Handheld enclosures can be used for a wide range of electronics applications, especially when making key fobs, remote controls, scanners, pagers and other plastic enclosures with battery compartments. These enclosures are made to suit the smaller parts and components found in such setups, and they’re also often ergonomic and easy to hold, making them ideal for a range of small electronics applications. Polycase has all of the handheld electronic enclosures you need for your next project and we’re happy to help you determine which one is best for your specific needs.

handheld key fob case
Some common applications for these kinds of electronic enclosures are:

  • Key fobs
  • Remote controls
  • Scanners
  • Pagers
  • Medical devices
Several of our handheld key fob cases can be ordered with between one and five buttons to suit your desired functionality needs. Because there are so many considerations to factor in when sourcing handheld electronic enclosures—including the type, size, buttons and battery compartment enclosures—it helps if you know a thing or two about these kinds of enclosures in particular before you get started on your next project.

Styles: Which One is Right for Your Project?

The main thing that differentiates one type of handheld enclosure from the next is its shape and size. Some are made for specific applications, like remote and fob enclosures, whereas some are much more versatile and can be employed for a massive range of electronics. Here are a few different types to give you an idea of your options:

  • Key Fob—Key fob enclosures, such as our FB-45 Series enclosures, are made for copying or creating new key fobs. Also known online as “empty key fobs,” these enclosures typically have buttons for controls and often have molded key rings to attach them to your keychain. We also offer curved key fobs.
  • Box—Some of the more versatile types of enclosures with battery compartment are handheld box enclosures, which are often used for wireless communication devices, sensors, test and measurement equipment and other applications. As their name suggests, these enclosures are typically box-shaped. They may be paired with grips to make them easier to hold.
  • Remote Control—These enclosures are designed for remote controls. They can be ordered with a recessed area for membrane keypads and graphic overlays. Remote battery enclosures typically feature AA battery compartments.
  • USB—Our handheld USB enclosures feature a three-piece snap-together design which is made specifically for USB applications. These are some of our smallest handheld enclosures and come in either flame-retardant ABS or flame-retardant polycarbonate.
handheld USB enclosure

Sizes: Finding the Right Enclosure for Your Needs

Determining the size of your handheld enclosure comes down to the components you need to house. Our handheld enclosures range from 2.10 by 1.30 inches on the smallest key fob up to 6 by 3.25 inches on our largest handheld enclosure. These enclosures are somewhat limited in terms of size because they still need to be able to comfortably fit within your hand, but there are some options for making larger styles easier to grip. For larger handheld enclosures, like our VM Series, we recommend improving grip by utilizing a silicone boot cover.

Battery Compartments

Our project boxes with battery compartments contain either a single 9-volt battery compartment or a two AA battery compartment. You will want to make sure you check which kind of battery compartment each enclosure has before you make your purchase. If you want to power your device with a 20-millimeter coin cell battery—such as with a key ring remote control—you can order a coin cell battery holder.

Battery Compartment

Customized Handheld Electronic Enclosures

Once you’ve determined which enclosure is best for your needs, Polycase can customize your enclosure. We can modify any of these enclosures with CNC machining and digital printing that allow us to create affordable, customized enclosures to meet your specific needs.
In Handheld & Remote Enclosures