Tru Protection's Heather Brown Collection of iPhone 4/4S cases focuses on Hawaiian art, not protection

Tru Protection’s $55 Heather Brown Collection for iPhone 4/4S features three thin, lightweight hard shell cases graced with artwork by Hawaiian surf artist Heather Brown. There’s no mistaking the inspiration behind these designs—they feature bright tones and beach scenes, and 15 percent of the purchase of these cases goes to Hawaiian charities. There are three different colorful designs: “Sea Siren,” which features a bikini-clad woman surfing, benefits the Kokua Hawaii Foundation; “Double Overhead,” which features a man surfing as a wave curls around him, benefits the Sea Thos Foundation; and “3 Little Birds,” which features, as you might imagine, three little birds in a tree, supports the Wyland Foundation.

Though they support worthy causes, these cases are constructed of a simple plastic, and are lightweight to the point of feeling cheap. The case I tested did feel more secure once it was fitted on my iPhone, however. The edges of the case come up slightly over the iPhone’s screen, so if you drop it face down, you get a little protection, but not much. It does not come with a protective screen film, so if you want that you’ll need to purchase it separately. Since the focus of this case is on thinness and design rather than protection, it’s only going to protect your iPhone from scratches and very minor drops.

There is a generous cut-out along the side for both the Ring/Silent switch and volume buttons. The top and bottom edges of the case are basically wide open, so you won’t have any trouble accessing the Sleep/Wake button, headphone jack, dock-connector port, and speakers. The cut-out for the camera allows full use of the camera and flash.

At 1-millimeters thick, the case is about as slim as a shell can get, so if your dock-cradle accessory allows for any sort of case, then your iPhone will fit with this case on. If you do need to remove it, as with any plastic shell, it’s not especially easy.

If Heather Brown’s artwork suits your style, and if you just want a thin case to dress up your iPhone rather than fully protect it, you may like this case for your iPhone despite its price.

[Karen Freeman is a writer, teacher, and Apple fan. Follow her on Twitter @karensfreeman.]