Incipio's Bombproof Silicone Case offers stylish iPhone protection

Although Incipio’s $30 (MSRP) Bombproof Silicone Case for the iPhone 4 and 4S may not truly live up to its name, it still affords plenty of stylish protection. The Bombproof is available in Swamp, Stealth, Abrams, Heartbreaker, Seals, Bleeder, or Firestarter, which you may know better as Green, Black, White, Pink, Blue, Red, or Orange, respectively. (I tested the Bleeder version.)

Incipio says the case's rubbery, ridged texture is meant to evoke the look of a grenade. I suppose I can see that, but I really just thought the Bleeder model looked cool. (My more-fashion-conscious sister-in-law, however, declared it, in a word, “ugly”; your mileage may vary.) In any case, I liked the feel of the textured, easy-to-grip case in my hand. The case bulges a bit in the back, which means your Bombproof-clad iPhone won’t sit flat on a table, instead rocking (or even spinning) a bit. This may or may not be of concern to you—it didn’t bother me.

The case sports cutouts for the iPhone's headphone jack and microphone, rear-facing camera, Ring/Silent switch, and dock-connector port. On my iPhone 4S, the cutout for the Ring/Silent switch was a smidgen off, occluding the very bottom edge of the switch, but the switch remained fully accessible.

The phone's volume and Sleep/Wake buttons are covered by use-through overlays which remained satisfyingly tactile. The Home button is covered by a square-shaped button in a color that contrasts with the rest of the case. It, too, was satisfying to push.

The Bombproof’s flexible-silicone body makes it painless to slip on and off the iPhone as needed. The case adds just 1.3 ounces, and measures 4.7 inches long, 0.6 inches deep, and 2.5 inches across, adding a bit of bulk. Incipio says the case provides “ultra-rugged protection” to protect your iPhone “against the most severe of conditions”; the firmness of the silicone ridges on the exterior lend credence to that claim. And because the case extends past the iPhone’s screen around the edges, it should offer decent protection for butter-side-down drops, as well.

The case also ships with a microfiber screen-cleaning cloth and an adhesive-film screen protector. If you’re into screen films (I'm not), this one works just fine.

If you like its look and you want to protect your iPhone from bumps and bruises, the Bombproof is an excellent option. It feels good, it’s easy to put on and remove, and it offers nice protection for the price—at the time of this writing, $15 direct from Incipio.