Reviews for Apple iPhone 4 Bumper - Black

I was a little skeptical about purchasing this item, but I had gotten bored with using the Otterbox Defender case, which I love, but is a pain to take apart when I need to. So I thought I'd try this bumper so that I could occasionally use my Mophie Juice Pack Plus without major headaches.

I was wrong, the bumper looks great, I like the way it fits, and its minimalist approach to things works for me just fine. I think it could be about $10 less, though, which is why I can't give it five stars, but that's the only reason.

27 of 34 people found this useful

I am a minimalist when it comes to protective covers for the iPhone 4. I like the bumper design. It gives good protection if the phone is dropped, plus it leaves the beauty of the iPhone 4 intact for all to see. Also, I don't have an issue with the glass getting scratched. The bumper has raised edges that recess the glass about 3/32 of an inch. I don't like enclosing it in a case, or degrading the great display with protective film. I think a case and/or film defeats the purpose of purchasing a beautiful IPhone.
However, I do agree with one reviewer who said the bumper's rubber edge deteriorates over time. If, like me, you are constantly using a pocket to store your iPhone, then the rubber around the plastic frame will only last about a year before the rubber starts to dry out and tear. My wife's IPhone 4 bumper is now 20 months old and doing fine. I threw my bumper away after about 12 months. I have since cracked both the front and back displays and just recently replaced them both myself.
Lesson learned. After I finish writing this review, I am going to order another IPhone 4 Bumper just like I had before.

23 of 25 people found this useful

Looks great but I've had myne about 6 months and the bottom is cracked and the rubber is comming off at the top where it touches the plastic next to the headphone port. And it also scratches the stainless steel... But other than that it's a great case:)

15 of 18 people found this useful

The case is ok for what it is. It does protect pretty good and doesn't add bulk... Way over priced though.

12 of 14 people found this useful

I had an iPhone 3gs for years and converted to an iPhone 4s a couple of months ago. I like the phone so well that I wanted to keep it naked. Unfortunately, the back of the case got a little scratch during that time (about 2 weeks). I went out and looked for cases but I really wanted something that protected well but was not bulky. In the end, I opted for the bumper and I'm really glad I did. There are no more scratches since I put the bumper on. I removed it today to check for scratches on the edge of the iPhone, but there are none.

30 of 34 people found this useful

this case is very slick, light weight, durable and stylish. unfortunately, i find the missing back gets irritating at times and leaves your phone exposed.

21 of 23 people found this useful

I've owned my iPhone 4 and decided on the Bumper at the same time. It was free due to the issue of the antenna not functioning properly, Apple was offering the Bumper or $30 credit for a case. Having been a iPhone 3G owner for 2 years before getting the 4, I had the protector screen and rubber/plastic case. it survived well but was bulky.
Now the advantage of the bumper, even though it does fall apart, I'm here to replace mine as the rubber has ripped around the power cord about 3-4 months ago and has now started shredding around all the sides and the phone no longer sits safely in the Bumper, again back to the advantage of the bumper, is that it maximizes the protection of the phone with the minimal of intrusion to working the phone. It's very light weight. Is raised rubber edges allow the phone to not come into direct contact with a surface. Because of the minimalist design, it feels like its how the phone should have been manufactured.
Come on people, the iPhone is a smartphone. It's a tool. It's what you carry with you like your wallet and keys. Do you ever look at how much wear and tear those items take - so expect your phone to take some punishment too, but it's also well constructed to take that abuse. The bumper protects the places it needs it the most...it's edges. Plain a simple. But the best part is, the Bumper leaves the phone as naked as possible so you can touch its sexy smooth screen and back that are incredibly scratch resistant.
Last of all, i decided long ago to test the screen by not using a protector and has survived well. I am conscious of generally not putting the phone in my pocket with keys, coins or other metal objects, but i don't baby the phone either.
Is the Bumper overpriced - Yes, but isn't everything that Apple sells - but we will still buy it - because it works the best.

41 of 44 people found this useful

Would given a 5 if it didn't fall apart, would have given a 3 if it hadn't been free. I need another one, but $30, yeesh! I love the simplicity of it, the lack of bulk, the case doesn't detract much from the phone itself (since the "case" is also Apple). Despite it's seeming lack of coverage, it still protects well (until it falls apart), the rubber helps it stick on surfaces. Have had it for about a year now, the most crucial, and thus used, areas: the corners and the rubber on either side of the dock, have separated themselves from the rest of the bumper. Very annoying when flapping around below the home button, I ended up trimming the loose rubber. The bumper still stays on without this rubber, but it is not as well protected. The corners are the most critical, and just noticed yesterday that the are very tiny chips out of the glass on opposing corners on the back. Also, as I'm sure some people have mentioned, the metal does get scuffed, but I leave the bumper on all the time, so it isn't noticed.

19 of 23 people found this useful

I got this case Aug 2010 as part of the free case program. Nothing fancy, but a regular, ordinary looking bumper. Also, I wasn't very concerned about the lack of back coverage, since I got the Power Support film set.

PROS:
Despite making the iPhone look 'uglier', this bumper really does its job. I dropped my phone about 7x already and it's just fine. Mind you, the drops were only 2-3 ft drops, so I can't attest to whether the bumper can withstand higher drops, but seven times! There are numerous scratches on my bumper, especially at the corners because of the drops, but the phone itself is fine. Other reviews said the rubber part already started cracking and peeling after light use, but I've had this for a year and it's only started recently. I don't exactly take very good care of my phone or other electronics, so it's very surprising that my bumper has lasted this long while others (who do take care of their phones) complain the bumper isn't long-lasting.

CONS:
This bumper isn't perfect, however, as dust does tend to accumulate near the edges, but since I have Power Support film set on, this isn't a big deal. Just make sure to take the bumper off to clean the phone from time to time. Now...the MAJOR defect of this bumper, like many reviews have stated, is that this bumper SCRATCHES THE PHONE! It didn't for the first few months of use, but now I see black smudges and marks that won't come off on the silver band of the phone. They're noticeable, especially around the ring/vibrate button, the power button, the volume buttons, and the charger jack and speakers on the bottom. It's very disappointing that the bumper would do this and I hope Apple will do something about it (not very likely though).

RECOMMENDATION:
Based on my experience, yes I would recommend this bumper to iPhone users because it offers fairly heavy-duty protection for such a minimal case. If you're someone who drops their phone a lot, but don't want any scratches on their phone, then I suggest the Otterbox; but if you're someone (like me) who drops their phone and don't want a big fat ugly Otterbox case covering your phone, this is good enough. This bumper has lasted me a year and I'm ready to buy a new one--green this time!

36 of 38 people found this useful