While the CandyShell is good looking and, having protected various phones from various falls, it does its job well, it also adds just enough thickness to the iPhone to make it less "pocket friendly" than I'd like. The case makes it just large enough that pulling it out of your front pocket when you're seated becomes quite a struggle. Again, not as bad as some cases I've tried, but not quite WWW (What We Want). Priced at around $27 the Speck CandyShell for iPhone 4S/4 gets a Gearhead rating of 4 out of 5.

A better solution, at least physically, are the . These cases are made of a tough and slightly stiff plastic called that can, it is claimed by Ballistic, protect your beloved iPhone from damage due to falls of up to 6 feet high (although onto what kind of surface I couldn't determine ... I'm assuming something like tile but, who knows, it could be something like custard).

This case is noticeably slimmer than many others and you get four sets of corner bumpers in different colors that allow you -- may the gods help me -- to "express yourself". To be fair, Ballistic doesn't use that phrase but it is the sort of thing that wild-eyed marketing types usually trot out for customizable products as if having pink bumpers instead of orange ones will be a major exercise in self-expression akin to getting tattoos on your entire body, shaving half of your head, and dying your remaining hair fluorescent pink ... but I digress.

My only problem with this case is that it takes conscious effort to press the iPhone's sleep/wake button on the top edge because the material over that button is a little too stiff. The volume buttons on the long side of the case are fine because the material is more flexible.

All in all though, I really like the Ballistic Lifestyle Smooth Series Cases for iPhone 4/4S and, priced at $15 (on Amazon), they are a good choice if you aren't brave enough to carry a naked iPhone. The Ballistic Lifestyle Smooth Series Cases for iPhone 4/4S get a Gearhead rating of 4 out of 5 (if the sleep/wake button wasn't so stiff I'd give 'em a 4.5).