Carved.com sent me one of their iPhone 4/S Natural Bamboo skins to review over the Holiday season. It came with both front and back panels and attached quickly and easily to the iPhone with dry adhesive. Once in place, the Carved skin is gorgeous. There’s an interesting contrast between the hand-finished wooden shell and the ultra industrial steel and glass design of the iPhone 4.
Each sheet of bamboo is incredibly thin, but still thick enough to lend a distinctly different texture to the iPhone. Don’t count on smells, though: an iPhone 4 with a bamboo skin smells just like an iPhone 4 without one. That’s probably a strange thing to mention, but since so many people pay attention to the smell of leather cases and skins, I thought to quell possible inquiring minds.
The cut-out for the home button is an especially nice touch, and I liked the slight slope that keeps the edges from feeling sharp. I’m also pretty sure that a wood-coated iPhone is a little easier to grip than one coated in thin vinyl.
The only downside here is the risk of splinters. Yes, splinters. For reasons I’m not quite sure of, my bamboo skin was chipped ever so slightly in the corner and a small chunk decided to separate from the mainland and take refuge in my flesh. It wasn’t too bad, but it’s certainly not going to happen with a Gelaskin or equivalent product.
The Carved cases aren’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but they’re a genuinely cool alternative to all of the other leather and vinyl skins out there. At $20, the Natural Bamboo skin is a fine deal, especially when you consider the general quality and the inclusion of a front and back panel. I didn’t review one of the engraved skins because I wanted a cleaner look, but it should be mentioned that Carved.com can custom engrave images onto the back panel for $40. The same goes for iPads.
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The Natural Bamboo skin was provided by Carved.com for review on iSource. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the About page.
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