I want to make a very bold statement; a statement that is sure to garner me some hate from my accessory manufacturer friends: the market is way too saturated with low-quality products. There are literally two categories: quality and garbage. Luckily, Otterbox has always risen above the garbage and benchmarked itself as the “go-to” case for device protection. As this site is no stranger to the Otterbox brand, having reviewed almost every case for most devices in - and out - of market, I couldn’t help but give the notorious commuter line a go on my new iPhone 5.

Read on for my thoughts.

Design:

The same rubber/polycarbonate combination-housing you’ve grown to know and love from the brand, made to order for the iPhone 5. All ports are easily accesible via made-to-spec rubber flaps (there to protect from dust and debris) and the polycarbonate plastic wraps around the phone offering the “take no prisoners” protection, which has earned Otterbox their stripes over the years. Of course, the Commuter does add some bulk to the phone, almost making it feel like a 4S. However, in defence of Otterbox, if you’re on the market for such phone protection, you already know that size/convenience is something you’re going to have to forgo. It is a $600+ phone.

Options:

Otterbox has gone above and beyond, throwing down 8 two-tone color options to choose from, they are: Black, Glow Green shell with Admiral Blue rubber cover, Lava Orange exterior with Slate Grey interior, White/Gunmetal Grey, Ocean Blue/Night Blue Sky, Pop Purple/Violet Purple, Aqua Blue/Mineral Blue and Avon Pink/Grey.

Overall:

Aside from buying extra chargers and a screen protector, Otterbox stands among the must-have accessories for the new Apple flagship device. It’s name is synonymous with protection and sets the standard for other manufacturers trying to get into the “protective case” category.

You can pick-up the Otterbox Commuter for the iPhone 5 for $34.95 via Otterbox.com here

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