id America Cushi Dot Soft Foam Pad for iPhone 5 Review

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all photos by Kevin Stanford

What if I told you that you could stick a piece of 3D foam on the back of your iPhone, and that by doing so you could both protect your phone and make it a little bit more fun? Would you be interested? I was.

Id America makes protective 3D skins for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 called Cushi; they are available with colorful stripes, polka-dots, or an assortment of retro, cartoonish, and other graphic designs.

I was sent one of the “Original” collection, a design appropriately called, Owl. I happen to like owls, and the design is pretty cute (albeit holiday-oriented with its snowman, snowflakes, and ornaments), but at least we are in an appropriate time of year for that.

Inside the package are the instructions, the back Cushi cover, six different home button covers, a microfiber cloth, a clear front screen protector, and a squeegee.

The rear protector is simple enough to install; just line the camera hole up and make sure you keep the sides straight … and you’re done. You now have a puffy, colorful backer on your iPhone which will protect it from scratches and minor dings.

The screen protector is of the crystal-clear variety; you’ll want to make sure that you don’t get any dust or other debris under there during application, because it will show.

If you do get anything underneath, you can use a piece of scotch tape to lift up the corner closest and then use the sticky side of another piece of tape to grab the dust.

The final touch is to pick one of the six Home button covers; I liked the little black owl. It’s an added bonus that the Home button cover makes that button even easier to access.

You might think at first that there was a whole lot of cuteness going on but not much protection, but that’s only part of the story. Although the sides and corners aren’t protected from drops, and this isn’t a solution for an accident-prone teen or butterfingered adult, the front and rear protection is better than nothing for those who want their iPhone to be as thin as possible; people who might not otherwise use any protection at all.

I think that the Cushi is fun, and I like feeling the bumpy textures that now cover the back of my iPhone. If I get really nervous about those corners and sides, I can always add one of their Cushi Bands.

The id America Cushi Dot Foam Pad for iPhone 5 is available directly from the manufacturer.

MSRP: $14.95

What I Like: Cute designs offering front and rear iPhone protection; easy to apply; easy to remove; tons of 3D designs; relatively inexpensive compared to other skins

What Needs Improvement: No side or corner protection in drops

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.