Casemate Hula vs. similar Griffin, Scosche, etc. bumpers

[princesultan]

I noticed that there are a bunch of bumpers from various companies that are almost identical to the casemate hula such as the Scosche band edge. Griffin also has a similar one as well...

Is there a consensus on which one is better than the other? I know the Hula doesn't have great button response (so I hear), what about the others?

 

[corykane]

I got the black case-mate hula last week and so far I love it. The clear portion is larger on the hula compared to the bandedge and other cases, but that also means that there is not as much lay on the table design to it. It doesn't bother me because I have the wrapsol ultra on the front and back.

There are also no visible injection points on the side of my hula like I have seen with the other cases.

The buttons are harder to press than with no case on but it doesn't bother me at all.

From researching all the cases I think the hula looks sleeker with more clear and less rubber on the sides, but that is just personal preference.

 

[djransom]

Same case with 3 different brand names. I returned mine yesterday. The buttons are a PITA to push and I can't understand who actually thought that was a good idea to send it in to production like that

 

[Grimes]

If you are looking solely at bumpers, you also might want to look at the SGP NEO HYBRID EX. There is a thread about it here and it seems to be getting lots of positive responses.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

^ +1. Mine should be coming any day now

 

[princesultan]

If you are looking solely at bumpers, you also might want to look at the SGP NEO HYBRID EX. There is a thread about it here and it seems to be getting lots of positive responses.

i was thinking about it, but to be honest, i'm just not crazy about it being 2 pieces for some reason. also, i like the case to be a bit grippy, and i heard that the neo hybrid ex frame is kinda slippery.

 

[Dominat0r]

im with you, that little band that goes on top of the soft silicon is what im most worried about...seems like you would break that quite easily if you not careful.

I actually did like the apple bumper myself. Ive also saw some reviews about the sorsche one and some people like it over the apple/Neo.

 

[JBalls]

I got the black case-mate hula last week and so far I love it. The clear portion is larger on the hula compared to the bandedge and other cases, but that also means that there is not as much lay on the table design to it. It doesn't bother me because I have the wrapsol ultra on the front and back.

There are also no visible injection points on the side of my hula like I have seen with the other cases.

The buttons are harder to press than with no case on but it doesn't bother me at all.

From researching all the cases I think the hula looks sleeker with more clear and less rubber on the sides, but that is just personal preference.

Hi, im interested in purchasing a Hula in black myself. You mention that the clear portion is larger on this case as opposed to others like it and that appeals to me, but pictures on the casemate website for some reason show otherwise. Could you do me a favor and take a quick side profile pic of the case so i can see how wide the clear band is? I'd really appreciate it!

 

[corykane]

Hi, im interested in purchasing a Hula in black myself. You mention that the clear portion is larger on this case as opposed to others like it and that appeals to me, but pictures on the casemate website for some reason show otherwise. Could you do me a favor and take a quick side profile pic of the case so i can see how wide the clear band is? I'd really appreciate it!

I actually don't have my camera with me but I will be able to get it tomorrow and take better pictures. The only thing I had was my crappy webcam so the pics are horrible but you can sort of get a general idea of how the rubber is not as thick on the hula.

Here are some good pics of the hula but it isn't black...
http://www.gadgetmac.com/gadgetmac/2010/10/1/case-mate-hula-iphone-4-case.html

Also, here is a good video by larrygreenberg that shows the differences between the cases. I know that he doesn't have the hula in black, but the black hula case has the same look as the orange one in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPbCaTLxis

I'll try to get better pictures tomorrow for you.

 

[Spudracer]

Hi, im interested in purchasing a Hula in black myself. You mention that the clear portion is larger on this case as opposed to others like it and that appeals to me, but pictures on the casemate website for some reason show otherwise. Could you do me a favor and take a quick side profile pic of the case so i can see how wide the clear band is? I'd really appreciate it!

I have the Casemate Hula in black and the iPhone4 looks pretty much naked with it on. The fit is better than the Apple bumper. The rubber lip has much better grip than the SGP Neo Hybrid EX but is about the same as the Apple bumper. And I can confirm that button response is the worst of any case I've tried so far. This is my favorite case for looks. And it's great finger exercise.

I also have the SGP Neo Hybrid EX in Satin Silver and Reventon Yellow. The EX in silver is nice looking but not as clean as the naked look of the black Hula. The silver plastic doesn't really imitate the iPhone stainless steel antenna that well. The yellow Neo Hybrid EX is my favorite case right now. The slightly rounded edges soften the feel of the iPhone4 and make it more comfortable to hold. The button response on the EX cases is the best of any case I've tried. So, the Neo Hybrid EX gets an A+ for ergonomics. The rubber lip doesn't provide as much grip as the hula but I wouldn't call it slippery. The two piece design is easy to put on and has a great, tight fit. I think SGP has really nailed all their colors with rich vibrant looks.

 

[JBalls]

I actually don't have my camera with me but I will be able to get it tomorrow and take better pictures. The only thing I had was my crappy webcam so the pics are horrible but you can sort of get a general idea of how the rubber is not as thick on the hula.

Here are some good pics of the hula but it isn't black...
http://www.gadgetmac.com/gadgetmac/2010/10/1/case-mate-hula-iphone-4-case.html

Also, here is a good video by larrygreenberg that shows the differences between the cases. I know that he doesn't have the hula in black, but the black hula case has the same look as the orange one in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPbCaTLxis

I'll try to get better pictures tomorrow for you.

Don't worry about it, those pics are more than adequate. I think i'll be making a purchase soon. Thanks!

