Well, I went to Target and picked up a Speck Satin, Speck Candyshell, Griffin Outfit Ice, Griffin Élan Form Graphite, Griffin Flex Grip, and an Incipio NGT to test them all out. I thought they all fit pretty snug and did not add too much bulk.
The Speck Satin was a translucent dark blue and was one of my favorites as it had a nice grip without being too sticky, a pretty good lip on the front, responsive buttons, and it felt like the case could absorb a moderate fall; I don't know if my 3rd party charger cord would fit or not, but it would surprise me if it did.
I also really liked the Speck Candyshell (black), but as soon as I took it out, I could already see some scratches (as well as fingerprints) on the glossy back; I know I could exchange it, but I don't want a case that is going to get easily scratched. Also, I'm not sure that it would accommodate a 3rd party USB cord, either. Otherwise, a nice case with good protection and not too bulky.
The Griffin Outfit Ice was another one of my favorites; the blue color was really deep and shiny and the grip/feel was my favorite by far. It was very slim, had a decent lip (although not great), and looked like it could accommodate a 3rd party USB cord. The only problem was that it was perhaps too thin and I didn't really feel like it would do much to absorb the impact of a moderate fall even as well as my bumper.
The Griffin Élan Form Graphite (in blue) had a nice fit but looked cheap. The buttons on the side were a little hard to reach through the cut out and I didn't like how most of the top was exposed; perhaps my least favorite of the bunch.
The Griffin FlexGrip was another that I didnt care for much. It didn't seem to have much of a lip and I didn't like the cut out for the side buttons; there are many better cases for the money.
Finally, there was the Incipio NGP; I was surprised to find a screen protector in the package, as this was the only case that I got which had one. The fit was good, although not quite as tight as the other cases; I would compare the fit to the Apple Bumper as there may be a spot or two where you can feel a tiny bit of space between the case and the phone. It had a nice grip without being too sticky, the buttons are probably the best of the lot, I can tell it will have no problem with a 3rd party USB cord, it's got a great lip, and it feels like it could withstand a moderate fall. Color selection wasn't much as all they had was one in gunmetal and a bunch in pink... naturally, I took the gunmetal.
After taking everything into consideration, I've decided to keep the Incipio NGP. It's slim, it seems relatively protective, its got a good grip, and when I looked at the receipt from Target (keep in mind that I wasn't really looking at any prices when I was in the store), it had rung up at $4.98! At that price, I'll probably go back tomorrow to get the pink one for my daughter's phone in case I ever decide to let her bulk down from her Otterbox Defender. If the Incipio NGP and the Speck Satin were similarly priced, I would have gotten the Speck due to it's slightly more snug fit - although, I would still want to make sure it could accommodate a 3rd party USB cord.
The Speck Satin was a translucent dark blue and was one of my favorites as it had a nice grip without being too sticky, a pretty good lip on the front, responsive buttons, and it felt like the case could absorb a moderate fall; I don't know if my 3rd party charger cord would fit or not, but it would surprise me if it did.
I also really liked the Speck Candyshell (black), but as soon as I took it out, I could already see some scratches (as well as fingerprints) on the glossy back; I know I could exchange it, but I don't want a case that is going to get easily scratched. Also, I'm not sure that it would accommodate a 3rd party USB cord, either. Otherwise, a nice case with good protection and not too bulky.
The Griffin Outfit Ice was another one of my favorites; the blue color was really deep and shiny and the grip/feel was my favorite by far. It was very slim, had a decent lip (although not great), and looked like it could accommodate a 3rd party USB cord. The only problem was that it was perhaps too thin and I didn't really feel like it would do much to absorb the impact of a moderate fall even as well as my bumper.
The Griffin Élan Form Graphite (in blue) had a nice fit but looked cheap. The buttons on the side were a little hard to reach through the cut out and I didn't like how most of the top was exposed; perhaps my least favorite of the bunch.
The Griffin FlexGrip was another that I didnt care for much. It didn't seem to have much of a lip and I didn't like the cut out for the side buttons; there are many better cases for the money.
Finally, there was the Incipio NGP; I was surprised to find a screen protector in the package, as this was the only case that I got which had one. The fit was good, although not quite as tight as the other cases; I would compare the fit to the Apple Bumper as there may be a spot or two where you can feel a tiny bit of space between the case and the phone. It had a nice grip without being too sticky, the buttons are probably the best of the lot, I can tell it will have no problem with a 3rd party USB cord, it's got a great lip, and it feels like it could withstand a moderate fall. Color selection wasn't much as all they had was one in gunmetal and a bunch in pink... naturally, I took the gunmetal.
After taking everything into consideration, I've decided to keep the Incipio NGP. It's slim, it seems relatively protective, its got a good grip, and when I looked at the receipt from Target (keep in mind that I wasn't really looking at any prices when I was in the store), it had rung up at $4.98! At that price, I'll probably go back tomorrow to get the pink one for my daughter's phone in case I ever decide to let her bulk down from her Otterbox Defender. If the Incipio NGP and the Speck Satin were similarly priced, I would have gotten the Speck due to it's slightly more snug fit - although, I would still want to make sure it could accommodate a 3rd party USB cord.
