Review: Incipio offGRID battery case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

November 11, 2011 by Bill Palmer

by Bill Palmer

Most “battery cases” come from power companies, not case companies. Incipio, with its offGRID for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, is the exception: the seasoned case company is venturing into a power product. The best of case makers understand that svelteness is a priority, which may help explain why the offGRID is the least bulky iPhone battery case in the 1500 mAh range (actually 1450) that I’ve ever seen. The minimalistic design features an acrylic hardshell which isn’t one bit bulkier than it needs to be, right down the barely-existent top snap on piece. The offGRID has enough power to add roughly an additional seventy-percent battery life to an iPhone 4S or 4, making it an impressive specimen for those who need to add power while wanting to keep the bulk to a minimum.

A few design choices keep the offGRID from being more widely recommendable, however. The top and bottom pieces stay together firmly when an iPhone is between them, so no worries there. But with the iPhone removed, the two pieces simply sit against each other and don’t actually snap together. This increases the odds of the small top piece going missing during charging. The feedback I’ve received from Beatweek readers over the years is that losing the top piece when not in use is the single biggest issue with battery cases, exacerbated here. There’s also the fact that the cut-out for the volume buttons is small, making the buttons not as easily accessible as they should be. Thanks to the minimalist design of the case, it doesn’t look the cut-out could be any bigger than it is, so you can chalk it up to a byproduct of Incipio’s determination to make the offGRID as non-bulky as possible. I imagine the two pieces not staying together during charging may be a result of the same thing. As such, these flaws are overlookable if the bulk of other iPhone battery cases on the market is a turnoff. The svelteness of the offGRID is a tradeoff, but for some users, one worth making. The six color options are a bonus: red, pink, white, grey, matte black, and shiny black.

Rating: four stars out of five • Price: $69 • myincipio.com