Review: OtterBox Commuter TL iPhone 3G/3GS Case

I have reviewed the Commuter case from OtterBox and a lot of characteristics described in that review also applies to the Commuter TL case. If you haven’t read the Commuter case review please do so as it will help you decide between the Commuter and Commuter TL cases.

• No Integrated Screen: Like the Commuter case, does not have an integrated screen protection like the Defender.
• Slender: Much more slender than the Defender case (and about the same as the Commuter case) yet still providing a lot of protection all around. The Commuter case provides a bit more protection than the TL.
• Two Parts: soft rubber inner shell and translucent outer shell.
• Lint: The exposed rubber shell attracted a lot of lint from inside my pant pocket, similar to the Commuter and Defender case.

No Mid Section: This is one of the major differences between the Commuter TL case and the Commuter case. The outer shell of the Commuter TL case does not have a mid-section that hugs the rubber inner shell. This leads to a bit of looseness in the middle part of the iPhone.

• Dust Proof: Like the Commuter case it is dust proof with only a few parts exposed: the sound/buzz rocker, mic and speaker.
• Charge Connection Cover: Just like the Commuter case the TL had the same cover used to cover the connection on the bottom of the iPhone. This rubber cover takes just a bit more care to fit properly over the connection. And you’ll need two hands: one to keep the flap open and the other to connect the cable.
• Not Bulky But: I wear my jeans fairly loose and so added bulk to the slender iPhone doesn’t make it that difficult to access the iPhone. But if you wear tight clothing, then it might be best to put the iPhone with the Commuter TL case in your bag or jacket.

The overall design of the Commuter TL makes the iPhone look a bit different as the outer shell is translucent. I am sure there are people who would like this but for me I wasn’t that big of a fan. As you can see from the pictures the top part of the iPhone now looks too busy and I’d rather have a solid black.

Similar to the Commuter case from OtterBox, the Commuter TL case provides a lot of protection (a bit less than the Commuter) by using a dual soft-inner and hard-outer shell combination without adding a lot of bulk. I prefer the Commuter case as the outer shell hugs the iPhone on the sides and gives it a bit more protection than the TL. On the other hand, the Commuter TL’s design may be more attractive to you with the translucent outer shell.