Gorilla Cases from Berlin sent us their new Gorilla Tube carbon fiber iPhone case recently for a review. For those of you who have been interested in accessorising your iPhone 3G or new iPhone 3GS the luxury way, I am sure you will have had a look at the carbon fiber and natural fiber cases available at the Gorilla Cases online shop at some point, we hope this quick review may give a better idea on whether this is something that would suit you.

Design

The look and feel of the Gorilla Tube is undoubtedly one of the finest we’ve ever seen for a mobile phone case. This is far beyond what you would find on eBay for example where usually what’s on sale are so called crystal clear cases or silicone rubber cases. The Gorilla Cases’ Gorilla Tube which we received on the other hand is 100% handmade and as we’ve already mentioned, its made of carbon fiber, the most precious material in the eye of gadget geeks and petrolheads.

Though simple, the Gorilla Tube’s design is specific for the iPhone. Size and dimensions matter in order to give your iPhone the best fit protection. In this case, if you have the first generation iPhone, don’t attempt to order the Gorilla Tube for iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.

The flipstrap is the other design component which we should comment on. We’ll talk about how it works in the section below. As for its design, it just adds an extra fine touch to the overall coolness of the Gorilla Tube. With the Gorilla Cases logo labeled on the pulling part of the flipstrap, we don’t think there is a cooler iPhone case available at present that can offer you something this unique and stylish.

Features

As you can imagine, there is little to talk about with regards to features of a mobile phone case. Though it is worth mentioning abit about the Gorilla Tube’s make, Gorilla Cases claim that its carbon fiber material is even tougher than steel, but on the flipside lighter than titanium. For those who are environment conscious, this extremely durable carbon fiber material which Gorilla Cases have used is in fact comprised of renewable resources such as silk, cotton, hemp or bamboo.

Yes, enough about the material. The main feature of the Gorilla Tube I suppose everyone wants to know is the flipstrap, does it really work? The flipstrap enables you to insert your iPhone into either side of the Gorilla Tube, pulling the strap on either side will allow you to take your iPhone out. We must admit, our first impressions where skeptical, it didn’t look as though the case could hold on to the iPhone properly and tightly, but it did. In fact, at first, this was done too tightly that we applied too much force in pulling the strap resulting in an ejection of the iPhone rather than a soft one. But as Gorilla Cases mentions in the box of every case, the Tube will adapt around the shape of the iPhone as time goes so that it does its job better, without the violent ejection, indeed this is exactly what has happened. So for those who are concerned about this issue, don’t be!

Practicality

At €79.99, it must be said that the Gorilla Tube is no ordinary iPhone case, price wise and material wise. We don’t want to convince anyone to buy it in this review but rather weight out the good and the bad. Though light and strong, from a practical point of view, the Gorilla Tube does make the iPhone even bulkier. If you like to throw your iPhone into the pocket of your jeans, putting your iPhone into the Tube will make this even more difficult. Unlike cheaper cases you can find for sale online which just wraps around the iPhone, the Gorilla Tube gives full protection of all dimensions of the iPhone which is great. However this means you will need to take out your iPhone everytime you want to tap on it. We think it is therefore up to you to decide what you prefer, protection or is it convenience?

Do drop us a comment or email us if you have further questions. Be sure to check out our gallery of the Gorilla Tube if you’re considering a purchase!