The Blackberry Torch is a big phone. It’s heavy, too, and noticeably sturdier than any RIM released in the last four years. It harkens back to the days of the 8700, where the Blue Monster could kill a man with a single swipe of its camera-less body. But the Torch is also a different kind of monster. It relies the robustness of its spring mechanism to lift the body away from the hidden keyboard, comfortable in its duality.

So designing a case for this phone is probably not easy. Otterbox has always proven that their designs are extremely versatile, and their Commuter series is a three-part strategy to keeping a very expensive piece of equipment safe. I have looked at the Otterbox Commuter for the Nexus One, iPhone 3GS, the BlackBerry Bold 9700, but I was very interested in getting my hands on the Torch version of the veritable case solution.

The Torch Commuter case is a different beast than its forebears, as the outer shell comes, instead of one part, in two parts. This allows for free vertical movement of the sliding mechanism. As usual for the Commuter series, there is a soft silicone portion that hugs the back of the device, though it only extends to the ports on the sides. This allows for covers to fit easily over the various holes on the device: headphone, charging jack, and volume rocker. After fitting the silicone, the hard case fits over the silicone on the back, and then snaps on over the front screen bezel.

The hard case portion adds considerable heft and thickness to an already-thick device, but after using it for a couple days, I believe it actually improves the overall functionality of the phone. It is a clear case of “too much of a good thing?” Happily, there is a nice “lip” where you push up the screen, and a nice groove to close it. One-handed operation, therefore, is greatly improved, as there is more of a lip to leverage.

As always with Otterbox cases, none of the ports are available without opening a flap. I found this to be a problem on the BlackBerry Bold 9700 as they were hard to open with one hands, but the Torch, because of the added size of the phone, does not have that problem. The camera lens and LED are fully clear on the back, and the only words on the case is a nicely-etched Otterbox logo on the back.

A nice addition to the case is a little ridged area on the sides where you hold the device. It feels really nice to hold, and even with the added weight, does not seem too heavy. When using the Torch in landscape mode, especially when typing on the keyboard, the Commuter’s extra girth allows for effortless typing on the virtual keyboard (should you ever want to use it).

A couple hits against the product is the large space between the two pieces of plastic shell. This is a direct result of the necessary clearance between the screen and the sliding mechanism, but it is relatively unattractive when viewed from the side. The other slight issue I have with the product is just the sheer added bulk to an already-bulky phone, but Otterbox was working with what they have, so that’s hardly their fault. The Commuter will protect the device from drops, and that’s really all that matters.

Highly Recommended.

Find the Otterbox Commuter Case for the Torch for $49.99.