{"id":137216,"date":"2026-05-16T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-200702"},"modified":"2026-05-16T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T13:00:00","slug":"review-dbrand-switch-2-joy-lock-controller-holder-even-more-comfortable-than-nintendos-pro-pad-lets-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2026\/05\/16\/review-dbrand-switch-2-joy-lock-controller-holder-even-more-comfortable-than-nintendos-pro-pad-lets-see\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Dbrand Switch 2 Joy-Lock Controller Holder &#8211; &#8220;Even More Comfortable&#8221; Than Nintendo&#8217;s Pro Pad? Let&#8217;s See"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/5346efd9d4e3a\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/5346efd9d4e3a\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"5346efd9d4e3a\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/5346efd9d4e3a\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/5346efd9d4e3a\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"675\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Canadian peripherals company Dbrand has built its brand around an irreverent, sarcastic social media presence that&#8217;s landed it in hot water on several occasions. But despite multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/dbrands-social-media-goes-off-the-deep-end-offers-10k-1851404479\">missteps<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2025\/06\/dbrand-admits-its-joy-con-detachment-response-was-spectacularly-terrible\">apologies<\/a> in recent years, it&#8217;s still producing quality skins and accessories for consumer tech &#8211; and still raising eyebrows with its marketing.<\/p>\n<p>The firm&#8217;s latest Switch 2 product is the Joy-Lock Controller Holder, which, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2026\/04\/dbrand-claims-its-new-joy-con-holder-is-more-comfortable-than-a-pro-controller\">in characteristically provocative fashion<\/a>, the marketing claims is &#8220;80% cheaper than a Pro Controller, yet somehow even more comfortable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A bold statement, there, but bearing in mind that Nintendo&#8217;s standalone pad will set you back \u00a364.95 \/ $89.99, anything approaching that level of comfort for a fraction of the price is worth consideration. For 90 bucks, you could get a game <em>and<\/em> Dbrand&#8217;s &#8220;more comfortable&#8221; accessory. But is there any truth to the spiel?<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"cols cols-2\">\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"&quot;Nintendo will hate us for this.&quot;\" class=\"scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/b5503dccba02f\/nintendo-will-hate-us-for-this.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/b5503dccba02f\/nintendo-will-hate-us-for-this.445x296.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"296\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"&quot;Nintendo will hate us for this.&quot;\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"&quot;Nintendo will hate us for this.&quot;\" class=\"scanlines scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/49b6f7c35a3cb\/nintendo-will-hate-us-for-this.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/49b6f7c35a3cb\/nintendo-will-hate-us-for-this.445x296.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"296\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"&quot;Nintendo will hate us for this.&quot;\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em>&#8220;Nintendo will hate us for this.&#8221;<\/em> \u2014 <em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Images: Zion Grassl \/ Nintendo Life, Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>First things first. Although the Holder itself comes in at <strong>$19.95<\/strong>, you&#8217;ll want a pair of Joy-Lock Grips for them, too, which are also $19.95, although you get a $5 discount if you buy both. So, unless you already have some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/dbrand-switch-2-killswitch-case-teething-troubles-aside-this-case-is-killer\">Killswitch<\/a> sheaths, the real cost here is <strong>$34.90<\/strong> for the precision plastic into which you&#8217;ll slide your Joy-Con. (There are some $10 stick grips available, too.)<\/p>\n<p>Arriving in small foam beds inside handsomely printed black card slipcases, I was sent both the holder and grips for testing, but I wanted to first see how the holder held up on its own. As something small enough to throw in your bag with a slimline case, it could easily enhance the Switch 2 tabletop experience.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see below, you <em>can<\/em> use the holder sans grips, but that really pushes Dbrand&#8217;s Nintendo-beating comfort claims into the realm of the bovine. I haven&#8217;t yet had massive issues using the larger Joy-Con 2 solo for extended periods, but joining them together without additional grippage, if anything, made them feel worse.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"cols cols-2\">\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" class=\"scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/79bb22203c531\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/79bb22203c531\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.445x333.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" class=\"scanlines scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68db452a06201\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68db452a06201\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.445x333.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Images: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<aside class=\"gallery\"><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Images: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>Slide them into those grips, however, and things start feeling more like a real pad, with a nice curved ridge to rest your middle fingers on. The grip material is coarser than the smooth holder or the Joy-Con themselves, but slippage during intense play isn&#8217;t a worry. Each grip has a trio of shiny stripe details that look pleasant, too.<\/p>\n<p>The Joy-Con&#8217;s LEDs shine through into the holder, and colour detailing in the magnetic interiors matches the default red\/blue. It&#8217;s a sturdy bit of plastic, comparable in build quality to Nintendo&#8217;s gear. The hinge is strong enough to withstand accidental opening and closing, with six positions to choose from by pulling the prongs apart, ranging from straight-down perpendicular to a 45-degree(ish) boomerang split.