Silk Innovations is a pretty cool case maker out of Austin, TX. They have a fun personality and they recently sent me four cases for the iPhone X; two wallet style cases and two more traditional style cases.
I recently did a Part 1 of this review which focused on the wallet style cases from Silk. In Part 2, we’ll look at the more traditional style cases.
Quick disclaimer: All cases from Silk include a screen protector, but I didn’t try any of them. It’s not really practical for me to try out four different screen protectors for the purposes of this review and I really didn’t want to remove the one I’m currently using so don’t hate me. I will say that from just holding and looking at them, I wasn’t that impressed. It’s cool that they included them though so you at least have something if want to use it.
Silk iPhone X Traditional Cases
In the world of iPhone cases, every manufacturer tries to differentiate themselves in some way. There are quite literally tens of thousands of cases out there and if you don’t do something to make yourself stand out, you’ll quickly fade into oblivion. Finding a good mix between protection and good looking design is tough, but I think Silk has done a pretty good job here.
PureView for iPhone X - The Queen of Diamonds
Shine Bright Like a Diamond
The Good Stuff
This case is a pretty typical style of iPhone case. It’s a TPU case that you slide onto your phone to help protect it from the big bad world. The buttons are covered and Silk claims that the case actually provides better tactile response from the buttons. I couldn’t really tell. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. The mute switch is left uncovered though but unlike other cases that don’t really leave much room for you to use the switch, Silk leaves plenty of room. It’s not too much room, but just the right size. There are also cutouts on the bottom for the charging port and the speakers which have plenty of room as well. Some case makers cut the hole for the lightning port too small not allowing you to use third party cables. Silk doesn’t have that problem. I was able to charge my phone with all the third party cables that I use. It is also perfectly compatible with wireless charging.
As far as protection is concerned, I’d say it’s pretty good. It’s a little slim so don’t expect it to survive a fall off of the Empire State Building but it does have plenty of grip so it shouldn’t go flying out of your hand, unless you of course decide to throw it against the wall. It should survive the pocket drops or slides off the table just fine. Remember, if the phone falls face down or lands on a “sweet spot” it still may suffer damage. Don’t get mad at the case for that. The case also does have a lip on the front which keeps the phone from being scratched when laid face down so that’s always nice to see.
Annoying Rihanna song aside, the coolest part of this case is honestly the design. It is called the Queen of Diamonds due to entire back of the case being encased entirely in diamonds! And for only $14.99! Ok, if you haven’t figured it out yet, they aren’t real diamonds-it is a diamond pattern stretching across the back. They may not sound like much but you can see from the pictures that it’s actually pretty cool. At least I think it is. It’s not a pattern I see a lot and I think it’s done well here. You can obviously judge for yourself but I’m a fan. Unfortunately, you can only get it in one color, Crystal Clear.
The Not So Good
Really the only thing I can say here is that it doesn’t fit quite as tightly as I would hope. Basically this just means that the sides of the case pull away from the phone a little easier that I would like. I’ve noticed this across most of Silk’s cases (I guess Silk gets around…) so I think it’s just a matter of design across the company. Your phone won’t fall out of the case, but it’s a little looser that it should be.
I will say one other thing though; this case suffers from probably my biggest annoyance about TPU cases. The material is super sticky trying to get in and out of the pocket but if that doesn’t bother you, then go for it. It makes me want to punch a hole in the wall, but thankfully, you aren’t me.
Pros:
Cons:
The PureView Case is $14.99 which is perfectly reasonable for this type of case.
Silk Armor for iPhone X - Guardzilla!
Protection with Style
The Good Stuff
This is by far the most protective case that Silk offers for the iPhone X. It’s a two tone, two material case that gave me pretty good peace of mind while on an outdoor, lake-side film set for two days. I had my iPhone for less than a week when I went out to this set and honestly wanted a case that would keep my brand new, $1200+ iPhone protected. Silk came through for me beautifully.
The sides of this case is made from a very grippy, protective rubber that I have absolutely no doubt would survive some pretty good falls. It will also keep your iPhone very secure in your hand without concern. Again silk claims that this case will improve tactile response from the physical buttons and this is the one case I tested where I found that claim to be true. The buttons have a very satisfying response when inside this case. This case is also the only one that comes with a glass screen protector but as I stated earlier, I didn’t test it out. If I were to test one of them though, this would be the one. As with all their other cases I’ve tried, this one allows for wireless charging so no worries there.
Across the back is a cool looking hexagonal pattern that I think contrasts nicely with the black, uber protective grippy sides. This case actually broke the trend that I was seeing with the other Silk cases and it fits quite tightly around the iPhone. That doesn’t mean that it’s hard to get on and off, it just means that there is very little variance or give around the sides of the phone. That’s especially reassuring to see in a case that is supposed to be very protective. Once again the lip on the front is also there to protect the phone when it lays face down on a table.
The Not So Good Stuff
I don’t really have anything negative to say about this case. I could say that the design isn’t the best looking but it’s not trying to be the prettiest belle at the ball. This case is designed for protection. Also, the grippy texture on the sides is a little annoying sliding in and out of the pocket, but it’s not a deal breaker and if you need that extra protection, that’s something you’ll learn to live with very quickly.
Pros:
Cons:
The Silk Armor case comes in two colors Crystal Clear, and Crimson Red for $19.99. Totally reasonable price for a case like this.
You can pick up both cases from Silk’s website here.
