Speck's FabShell cases wrap your iPhone 4/4S in bright fabric

Speck’s $35 FabShell for the iPhone 4/4S is a hard shell case wrapped in colorful, patterned fabric. The FabShell comes in 15 different designs, including stripes, plaids, flowers, and pixels, just to name a few.

While the inside of the case is hard plastic, the outside has rubber, textured accents along all of the edges. Fabric that’s rather rough to the touch covers the rest of the case—the back, sides, and even most of the top. The fabric reminds me of outdoor furniture fabric—it’s obviously meant to hold up to the elements rather than feel soft. The case’s rubbery edges come up over the screen a little bit in order to protect the screen in case of a facedown fall. However, no protective screen film is included, so you’d need to purchase one separately if you want that extra measure of protection. The rubber edges also allow for easier case application and removal, though it still isn’t terribly easy to put on and take off. That is something to keep in mind if you have a dock-cradle accessory that doesn’t have room for a moderately bulky case like this one.

The FabShell has rubber push-through overlays covering the iPhone’s Sleep/Wake and volume buttons, and the headphone jack, Ring/Silent switch, dock-connector port, speakers, and camera all have precision cut-outs to allow unfettered access.

Overall, the FabShell is a nice, protective case. It won’t get in the way of your iPhone’s functionality, and it adds a whole lot of style.

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