Accessory reviews: iPad and iPhone 4 cases from chillicase.co.nz

On the case

Ever felt like your iPhone or iPad (or both) are so ‘precious’ that you handle them with un-due fear, dread friends picking them up, fret about which surfaces you put them down on or worry about them becoming scratched or chipped? If so, it’s probably time to think about a case. Until recently, buying a fitted / molded case for your iOS device has meant choosing between silicone or polycarbonate plastic – but both have their disadvantages. Now, there is a new material that promises the advantages of both, with the disadvantages of neither: jelly polymer. Never heard of it? Well, it just so happens that New Zealand’s own chillicase.co.nz has an amazing array of these cases available in heaps of colours and styles, so we thought we’d check them out.

chillicase's website

Silicone is great in that it’s flexible and soft, but it feels horribly chalky to the touch, and its opaque quality covers up your beautiful new device. Polycarbonate cases are great in that they are protective, smooth to the touch and can be see-through, so don’t ruin the aesthetics of your new toy, but they are prone to cracking and can break when dropped.

Jelly polymer is the best of both worlds. Before you a pick a jelly polymer case up, you would be forgiven for thinking that you’re looking at a polycarbonate case — they are crystal clear, smooth and rigid looking. But pick it up, and you’ll find that the case is a beautifully smooth but rubbery, soft material that can be flexed and twisted.

Clearly a winner

I ordered a jelly polymer case for both my iPhone 4 and iPad from chillicase.co.nz who are based in Auckland. There are heaps of designs available on their website but I believe the designs of the iPhone and iPad speak for themselves and shouldn’t be covered up so I wanted something discrete. In the end I chose the Ripple case for the iPad and the Crystal Jelly (clear) for the iPhone 4.

Both items were received very quickly and were nicely packaged in clear plastic packaging. Each case came with both a screen protector and a circular protector for the Apple logo. I didn’t apply the screen protectors as I believe that their glass screens are scratch-proof enough already and applying a cover would just cover up the oleo-phobic coating, but I did apply the Apple logo covers — when I owned a 3GS I didn’t use a case and as hard as I tried to treat it well, the Apple logo ended up scratched and I don’t want that to happen with my iPad or my iPhone 4.

Chillicase 'Ripple' iPad case

First up: the iPad case. I’m really pleased with the design I chose — the case is clear but has a semi-opaque ripple design printed onto the inside of the case. Attaching the case was easy enough — just a matter of stretching the lip over the edges of the device. Once on, the cover fits like a glove with holes cut for the volume rocker, power switch, dock connector etc.

Standing proud: iPad

The feel of the iPad inside the case is sublime — in it’s ‘naked’ form the iPad feels cold and hard with sharp edges, and putting it down on tables and other hard surfaces makes me nervous. Inside the case it feels smooth, ever-so-slightly soft, and just incredibly ‘safe’. It feels great to just use the iPad and not worry about where I’m putting it down. I can even let my nineteen-month-old Son loose on his animal sounds app without worrying too much about him mishandling it. This is going to sound odd but it especially feels good when reading a book on it — something about the texture of it in your hands feels more book-like than aluminium.

Crystal Jelly iPhone case

The iPhone 4 cover is also a thing of beauty. I haven’t received my device from Apple yet so the case was tested with Dan’s iPhone. Not only does it solve the antenna issue, but it also gives your phone the same ‘safe’ feel allowing you to be able to just enjoy using it without worrying about how and where. It feels wonderful in your hand, shows off it’s beautiful design, and again softens those slightly sharp edges.

iPhone 4 safe and sound

I thoroughly recommend these two products and while I haven’t seen or used any of their other products I have no reason to doubt their quality based on the ones I’ve looked at here. With accessories for both of these devices being pretty scant in retail stores, it’s great to see a local website offering these products. The prices are very reasonable too — the iPad case in my review is $39.95 and the iPhone 4 case $27.95.

If jelly polymer cases aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other materials and styles to choose from including leather, fabric, vinyl, silicon — all available in some really striking colours and textures, as well as folios, sleeves: you name it. The site also caters for iPhone 3G / 3GS as well as some iPods and even Android mobiles, so it’s well worth checking out.

– chillicase.co.nz