even for short periods of time i notice that my body heat heats up the phone a lot which also makes me feel uncomfortable. mainly because i don't want to risk it falling out of my pocket or someone taking it without me realizing. i can't keep it in my side pockets because those are mostly full. there is definitely no space for it in the pocket i keep my wallet in, and there is limited space in the pocket i keep my keys in (i keep a big lock on my key chain). also potential damage if the keys are banging against the phone. the phone has a case and a screen protector but the camera lens and fingerprint reader are exposed so they can potentially get damaged. the screen protector can potentially get damaged as well and it's quite expensive. i'd rather it only get damaged to protect the real screen in a more serious situation. i can't keep it in my backpack because if it's not on my person while i am out then it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable not knowing for sure if it is where i put it. i don't want to risk it getting stolen. also i use it frequently while i am out so it is unrealistic for me to constantly go into my bag to get it when i need to check every little and non little thing.
keeping it in a belt pouch on my person is simply the best option for me. perhaps it all began when i was a little kid. i thought it was cool that my dad had a cellphone and had it in a belt pouch. the idea of just being able to take it off your belt whenever you needed it seemed cool to me, and it just stuck. perhaps it's coincidence that it's simply the best way for me to keep my phone on me.
that is why a belt pouch was simply the best option for me. i should explain that my original belt pouch might also be leather (it could be synthetic, i don't know), but i bought that one before i became a vegan and just continued using it for all that time. so naturally when buying a new belt pouch i wanted to make sure that it was not leather. i found one in the store at the time i thought was a good one which i will post below.
https://toughtested.com/3xl-phone-case-for-extra-large-devices#
i mean it looks incredible right? it has a nice powerful looking hook, it has a strong metal clip for extra protection to make sure someone can't easily just take the phone out. it has a lot of space for the big phone i was getting and even room to keep the headphone jack plugged in. very tightly woven threads for a badass look and feel. can't go wrong, right?
wrong. first of all, the damn hook was made of cheap plastic and the rotating mechanism had almost no resistance to it. after wearing it for a while i looked at my headphone cable and it was wrapped in circles. it was like having a giant fidget spinner on my belt. i literally pressed my finger against it and spun it around multiple times on my belt. whenever i wanted to take my phone out i had to constantly spin it back to be facing right side up or my phone could fall out. also the hook was so big that it was very loose on my belt. my belt is quite wide and thick so i have no clue what kind of belt that thing was made for. also the hook is positioned directly in the middle of the pouch because it's a horizontal pouch. this made it poke out from the front of my shirt more. the main problem is that the case is just so massive, but having a better positioned hook definitely helps. i like to be able to wear my belt pouch discreetly so this was a big deal for me.
and the metal clip? sure it can help keep people from taking the phone out too easily, but it also makes it much more difficult for me to take the phone out. it also has a magnetic part to keep the case closed so i don't always need to use the metal clip. but between walking, and the fidget spinner like rotation the metal clip keeps clanking all over the place making a ton of noise. i imagine it's like wearing tap dancing shoes for casual walking. i simply could not use that product. i had to return it at the earliest possible opportunity.
the only other belt pouch that had the space to hold the phone i was going to buy and did not have any of the problems of the previous phone was the one i will link below.
https://www.amazon.ca/Roots-Vertical-Leather-Adjustable-HardShell/dp/B072JNH575
i couldn't find a better link to it but that's pretty much it. it doesn't have room for the earphone jack but i simply cut out piece of it to make room. there is simply no alternative to this belt pouch and i needed it and that is why i bought it.
long after buying the case and after buying the phone i did see a case that is also a belt pouch. i'll post the link below.
https://www.amazon.ca/Otterbox-Defe...7212&sr=8-1&keywords=note+9+otterbox+defender
i saw this legendary thing when i was in best buy after i got my new phone. i obviously considered buying it to replace the leather one i bought before. i might have even been able to return the leather one. then i found out that if i did buy that case i would not be able to use a screen protector. the thought of potentially having to spend like $500 for a screen replacement made me feel extremely uncomfortable. it's not a true alternative if you ask me. i actually like the otterbox defender more (i mean look at how sexy it is), aside from the chance that my winter jacket or other heavy clothing rubbing against the clip might unclip the phone from the belt strap leaving the phone to fall on the ground and potentially get damaged, lost, or stolen, and of course the no screen protector thing. so i'm not being subjective.
Closing
it is time. i have explained the situation in full. now it is time for you to share your opinion. whether you believe my choice was in line with veganism or not. whether you believe my actions might have actually been selfish and immoral or not. whether i simply didn't make a good decision..... or not.
i was going to make a poll for those who don't feel like typing, but this is about people exchanging words and reasoning in attempts reveal what is the best course in this situation. it might go without saying that because i know the unnecessary production, support, and use of leather is wrong, which is why this has been weighing on my mind. i did consider to simply not talk about it or mention it. even lie out of shame if asked about it, saying that i bought it before becoming a vegan. however, i became a vegan because i believe that the truth is best, and that doing the right thing is best and the only reason the right thing should be done is because it's the right thing to do. and so here we are.
