The iBend is a clever piece of bendable plastic that supports your iPhone or iPad in a position suitable for watching videos.  I’ve reviewed both the iPhone and iPad versions before, so was pleased to hear the company was adding an iPhone case to its list of products.

The iBend EcoSnap is, at first glance, a traditional hard shell case that wraps around the rear and the sides of your iPhone.  However it’s actually another entry into the eco-friendly case genre, so rather than being made from polycarbonate or some such material, it’s actually been made from organic plant resin.

This means it’s 100% biodegradable, and if you don’t feel like throwing it away yourself when it comes to the end of its life, send it back to iBend and they’ll properly dispose of it and send you a discount on your next case.

It’s available in a dark Midnight and white Frost, and it’s the latter you see pictured below.  The Frost model is slightly translucent, and like similar cases encloses the rear and sides of your phone, while leaving the top, bottom and the volume controls uncovered for easy access.

You’ll have also noticed a cutout in the rear panel.  This is so you can slip an iPhone iBend between the phone and the case, and then slide it out with your thumb.  In reality, whether this works or not depends on if your iPhone has a protector over the rear glass panel, as any pressure placed on the iBend results in its refusal to move if you do.  If you haven’t got an iBend, then a business card could be used in the same way.

There are two things the EcoSnap case does very well – providing excellent corner protection for a case of this type, with sturdy, oversized edges that stretch round the iPhone; plus some substantial lay-on-the-table protection, which unlike the Boomslank case we looked at last week, has a pronounced lip all the way around the sides.

On the other hand, the EcoSnap isn’t the most inspired design we’ve seen, with only some simple branding on its base, and doesn’t match the flair of other similarly eco-friendly models such as the Bioserie case.  There were also some noticeable imperfections under the ‘skin’, with some dark streaks running from top to bottom and a small but unattractive ‘spot’ under the center split.  Both were most likely a by-product of the manufacturing process, and could be less noticeable on the darker Midnight model.

The organic material used to build the case feels solid though, with plenty of flex to suggest it’ll offer a good degree of protection after a short fall.  The packaging is minimal and fits in well with the environmental theme.

The EcoSnap will appeal to those wanting to cut down their carbon footprint and aren’t particularly concerned about flashy looks, but the conservative style may not convince those who normally wouldn’t buy this type of product to make the change. It’s yours for $24.95 and available directly from iBend’s dedicated EcoSnap site.

If you’re planning to order an EcoSnap case, enter the code ECOFREAK at the checkout for 20% off!