iNature Refill+ Plus Battery Case for iPhone 4S Review

Your probably wondering why I’m reviewing this hot drink cup next to the iPhone 4s. Well technically it is a hot drink cup, but the goodies are inside the package. It’s actually a snap-on case with a battery pack! There are tons of battery cases out there, but this one from iNature is definitely a little different. iNature's Refill+ battery case isn't the first unique case we've reviewed. The company's Kiano 4 keyboard case brought an amazingly ultra thin, slide-out backlit keyboard to the iPhone. So does this battery case live up to the fancy cup packaging? Hit the jump to find out!

Inside this sleek packaging you will get the snap-on case, which is designed to fit both iPhone 4 and 4s, the actual battery pack - backpack if you will, and the USB charging cable. At first glance you would think this entire ensemble is a little weird, but the functionality of the case with battery back is something you will enjoy. I say this because you don’t always have to use the battery. You can just use the snap on case by itself, and use the battery pack addition when needed.

The iNature Refill+ case comes in a few different colors and battery size options. Color choices are black coffee, vanilla, green tea, and chocolate. The picture you see is the green tea version with the 1x 1800 mAh battery. The case itself feels great in the hand and gives a great feel of protection when holding your phone.  The camera cutout, mute switch, and volume cutouts are edged to perfection. I did however, get a few washout photos from the camera cutout. The case is slim and adds no bulk at all, which reminded me of the Incase Snap case. Only negative about the case is the no lay-on-the-table design that keeps the front screen protected, which is only personal preference.

Now let’s get to the main part of the case, the battery backup part. iNature says the 1800 mah battery will give you 342 hours of standby time and 8 hours of talk time. That assessment is spot on. I abused the phone all day and night and was not able to drain this battery. The battery itself is magnetic and fits into the slot on the snap case. The battery has a LED indicator to let you know how much juice it has and when it’s needed to charge back up. With the battery on the case it feels a little thick in the hand, but like I said earlier, you don’t have to leave the battery on the case always. You can keep it in your bag and use it when needed.

So is this battery case worth the $89 price tag? It’s going to boil down to personal preference, but I personally didn’t go crazy about it. I was actually more excited using the hot drink cup more than the snap case itself. It was nice don’t get me wrong, but the whole magnetic battery pack with hanging 30 pin connector wire wasn’t the best design. Check out the iNature.hk online shop for more info and the design concept.