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A Different Kind of iPhone Case! A Bumper Case from RhinoShield

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I was looking for a new case for my iPhone 13 Pro and came across a bumper case from RhinoShield. If it’s been a long time since you’ve heard of a bumper case, I’m old enough to remember the iPhone 4 saga and “Antennagate,” when Apple said you were holding the phone wrong and gave every iPhone 4 owner a free bumper. It protects the sides, keeps your hand from touching both antenna bands, and lets you see the full back of the phone. I came across the RhinoShield CrashGuard NX while browsing Amazon, and after about a week with it, there’s a lot to like.

Design

It’s two pieces: the main bumper, a flexible but fairly rigid material with a little texture, and a separate rim piece that raises the phone off the surface to protect the camera bump, so you can set it down without scratching the lenses. Putting the iPhone in is a little tricky (it took me a few minutes at first and I felt like an idiot). The easy way: align the RhinoShield logos on the bumper and the rim in the same corner, push the rim through, and then place the iPhone on top.

I have the midnight blue case, which looks great with the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro, but there are plenty of colors for each 13 model.

What I like

  • You see and touch the back of your iPhone. Unlike clear silicone cases with dot patterns or clear plastic backs that get scratched, dusty and fingerprinty and trap dust and hair, the back is just the iPhone.
  • Protection. I’ve dropped the phone in it twice in a week (thanks, cats) with no scuffs, scrapes or dings, and the phone still works. The iPhone feels snug; you can pull the sides and get some bending, but it stays secure.
  • Camera bump protection works well, with plenty of space.
  • Buttons are hard plastic and feel really tactile, almost like the Apple leather case’s metal buttons, unlike the soft, flimsy plastic or silicone buttons on many cheaper cases. There’s plenty of room for the mute switch and ports, with cutouts for the speakers.
  • It doesn’t add a lot of bulk and looks and feels really nice.

What I don’t like

It’s slightly wider than the Apple silicone case, which you can feel, and it’s not as grippy. I like Apple’s silicone cases because they have the right grip for my fingers; this harder material is less grippy, which is probably one reason I dropped it twice.

Price

I paid about $24; Amazon showed $21 at the time. For a solid case that survived a couple of drops, with good buttons and the full back of your iPhone visible, I think that’s a pretty good deal. If you want to go caseless instead, see my video on that.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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