Silk Innovation was founded on the idea that products can be both ingenious and simple. We create innovative products that simplify your life through unique functionality. These products are designed to drive value, both in price and in your daily life.
It’s always an exciting day for me when I get to try out a new phone case, especially when it’s an up-and-coming manufacturer breaking its way into the phone accessory scene. For this review, I’m covering the new Base Grip Slim Case, by Silk Innovations. Silk Innovations is a company based out of Austin, Tx (Go Texas!), and they make a pretty decent assortment of cases for both Samsung and Apple devices. Not only do they support several different models, they have multiple designs as well, ranging from minimalistic cases to more protective styles.
The Look: Straight out of the box, I was really impressed with the color of the case. The Base Grip Slim Case comes in two different colors: Black, and Blue Jade. The case that I received is the Blue Jade color, and I like it a lot. I tend to shy away from more brightly colored cases, but for my Coral Blue S8+, the blue color wasn’t too much of a stretch for me to try it out. The presentation of the case is impressive for a sub-$12 case. I don’t usually associate this level of quality unless it’s something I find on a “deals” website, such as our very own Thrifter, or SlickDeals.net. Also, the packaging is simple and easy to get open, which I like (no pry bars or broken nails in the process!). Keep in mind, simple does not always mean cheap, or bad. Getting back to the design of the phone, the contours on the back of the case almost remind me of OtterBox with its defined outline and material shift on the backside of the case. The slight contouring blends very well with the overall material, and it isn’t a hard-plastic style cover so it doesn’t interrupt the smoothness of the design or scratch easily.
The Feel: The first thing you will probably notice when you take the case out of the box is that the material feels pliable, which is apparent when trying to install the case. One of the big selling points for some of the new Surface notebooks now is that you can open the screen with only one hand (which is amazing… and I want one). The reason I draw this comparison is because you can install the Base Grip case onto the device with only one hand as well, which is more alarming than it is convenient. The rigidity of the material and seal of the phone is a bit suspect, and I have had the corner slip off of my phone once, which I can't say is entirely the cases fault. When the corner of the case came off of my phone it was in my cargo pocket while I was out doing some fairly intensive work which required me to climb in and out of vehicles - emphasis on climb. However, the case has very good grip on the edges, and the rest of the surface is not very slippery, which is a plus (great job, Silk). In addition to the styling and the way the case fits onto the phone, the overall design is a little scaled back from other case models that I have used on my S8+. What does this mean? Well, the case doesn’t wrap very far around the front of the phone, which means that there is no overlapping bezel or screen buffer if you want to place your phone face-down on any surface. Additionally, it seems to make the case fit less securely on the phone, as was noted in my initial concern (less case, less to hold onto).
Security: Just to get this out of the way, the case doesn't provide very much security for drops. If I had to give a comparison, I'd say the level of protection is better than a Peel case, and about on par with other slim/thin style cases. As noted, the snugness of the case on the phone is less than my usual preference, and the lack of overlapping support for screen protection leaves me with a few concerns as well. However, this case isn’t designed to be a hefty, bulky, security blanket that will protect your phone from unforeseeable events of destruction. This phone case is designed to protect the sides of the phone, using its integrated air cushion and bumper support, as well as providing a physical barrier to the phone from scratches, keys, and normal every day surface abrasion hazards – it’s a minimalist case lovers dream. For all that I said that about the case that was worrisome in the previous section, in this section, I actually like most of it. I love to keep my phone and its form factor as natural as possible, meaning it’s not blocky, boxy, and morphed into a tank-like box with an LCD screen attached to it. The Base Grip case checks several boxes for me in form factor, as well as texture, and usability. In addition, the case doesn’t encroach onto the screen and risk messing up your screen protector, which was a huge problem with many early on cases. From day one, it was difficult enough to find a glass screen protector to fit, much less one that would work with a case on it. With the Base Grip model by Silk Innovation, you can put multiple styles of glass screen protectors on your phone and don’t have to worry about the case getting in the way.
For anyone interested, this is the glass screen protector that I used on my S8+: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071W2YDTW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - one great thing about this screen protector is that it comes with a tray accessory that clips onto the phone and makes it easy to install. FYI, the screen protector isn't on my phone right now because I fell asleep on my phone during the hurricane and it popped off... but I liked it enough that I ordered another.
Conclusion: I really like it! It has many of the qualities that I look for in a minimalistic style case, and it still manages to provide just enough protection for those accidental slips and drops that you might encounter around the home or office. The case is not MIL-SPEC rated or guaranteed to protect your phone from 3ft+ drops, but it is adequate if it slides off the coffee table or night stand when you’re trying to turn off your alarm clock. Again, the recessed design that leaves the screen more exposed is a concern, as is the lack of grip strength around the device, but so far they haven’t been issues. The best way to mitigate this gap in protective coverage is to keep a glass screen protector on your phone, and monitor the integrity of the case. All in all I think it should be ok, but I have only had it for a short while so I can’t say how it will hold up three to six months from now.
Pros:
- It’s lightweight, and really scores a lot of points for minimalistic style
- The price is great, ringing in at $11.99
- The grip on the phone and texture are very smooth, and enjoyable
- The air-cushioned bumpers provide incidental protection for the phone
Cons:
- The recessed case material around the screen does not provide very good protection
- The case grip on the phone itself may become loose with time
- It’s not overly protective, so you have to be careful with your device
- Lack of colors: only Black and Blue… I’d like to see more colors to compliment the device
If you’re interested in picking one up or taking a peek at Silk Innovations other case options, check out their website over at: Silk Innovation – The Base Grip Slim Case is currently priced at $11.99, and is available from Amazon.com (all of Silk Innovations case sales go through Amazon). As always, thanks for checking out my review. Feel free to comment or ask question in the comment section.
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