Review: WaterField Designs iPhone Smart Cases

A number of Macworld editors have long been fans of WaterField Designs’ various bags and cases, so we’ve been looking forward to WaterFields’ entries into the iPhone accessory market. The first such foray is the company’s iPhone Smart Case, which is actually one case available in three different versions: Slip ($35), Flap ($39), and Clip ($39). The Slip is the basic case, while the Flap and Clip add a strap-grabbing flap or a belt clip, respectively. Each is available in one of six stock colors — the fabric is water-resistant and has a slight metallic finish — or you can request another Waterfield fabric for an additional charge.

The Slip

The Slip is a simple sleeve/slip case; you slide your iPhone into the case for protection when you’re not using it. The case features rigid panels on front, back, and bottom, with textured-rubber sides for a more secure grip. The inside is lined with Waterfield’s Ultrasuede fabric, which the company claims is “100% scratch-free” and supposedly wipes grime off your screen as you slide your iPhone in and out of the case. (To some extent, the latter claim is true, although it’s no substitute for a good wipedown now and then.) Waterfield also says that the case’s slick external fabric is designed to easily slide in and out of pockets and bags, and I did find that to be true.

Overall, the Slip is an attractive and well-made case. The fabrics are stylish and feel rugged, and WaterField's traditional attention to detail is present in the lack of any visual stitching. The case is also quite protective thanks to the rigid panels and padded lining, and the front and back panels extend slightly above the iPhone when the phone is fully inserted. Yet despite this protection, the Slip is fairly thin; with an iPhone inside, it's just under one inch thick.

On the other hand, I do have a couple quibbles. The first is that the only way to remove your iPhone from the case is by grabbing its upper sides and pulling the phone out -- which often involves accidentally pressing the phone's volume-up button. I wish the case had a small "push-up" opening, or even just an area with elastic fabric, at the bottom for pushing the phone out of the case. Second, as protective as it is, the Slip doesn't have any sort of flap or strap on top to ensure that your iPhone doesn't accidentally slide out if the case is turned upside down. To be fair, in my testing of a brand-new case, it took quite a bit of shaking for this to happen, but most sleeve/slip cases loosen up over time. And with the Flap and Clip, which are more likely to find themselves in non-upright positions, there's even more reason to have some way of securing the iPhone inside.

The Flap

As mentioned above, the Flap and Clip are actually just the Slip with a mounting option. The Flap includes two 2-inch flaps on the back--made of the same material as the outside of the case and lined with the same grippy rubber used on the case's sides--that are designed to wrap around a backpack or shoulder-bag strap; the flaps fasten together using 1.5-inch strips of Velcro. The Flap fits securely around standard straps up to two inches wide and padded backpack straps up to approximately 1.5 inches across; the rubber lining helps keep the Flap from sliding up and down the strap.

Besides the lack of a security strap on top, my other--very minor--beef is that I wish the flaps on the back of the Flap extended closer to the top of the case so that the entire case was pulled flush with whatever strap it's attached to. Still, the Flap is my favorite of the three Waterfield cases, likely because I generally have a backpack or shoulder bag with me and appreciate the convenient mounting option and quick access the Flap provides.

The Clip

The Clip is the Slip with a belt clip. Although it sounds like a great idea, the implementation makes the Clip my least favorite of the three WaterField cases. Instead of a slim clip, it uses a bulky, plastic version. The clip is removable, but still leaves a plastic nub behind. Finally, the clip rotates, but freely; you can't choose to clip the case horizontally onto your belt or a strap.

If you don't mind a bulky clip that works only vertically, the fact that the Clip is based on the Slip means it's a quality case. But given that Waterfield has made its belt-clip case an altogether different product from its non-belt-clip version, I'd like to see a slim, built-in clip similar to the one on Belkin's Slim-Fit case, or at least a lower-profile rotating clip that lets you mount the case horizontally.

Category: Accessories, Reviews

Posted by Dan Frakes on Aug 7 2007, 3:58 PM ET

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