Cygnett ranges four continents and sells product in more than 45,000 worldwide retailers across 40 countries. According to Cygnett’s description, the company tries to provide mobile protection solutions that are protective, fashionable, and functional. With a diverse line up of iPhone 5 options, they are doing well in their mission and I had the opportunity to give the SecondSkin a run for about a week.
In a crowded market, it is difficult to make a product truly stand-out, but many case companies continue to press forward, taking their stab at the latest and greatest. If you just nabbed your iPhone 5 or are planning to get one soon, start taking a look at the wide selection. We are here to give you a quick glimpse at the new SecondSkin…
Design
Minimalist at best, the SecondSkin is a soft silicon iPhone case that offers six-sided protection. The sleep/wake and volume buttons are covered, but the headphone port, speaker grills, and Lightning port are all easily accessible. Across the back, the SecondSkin is extremely smooth to the touch with a satin-like texture. The back bottom includes a small debased Cygnett logo, which you may find cool or annoying. On the sides, the silicon is molded with a very minute pitting effect. Extra pits and bumps make the soft case easier to grip, but the ridges are not pronounced enough to take away from the minimal aesthetic.
The fit is “like a glove,” as the product description guarantees, but it almost fits too tightly. The iPhone is easy to insert and do not forget to put the volume side in first. Once on, the case fits very squarely with the phone but I notice a slight pull at the top and bottom. Because the sleeve is so tight, it is almost stretching to cover the top and bottom of the phone, causing an arching effect at the top and bottom. The bottom is pulled down to the point the case covers part of the top row of speaker/mic grill holes.
Conclusion
The Cygnett SecondSkin is a decent quality silicone case for $16.99. Aside from the usual lint collection that all silicon cases suffer, the SecondSkin holds its own in an over saturated market. If you are looking for a soft, cheap silicon case that still offers volume and sleep/wake button enclosures, go ahead a pick one up. At a low price, I can look past the imperfect fit and appreciate Cygnett for sending one over for review.
Pros:
- Six-sided protection
- Textured sides for better grip
- Button covers
Cons:
- Fits like a glove, but so tightly it pulls
- Collects dust, like all silicon cases