 

[corykane]

Don't worry about it, those pics are more than adequate. I think i'll be making a purchase soon. Thanks!

Sounds good. Glad I could help!

 

[dinesh89]

Just wanted to give my opinion on some by bumpers ive tried and reviewed.

Apple bumper- looks great, buttons are really clicky and nice but it lacks a tight fit. pricey.
Review: http://gadgettrooper.com/2010/09/26/apple-bumper-reviewed-finally/


Scosche bandedge- looks brilliant, polycarbonate frame is great ( i dropped my phone with it on the road and the case took in a tiny dint which was great), comes with screen protectors so its slightly more valuable. I personally had issue with the black rubber top lear pealing, don't know if it was just mine. buttons are slightly hard to press and injection mark puts some people off.


Sgp neo hybrid- excellent value considering its gives you steinheil front and back protectors. Looks amazing, hands down best bumper i've owned. Frame is very thin so care must be taken when putting on and off. Its a 2 piece case too.
Review: http://gadgettrooper.com/2010/10/21/sgp-neo-hybrid-ex-review/


Case mate hula- great colors, best value for money case, looks good but not as good as the sgp. Comes with screen protectors too. looks exactly like the scosche but is more refined.

 

[awtryau89]

Going to pick up a Hula today from Case-mate. I like the case for the see-through design. When lgreenberg gives it a stamp of approval, its a good case.

 

[princesultan]

i really like the look of the hula, but the poor button responsiveness is making me shy away.

 

[awtryau89]

Going to pick up a Hula today from Case-mate. I like the case for the see-through design. When lgreenberg gives it a stamp of approval, its a good case.

Couldn't make it to Case-mate but I picked up a Griffin from Best Buy. Its going back. The buttons are nearly impossible to press and provide no feedback. Is the Hula the same way? If so, I'm staying away as well.

 

[Meltdownblitz]

Honestly the casemate hulas buttons is a personal preference. To me and alot of other people, the buttons really aren't that bad. They are responsive, could they be better? Of course they could. But as of now I don't see a problem with them, they work just fine. Just my 2 cents. Right now this is by far my favorite case, although I might pick up a neo hybrid ex and give it a shot and see what all this good talk is about.

 

[danielveeee]

Any retail stores sell the hula? Really want one this weekend.

Also anyone have or seen the red one? No pictures/ reviews of it

 

[tombee]

Got my 2nd Hula this weekend.
Had the white...didn't care for the look, so got a black and LOVE IT!
truly looks like a naked phone.
love that all the ports are so accessible. the plug jack fits all my 3rd party plugs, plenty of room with the headphone plug hole and the mute button is much easier to manipulate than the apple bumper.

I don't have any problem with the volume buttons. if I wouldn't have read peoples complaints above, wouldn't have even thought about it. it works fine with a firm push.

finally found the perfect case for me

 

[rapaleeman]

Couldn't make it to Case-mate but I picked up a Griffin from Best Buy. Its going back. The buttons are nearly impossible to press and provide no feedback. Is the Hula the same way? If so, I'm staying away as well.

I don't want to burst your bubble but the Hula is virtually identical to the Griffin.

 

[princesultan]

i have a casemate gelli or incipio ngp that i would trade for a black hula if anyone was interested.

 

[scott99]

I have to say, I absolutely loved my black Case-mate Hula when I first got it, it was the perfect bumper type case that still showed off the beautiful form factor of the iPhone 4. BUT, and this is major, the black rubber starts to peel off pretty fast. I have big chunks of black rubber missing from the case, and black specks get onto the screen (which is quite annoying, and tough to get off the screen). Plus, this isn't happening because I keep the phone in my pocket, I never do, I have a hip holster that I keep the phone in, I can only imagine that is would be even worse if you keep the phone in your pocket, and keep taking it out, probably would make the rubber disintergrate even faster.

Sorry to say, Larry Greenberg should do an updated review of this case after a weeks use. He'd change his tune. I love the idea of the case, not the actual performance. I still use it because of how nice it looks, but it's starting to look like crap, and make me angry.

 

[Rooskibar03]

I have to say, I absolutely loved my black Case-mate Hula when I first got it, it was the perfect bumper type case that still showed off the beautiful form factor of the iPhone 4. BUT, and this is major, the black rubber starts to peel off pretty fast. I have big chunks of black rubber missing from the case, and black specks get onto the screen (which is quite annoying, and tough to get off the screen).

I've been using the Scosche version of this case and the same thing is happening with mine. I finally took a knife and scraped all the loose rubber. It looks good for now, but it shouldn't have to be done.

 

[djransom]

I had the Scosche and returned it due to the buttons just being way too stiff. It was a nice case, but wasn't worth the hassle with the buttons.

 

[Meltdownblitz]

I have to say, I absolutely loved my black Case-mate Hula when I first got it, it was the perfect bumper type case that still showed off the beautiful form factor of the iPhone 4. BUT, and this is major, the black rubber starts to peel off pretty fast. I have big chunks of black rubber missing from the case, and black specks get onto the screen (which is quite annoying, and tough to get off the screen). Plus, this isn't happening because I keep the phone in my pocket, I never do, I have a hip holster that I keep the phone in, I can only imagine that is would be even worse if you keep the phone in your pocket, and keep taking it out, probably would make the rubber disintergrate even faster.

Sorry to say, Larry Greenberg should do an updated review of this case after a weeks use. He'd change his tune. I love the idea of the case, not the actual performance. I still use it because of how nice it looks, but it's starting to look like crap, and make me angry.

Try letting them know, I'm sure they would send you a replacement.