If you’ve been following my reviews here or on my YouTube channel, you know I’m a fan of cases and products made from recycled or reclaimed material. So when I came across the rPET case from Case-Mate, I knew I had to try it out.
rPET stands for “Recycled PolyEthylene Terephthalate”. PET is a consumer grade plastic most often found in beverage bottles. So as Case-Mate says, one bottle equals one case.
Here’s my video review of the rPET case.
The case itself is very thin. In fact it’s the same design as the company’s Barely There case, only it’s made from recycled plastic. So you know it’s not adding a lot of bulk to your iPhone if that’s a concern to you.
Another important note about the case is how glossy it is. It’s very slick. As I mentioned in my video review, I dropped my iPhone several times when I first started using the case because it slipped out of my hand when taking it out of my pocket or just picking it up. Thankfully the rPET case did its job and took all the damage, leaving my iPhone without a scratch or dent.
After the third time dropping it I was pretty frustrated and almost gave up on the case. But after a couple of days I got used to the glossy texture and haven’t dropped it in several weeks – however my case is damaged.
As for the cutouts and design of the case, you have easy access to all your ports and buttons. Because the bottom is open you’ll have no issues using whatever headphones you’d like. The rPET cases are also transparent so you can show off your fancy iPhone 5. They also come in a variety of colours. On Amazon you can get them in Blue, Black and Clear.
While my case is damaged, and I initially had concerns about it, this case has grown on me. I like its simplicity and I love the fact it is made from recycled plastic. Since I change cases so often, the rPET case is perfect because it easily snaps on and off.
But if you are concidering this case, I do want you to be aware of how slick it is. I should also point out, the rPET cases are available for the iPhone 4 and 4S.
Let me know if you’ve tried the rPET case or if it’s a case you’d consider trying.