I recently did a Part 1 of this review which focused on the wallet style cases from Silk. In Part 2, we’ll look at the more traditional style cases.
Quick disclaimer: All cases from Silk include a screen protector, but I didn’t try any of them. It’s not really practical for me to try out four different screen protectors for the purposes of this review and I really didn’t want to remove the one I’m currently using so don’t hate me. I will say that from just holding and looking at them, I wasn’t that impressed. It’s cool that they included them though so you at least have something if want to use it.
Silk iPhone X Traditional Cases
In the world of iPhone cases, every manufacturer tries to differentiate themselves in some way. There are quite literally tens of thousands of cases out there and if you don’t do something to make yourself stand out, you’ll quickly fade into oblivion. Finding a good mix between protection and good looking design is tough, but I think Silk has done a pretty good job here.
PureView for iPhone X - The Queen of Diamonds
Shine Bright Like a Diamond
The Good Stuff
This case is a pretty typical style of iPhone case. It’s a TPU case that you slide onto your phone to help protect it from the big bad world. The buttons are covered and Silk claims that the case actually provides better tactile response from the buttons. I couldn’t really tell. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. The mute switch is left uncovered though but unlike other cases that don’t really leave much room for you to use the switch, Silk leaves plenty of room. It’s not too much room, but just the right size. There are also cutouts on the bottom for the charging port and the speakers which have plenty of room as well. Some case makers cut the hole for the lightning port too small not allowing you to use third party cables. Silk doesn’t have that problem. I was able to charge my phone with all the third party cables that I use. It is also perfectly compatible with wireless charging.
As far as protection is concerned, I’d say it’s pretty good. It’s a little slim so don’t expect it to survive a fall off of the Empire State Building but it does have plenty of grip so it shouldn’t go flying out of your hand, unless you of course decide to throw it against the wall. It should survive the pocket drops or slides off the table just fine. Remember, if the phone falls face down or lands on a “sweet spot” it still may suffer damage. Don’t get mad at the case for that. The case also does have a lip on the front which keeps the phone from being scratched when laid face down so that’s always nice to see.
Annoying Rihanna song aside, the coolest part of this case is honestly the design. It is called the Queen of Diamonds due to entire back of the case being encased entirely in diamonds! And for only $14.99! Ok, if you haven’t figured it out yet, they aren’t real diamonds-it is a diamond pattern stretching across the back. They may not sound like much but you can see from the pictures that it’s actually pretty cool. At least I think it is. It’s not a pattern I see a lot and I think it’s done well here. You can obviously judge for yourself but I’m a fan. Unfortunately, you can only get it in one color, Crystal Clear.
The Not So Good
Really the only thing I can say here is that it doesn’t fit quite as tightly as I would hope. Basically this just means that the sides of the case pull away from the phone a little easier that I would like. I’ve noticed this across most of Silk’s cases (I guess Silk gets around…) so I think it’s just a matter of design across the company. Your phone won’t fall out of the case, but it’s a little looser that it should be.
I will say one other thing though; this case suffers from probably my biggest annoyance about TPU cases. The material is super sticky trying to get in and out of the pocket but if that doesn’t bother you, then go for it. It makes me want to punch a hole in the wall, but thankfully, you aren’t me.
Pros:
- Good looking design
- Grippy texture
- Slim but still protective
Cons:
- Looser fit than it should be
- Only comes in one color
The PureView Case is $14.99 which is perfectly reasonable for this type of case.
Silk Armor for iPhone X - Guardzilla!
Protection with Style
The Good Stuff
This is by far the most protective case that Silk offers for the iPhone X. It’s a two tone, two material case that gave me pretty good peace of mind while on an outdoor, lake-side film set for two days. I had my iPhone for less than a week when I went out to this set and honestly wanted a case that would keep my brand new, $1200+ iPhone protected. Silk came through for me beautifully.
The sides of this case is made from a very grippy, protective rubber that I have absolutely no doubt would survive some pretty good falls. It will also keep your iPhone very secure in your hand without concern. Again silk claims that this case will improve tactile response from the physical buttons and this is the one case I tested where I found that claim to be true. The buttons have a very satisfying response when inside this case. This case is also the only one that comes with a glass screen protector but as I stated earlier, I didn’t test it out. If I were to test one of them though, this would be the one. As with all their other cases I’ve tried, this one allows for wireless charging so no worries there.
Across the back is a cool looking hexagonal pattern that I think contrasts nicely with the black, uber protective grippy sides. This case actually broke the trend that I was seeing with the other Silk cases and it fits quite tightly around the iPhone. That doesn’t mean that it’s hard to get on and off, it just means that there is very little variance or give around the sides of the phone. That’s especially reassuring to see in a case that is supposed to be very protective. Once again the lip on the front is also there to protect the phone when it lays face down on a table.
The Not So Good Stuff
I don’t really have anything negative to say about this case. I could say that the design isn’t the best looking but it’s not trying to be the prettiest belle at the ball. This case is designed for protection. Also, the grippy texture on the sides is a little annoying sliding in and out of the pocket, but it’s not a deal breaker and if you need that extra protection, that’s something you’ll learn to live with very quickly.
Pros:
- Solidly protective
- Good, grippy texture
- Fits well onto the phone
Cons:
- Design isn’t the prettiest
- Grip sticks in the pocket
The Silk Armor case comes in two colors Crystal Clear, and Crimson Red for $19.99. Totally reasonable price for a case like this.
You can pick up both cases from Silk’s website here.
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