About a month ago i was looking at phone pouches in preparations for the new phone i was getting. these are the phone pouches that attach to the belt.
to be clear, i need to keep my phone in a belt pouch while i am out and about. i absolutely can't keep it in my back pants pockets because it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable because i don't want to risk bending or breaking it if i sit on it or back up into something. it's a samsung note device so i still feel the need to take precautions against making the battery feel offended. i keep it in my indoor shorts pocket sometimes when i walk around my home and even for short periods of time i notice that my body heat heats up the phone a lot which also makes me feel uncomfortable. mainly because i don't want to risk it falling out of my pocket or someone taking it without me realizing. i can't keep it in my side pockets because those are mostly full. there is definitely no space for it in the pocket i keep my wallet in, and there is limited space in the pocket i keep my keys in (i keep a big lock on my key chain). also potential damage if the keys are banging against the phone. the phone has a case and a screen protector but the camera lens and fingerprint reader are exposed so they can potentially get damaged. the screen protector can potentially get damaged as well and it's quite expensive. i'd rather it only get damaged to protect the real screen in a more serious situation. i can't keep it in my backpack because if it's not on my person while i am out then it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable not knowing for sure if it is where i put it. i don't want to risk it getting stolen. also i use it frequently while i am out so it is unrealistic for me to constantly go into my bag to get it when i need to check every little and non little thing.
keeping it in a belt pouch on my person is simply the best option for me. perhaps it all began when i was a little kid. i thought it was cool that my dad had a cellphone and had it in a belt pouch. the idea of just being able to take it off your belt whenever you needed it seemed cool to me, and it just stuck. perhaps it's coincidence that it's simply the best way for me to keep my phone on me.
that is why a belt pouch was simply the best option for me. i should explain that my original belt pouch might also be leather (it could be synthetic, i don't know), but i bought that one before i became a vegan and just continued using it for all that time. so naturally when buying a new belt pouch i wanted to make sure that it was not leather. i found one in the store at the time i thought was a good one which i will post below.
https://toughtested.com/3xl-phone-case-for-extra-large-devices#
i mean it looks incredible right? it has a nice powerful looking hook, it has a strong metal clip for extra protection to make sure someone can't easily just take the phone out. it has a lot of space for the big phone i was getting and even room to keep the headphone jack plugged in. very tightly woven threads for a badass look and feel. can't go wrong, right?
wrong. first of all, the damn hook was made of cheap plastic and the rotating mechanism had almost no resistance to it. after wearing it for a while i looked at my headphone cable and it was wrapped in circles. it was like having a giant fidget spinner on my belt. i literally pressed my finger against it and spun it around multiple times on my belt. whenever i wanted to take my phone out i had to constantly spin it back to be facing right side up or my phone could fall out. also the hook was so big that it was very loose on my belt. my belt is quite wide and thick so i have no clue what kind of belt that thing was made for. also the hook is positioned directly in the middle of the pouch because it's a horizontal pouch. this made it poke out from the front of my shirt more. the main problem is that the case is just so massive, but having a better positioned hook definitely helps. i like to be able to wear my belt pouch discreetly so this was a big deal for me.
and the metal clip? sure it can help keep people from taking the phone out too easily, but it also makes it much more difficult for me to take the phone out. it also has a magnetic part to keep the case closed so i don't always need to use the metal clip. but between walking, and the fidget spinner like rotation the metal clip keeps clanking all over the place making a ton of noise. i imagine it's like wearing tap dancing shoes for casual walking. i simply could not use that product. i had to return it at the earliest possible opportunity.
the only other belt pouch that had the space to hold the phone i was going to buy and did not have any of the problems of the previous phone was the one i will link below.
https://www.amazon.ca/Roots-Vertical-Leather-Adjustable-HardShell/dp/B072JNH575
i couldn't find a better link to it but that's pretty much it. it doesn't have room for the earphone jack but i simply cut out piece of it to make room. there is simply no alternative to this belt pouch and i needed it and that is why i bought it.
long after buying the case and after buying the phone i did see a case that is also a belt pouch. i'll post the link below.
https://www.amazon.ca/Otterbox-Defe...7212&sr=8-1&keywords=note+9+otterbox+defender
i saw this legendary thing when i was in best buy after i got my new phone. i obviously considered buying it to replace the leather one i bought before. i might have even been able to return the leather one. then i found out that if i did buy that case i would not be able to use a screen protector. the thought of potentially having to spend like $500 for a screen replacement made me feel extremely uncomfortable. it's not a true alternative if you ask me. i actually like the otterbox defender more (i mean look at how sexy it is), aside from the chance that my winter jacket or other heavy clothing rubbing against the clip might unclip the phone from the belt strap leaving the phone to fall on the ground and potentially get damaged, lost, or stolen, and of course the no screen protector thing. so i'm not being subjective.
Closing
it is time. i have explained the situation in full. now it is time for you to share your opinion. whether you believe my choice was in line with veganism or not. whether you believe my actions might have actually been selfish and immoral or not. whether i simply didn't make a good decision..... or not.
i was going to make a poll for those who don't feel like typing, but this is about people exchanging words and reasoning in attempts reveal what is the best course in this situation. it might go without saying that because i know the unnecessary production, support, and use of leather is wrong, which is why this has been weighing on my mind. i did consider to simply not talk about it or mention it. even lie out of shame if asked about it, saying that i bought it before becoming a vegan. however, i became a vegan because i believe that the truth is best, and that doing the right thing is best and the only reason the right thing should be done is because it's the right thing to do. and so here we are.
