REVIEWED: Incipio offGRID Rugged battery case for iPhone 5/5s
Great value battery wraparound with an outdoorsy design and a free screen protector
A wraparound battery case for the iPhone that makes its host both bump-proof, waterproof and scratch proof as well as boosting the battery would be a fantastic design indeed. The Incipio offGRID Rugged isn’t quite that product, instead bundling a simple adhesive screen protector with a battery case that protects largely through its extra bulky size.
Green thinking
The black and lime green design is par for the course for outdoor gadgets. The Incipio offGRID Rugged displays four LEDs at the bottom of the case to indicate how much battery is left inside. Rated at 2,000mAh, that’s just about good enough for a complete recharge of an iPhone 5/5s.
Sticky buttons
Since the bright green Flex2O bumper is there to absorb impact if the phone is dropped, it includes buttons that sit over the iPhone controls. the volume rocker works very well indeed, however, the top standby button is very sticky and we found it very difficult to turn the phone on and off without pressing very hard. A two-inch cable with a 3.5mm adaptor is provided to attach any model of earphones. When a pair of earphones and a micro USB cable (to charge the thing) are attached, both ports are watertight.
Screen protector
We like the screen protector idea, but it’s not really followed through properly; a stick-on film, such as the one included in the box, is widely available and costs only a few pounds. However, the Incipio offGRID Rugged is hardly expensive, going for less than £45. If you’re camping, hiking or cycling, the protective features could make this the case for you, though at a bulky 141x64x17mm, weighing 88g and with a slightly less impressive battery than most, it’s both underkill and overkill for most.