Amongst the cavalcade of smartphone and tablet case and accessory manufacturers, few companies distinguish themselves from the pack. id America is one of those companies. Based out of New York, id America’s philosophy lies within the heart of originality. id America states on its website “In a world that accepts ordinary, we seek to design the extraordinary.” After spending time with a few of their phone cases and having to answer droves of “Where did you get that awesome case!?” inquiries, it became obvious that id America was in a league of its own.
One of id America’s premiere phone cases is actually not a case. It’s called the Cushi–a soft foam pad with 3D graphics achieved by using high-definition moulds and advanced heat-press techniques. The result is a polychromatic slab of soft, cushy phone jubilation. While the Cushi is more of a fashion statement than an adequate suit of armor, the foam panel will protect the phone from scratches. Each Cushi case comes with six different customizable Home button protectors with different icons on them that correlate to the design. The protectors boosted the level of tactile feel, which vanquished that feeling all iPhone owners get when they have to organize an archeological dig to find the recessed Home button.
I was shipped the Cushi Rainbow design, but the company offers several different iterations from basic multicolored stripes to detailed Robotics designs. Installing the Cushi was easy as pie, thanks to the fact that the adhesive was very accepting of repositioning. I must have repositioned the Cushi 10 times before sealing it on, and it hasn’t gone anywhere. The Home button protector application was trickier, but again the adhesive was quite forgiving and sealed right on. Fortunately, the Cushi came with a transparent screen protector, microfiber cloth and squeegee for screen protection.
My only concerns with the Cushi centered around cleaning and exclusivity. Naturally, your phone will get dirty. I think a damp cloth is the way to go, but what about pen marks? Also, all id America cases are only available for Apple products, hence the iPhone 4/4S and iPad compatibility you’ll find on their site. Other than that, the Cushi is a radical piece of originality for your phone–it reminds me of something I’d find in Harajuku.
The Cushi pad is available for $11.99 from id America’s website.