<\/p>\n<p>I found just a notch or two out from perpendicular ideal; holding it &#8216;straight&#8217; felt similar to using the official Grip that comes with the console (the one that makes your &#8216;controller&#8217; look like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2017\/02\/random_the_joy-con_dog_sticker_kickstarter_has_been_successfully_funded\">a square puppy<\/a>). Nothing massively wrong with that, but anyone with a Switch 2 already has one. We&#8217;re still not in better-than-Pro-Controller territory.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"cols cols-2\">\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" class=\"scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/202cb2ae6df38\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/202cb2ae6df38\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.445x333.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col col-1 col-width-50\"><a title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" class=\"scanlines scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/dc4e2d0b93505\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/dc4e2d0b93505\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.445x333.jpg\" width=\"445\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Images: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>Pull those prongs apart with a gentle tug (steady), though, and&#8230;hmm. Yes, it feels more like a regular pad. Yes, it&#8217;s fairly comfy. But no, Nintendo or any firm producing a quality standalone pad won&#8217;t be losing sleep over this.<\/p>\n<p>For testing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/pentiment\">Pentiment<\/a> didn&#8217;t seem the software to put the holder through its paces, but it held up fine during tense <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/pragmata\">Pragmata<\/a> hack-and-shoot sessions, likewise when crossing worlds with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/sonic_racing_crossworlds\">Sonic<\/a> and company. The comfort claim aside, it functions as you&#8217;d expect and offers some welcome flexibility.<\/p>\n<p>The issues here come more from the button arrangement on the Joy-Con than any inherent flaw with Dbrand&#8217;s accessory. Cracking the hinge open a couple of notches and comparing the Pro Controller (see above), you can see that the right stick is much closer to the edge of the Joy-Con, around a centimetre from where my thumb would rest naturally. Moving my thumb to a comfortable position on the stick pushes my palm from the edge, which compromises grip &#8211; and that&#8217;s the problem. However you hold it, you always feel that control is <em>slightly<\/em> compromised in some manner.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"fd5f6e62007c5\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/fd5f6e62007c5\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/fd5f6e62007c5\/dbrand-joy-lock-controller-holder.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dbrand Joy-Lock Controller Holder\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Obviously, your hand size, digit length, and therefore your mileage will vary, especially if you&#8217;re a young gamer or someone with smaller mitts. If this were just $20, it would be easier to recommend if you&#8217;re desperate for a pad-like feeling without breaking the bank; for $35, it&#8217;s not quite comfortable enough.<\/p>\n<p>And with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2026\/05\/nintendo-announces-sweeping-price-hikes-for-switch-2\">prices shooting up across the board<\/a>, whether for consoles, add-ons, storage, or software, more players will be scrutinising whether they <em>really<\/em> need to invest in a Pro Controller when the Joy-Con they own get the job done. The Joy-Lock Holder isn&#8217;t bad at all for what it is, but it&#8217;s not enough of an improvement over Nintendo&#8217;s regular grip that comes with the console. Unless you&#8217;ve already got some Joy-Lock grips, this halfway-house solution won&#8217;t stop you dreaming of a proper pad.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re determined to avoid the $90 premium for a Pro Controller, there is merit to Dbrand&#8217;s offering here. It&#8217;s not a bad product; the build quality is good, and even if the comfort levels aren&#8217;t as advertised, it works well enough.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that the grips required to achieve acceptable comfort bump the price up closer to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/mobapad-chitu2-hd-controller-for-switch-1-and-2-almost-beats-nintendo-at-its-own-game\">standalone pad alternatives<\/a>. Crucially, while Dbrand&#8217;s comfort claims were never to be taken seriously, I can&#8217;t imagine a solution like this ever approaching the ergonomics and comfort of a proper gamepad. You&#8217;ll always be hampered by the position of the Joy-Con&#8217;s buttons.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, if you bought a Switch 2, it came with an official grip in the box that essentially performs this function. Dbrand gives you a mite more flexibility, but not 35 bucks&#8217; worth. If it charged your Joy-Con, it might be a different story; as is, this is worth consideration if you already own the Joy-Lock grips. Otherwise, I&#8217;d recommend investing a little more in a standalone controller.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"positive-negative\">\n<ul class=\"positives\">\n<li>Sturdy, attractive build quality<\/li>\n<li>Nice colour-coding and details<\/li>\n<li>Six angles offer decent flexibility<\/li>\n<li>Looks a bit like Pac-Man if you put it on its side<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"negatives\">\n<li>Really needs the Joy-Lock Grips to feel like a pad (which bump up the price)&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>Yet still nowhere near the comfort of a decent standalone controller<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"scoring rating\">\n<p class=\"score\"><span class=\"accent\">Not Bad<\/span> <span class=\"value accent\">6<\/span>\/<span class=\"best\">10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p><em>The sample used in this review was provided by Dbrand. The Joy-Lock Controller Holder and Grips are available from <a href=\"https:\/\/dbrand.com\/shop\/killswitch\/nintendo-switch-2-joy-con-grips\">Dbrand&#8217;s website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/nintendo-switch-2\/related-articles:184471,183470 @ 1778945206 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image: Nintendo Life Canadian peripherals company Dbrand has built its brand around an irreverent, sarcastic social media presence that&#8217;s landed it in hot water on several occasions. But despite multiple missteps and apologies in recent years, it&#8217;s still producing quality skins and accessories for consumer tech &#8211; and still raising eyebrows with its marketing. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}