Review: TYLT Energi Sliding Power Case For The iPhone 5

Battery cases and battery packs have been something we here at Gadgetsteria have fondled and groped for years and years. There really isn’t something you can throw at us in this genre that will blow our minds. During our romp at CES 2013, Apple’s licensing rights for the Lightning connecter were up in there air, and literally every company we spoke to had some sort of complaint or back log of production because of the shit Apple was giving to them. Here we are in July, 6 months later and we are finally seeing a flood of iPhone 5 battery cases featuring the coveted Lightning connecter aboard a case or pack with a battery tucked somewhere inside. We just featured the myCharge Freedom 2000 and the Unu DX 5 for the iPhone 5, so let’s see what some other offerings are giving us in the same area…But is the $100 price tag really enough to make you want to not have to carry around that Lightning Cable?

Design

I’ve been using 3 different battery cases over the past couple weeks, each featuring a completely different way of giving your iPhone 5 the battery it deservers, and I’ll straight off the bat have to admit that TYLT has nailed it over the 3 different designs. MyCharge gives an odd battery pack type build to it, while the iBattz case I will review soon has a completely different approach, but the TYLT Energi is a two-piece design that is actually quite sexy and sleek giving it a build that will make almost anyone happy.

The Energi is a Slim-Line Case that isn’t thick and bulk that will snap on to your iPhone offering decent bump and bruise protection that will eventually slide into the built-in battery case that makes the Energi Power Case so awesome. The protective plastic case is light and slim giving your iPhone just enough protection from whatever you can accidentally throw at it and with just slide of the case you can transform it into a 2500 mAh battery that will finally make the iPhone a wonder in the battery field.

I’ve tried numerous cases over the years that have featured a dual-yielding case, but TYLT actually creates a product I enjoy using. The case by itself isn’t a crappy somewhat-of-a-try case that dumbs the iPhone down, it actually is good on its own. But once you slide it into the lightweight Energi battery portion of the case you have a thin and comfortable design that will make any battery-enthusiast happy. Adding only around 1/2 to the length and a 1/4 to the thickness, the iPhone and Energi case are almost beautifully complimented. Weighing in at an almost additional 3.5oz, the Energi case is actually one of the greatest things I’ve added to Apple’s Jesus phone to date. With nothing but a small power button and the TYLT logo on the back, it is actually the nicest design we’ve seen as well.

My main issue is with the protective inner case that slides into the battery pack… It makes it really difficult to get to the volume rocker and mute toggle. They are so embedded it is almost impossible to access without thinking. We do have easy access to the Sleep/Wake button as there isn’t any protection up there, and the rest of the phone is accessible with no issues.

Performance

This was the first battery case I have used for the iPhone 5, shortly after receiving this I was sent cases from multiple manufacturers, so I was eager to give TYLT’s offering a shot. After seeing all they had to offer during CES in January, I couldn’t wait to see what the Energi Case had inshore for me. After loving the case when putting it on, I was actually worried about the overall performance of the case. I gave it a full charge and let it reek havoc on my iPhone, giving it full range of charging and fueling my iPhone into the powerful frenzy that it craved. I drained my iPhone to 5% and finally hit the power button on the Energi case to see what it could do. After a couple hours I saw my iPhone at 100%, so I shut it down. Upon running it to 20%, I decided to turn it back on and regenerated it to around 50%. Giving my iPhone well over 1.25 of a charge is more than I could ask out the design TYLT has put forth.

I decided to go ahead and try this same test again, running the iPhone down to <10% and getting a full charge out of it, then finally running it to around 10 to 20% and getting it back up to >50%. This wasn’t more than impressive as it happened numerous times. I decided to trickle charge the case and my iPhone ran for what seemed like days. I had it at a 100% for over two days…twice. Granted I was busy and not fully using it, but for a light user for two days, I was impressed I had a >90% charge consistently.

The Energi case is definitely more than enough to satisfy any moderate to heavy battery user. Nothing will stand in your way when it comes to an iPhone charge.

Conclusion

With everything that is and will be flooding the market, you really have to choose your iPhone battery cases wisely. They aren’t cheap, and there is a lot to consider when making the purchase. How does it feel in your hand when holding for a long period of time. Does it recharge enough to make the purchase worth wild? After considering everything I can think of that would make me want to spend upwards of $100 on a case that will recharge my iPhone, I will have to 105% say the Energi case from TYLT is worth it.

It is so comfortable, offers a dual case design giving you the ability to not always have it connected, but close enough you can always slap it on. It isn’t obscenely bulky or heavy, making it uncomfortable to hold. It recharges adequately enough you would never be disappointed. The TYLT Energi case is by far one of the battery cases I’ve used since I’ve owned an iPhone. Except for the extremely difficult access to the volume and mute rocker on the side, there really is nothing that should keep you from spending the $100 for the case.

With a price range of $60-$100, TYLT is definitely on the higher side of the price tag, but in all honesty, I really can’t think of a better case to be worthy of that higher price tag. I’ve used a lot of cases over the years, and this is by far one of my favorites. The almost 1.5 charge you’ll get alone is worth it, but considering the design is gorgeous and it really feels good in your hands, $100 isn’t something to disregard. Considering the overall bad build quality of the highly regarded MyCharge, I don’t see why TYLT shouldn’t be your go-to purchase.

The Energi case ships in either Blue, Green or Red and they all carry a $99.99 price tag. The matte black color is gorgeous and almost worth every penny you’ll throw at it. Gadgetsteria highly recommends the energy TYLT has to offer.

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