Review: The Musubo Retro Case for iPhone 5 – Old School Can be Stylish

It’s no secret, I am an iPhone case fanatic. If I change my case once a week, I change it 5 times a week. I’m also a retro nut. I was a kid during the 1960s, so anything that reminds me of that era gets extra style points. Today I want to tell you about a case that I’ve had on my iPhone for 3 solid weeks now, the Musubo Retro Case for iPhone 5.

Overview

The Musubo Retro is a two layer case, with an exterior of a strong polycarbonate material, and an interior made with a durable silicone material. The outer shell is open on both ends to allow for the silicone to protect either end of your phone, and also allows easy access to your devices ports. The interior layer cradles your phone in a soft, yet durable layer, protecting the power button, and volume buttons. The mute switch is not covered, but is recessed, so you probably won’t be muting your phone by accident while using this case.

The stylish case comes in 5 colors: blue, black, silver, red, and white. My Retro was supplied to me in red. If you’re looking for admiring glances and comments, red is the way to go, I got all sorts of compliments while using this case, the red seems to remind folks of 50s and 60s hot rod cars.

The best aesthetic feature of the case is the back. The grill work on the back reminds most people of the old style microphones singers like Elvis Presley, or Johnny Cash used in their prime. The case has a round opening on the back that stylishly exposes the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone 5. It also gives a feeling of the front grill work on a 50s hot rod.

I had no problems connecting my iPhone to my USB sync cable while in the case, the supplied opening is more than generous enough to allow connecting. I was also able to charge my iPhone by using the Belkin Lightning adapter  charging cable I use in my car. The Belkin lightning connector is a little thicker than a standard Lightning connector, but it fit just fine with the case still on.

Verdict

If you want a stylish retro style case that looks good and still protects your iPhone 5 well, then the Musubo Retro Case is definitely one to take a closer look at. The case goes on and comes off easily, but stays put when you want it to. The silicone and hard plastic combination of cases gives two excellent layers of protection.

The price is about right for a case of this caliber, and I’d be hard pressed to find a case that offers this much protection that looks this good while doing it.

Rating:4.5/5[rating:4.5]

Price: $34.99 MSRP – Available at the Musubo website, or at Amazon.com for a substantial discount. [DIRECT LINK to Amazon.com]

Pros:

  • Damn this case looks good.
  • Easy on/Easy off, but stays put.
  • Two layers of protection.
  • Again, I love the retro look. You will get compliments on this case.

Cons:

  • More colors would be nice.
  • The silicone layer does attract some dust.
Chris Hauk

Chris is a Senior Editor at Mactrast. He lives somewhere in the deep Southern part of America, and yes, he has to pump in both sunshine and the Internet.