While I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, I was able to meet some great folks from OtterBox, a company from Fort Collins, Colorado that makes phone cases.

I was impressed with the selection I saw and was blown away because this American company makes cases for many popular Nokia models!  (For those unaware, Nokia has about 10% US market share, so for a US company to make accessories for Nokia phones is rare).

I requested a few samples to write up and here’s the skinny on OtterBox:

OtterBox is a small business who specializes in more rugged cases for devices.  They have cases for many brands of devices including Apple iPhone, BlackBerry, Nokia, HP, HTC and countless others.  Pretty much every popular model on these brands is covered.  Head over to OtterBox.com and use their phone selector right on the home page for more info.

The cases look really good – most are a flat black.  Some of the cases, like the Defender series, have a more rugged look, something you’d find in an REI.  OtterBox apparently wants their cases to give a sense of protection as well as accenting your mobile phone.

I received a case for a Nokia E71 in the Commuter model.  Along with the physical case for houses the phone itself, the Commuter also includes a screen protector, for even more protection.

Easy to Install

The cases I received only took about 1 minute to install my phone into.  In contrast, I’ve used some rubberized cases that take a shoe horn to wedge your phone or device into.  Not so with the OtterBox…you can easily tell when you utilize the Commuter or Defender series that the company has thought out the devices for an ease-of-use like no other.

I have dropped my E71 a few times on purpose to see how well the device is protected.  Granted, the E71 is pretty tough on it’s own, but the case ensured I had no dings or scratches on the device, even after dropping onto concrete, wood floors and onto a desk.

Quality Across the Line

I received samples for the Nokia E71, BlackBerry Storm, and Apple iPhone.  I did this so I could test ease-of-use, fit, and protection across these consumer and business phone lines.  In each case, the OtterBox cases performed wonderfully.

OtterBox cases give protection without adding too much bulk, and they look good for both business and personal use with your mobile phones.

Bottom Line

OtterBox makes very sharp and well constructed cases that add awesome protection to your beloved mobile devices.  Considering many of us pay many hundreds of dollars for our phones and want to help preserve their looks for years to come, I would recommend getting a case ASAP after you buy said device.

Whether you have an iPhone, Nokia, HTC, or Blackberry, give OtterBox an evaluation when you seek protection for your phone.