| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent grip texture and edge ridges | Fails face-first drop test |
| Lightweight at only 44g added | Weak rigidity (73% below average) |
| Good button alignment and screen access | Below-average MagSafe strength (8–9.6 N) |
| Affordable and compact design | Camera-lump impact 30% higher than average |
The Smartish Gripmunk is one of those cases that proves you don’t need to spend a fortune to get great everyday usability. It’s small, light, and surprisingly grippy so much so that it almost feels like the little brother of the Gripzilla. But here’s the twist: despite being thinner and lighter, it actually performs better in some protection tests. After dropping this case over 30 times in our lab, including face-first and corner drops, we found that Smartish has done something interesting here. They made a fun, affordable case that’s great to hold, even if it’s not the one you’d want in a serious drop.
How We Test
30+ drops per case | 6+ metrics recorded per impact | 100% independently tested
Our goal is to find out what cases are actually best for your iPhone. We don’t base our reviews on any of the marketing a company wants you to believe. We’re reviewers, not influencers.
Our case testing procedure for the iPhone 17’s:
- Buy the case ourselves
- Measure all the physical dimensions of the case:
- Weight
- Size
- Back rigidity
- Corner/Back Thickness
- Corner compression
- Rank the handling and access of the iPhone in the case
- Perform magnetic strength tests using a force meter
- Perform audio tests (if needed using a DB meter)
- Perform 30 corner, face and camera lump drop tests. This data is collected from the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. We’ve built custom drop rigs to ensure every drop almost identical. To gauge the iPhone’s protective abilities, we measure:
- Average peak deceleration
- Average decay rate
- Average impulse
- Average max rotation
- Average angular displacement
- Average settling time
- After we collect all the data, we then run it through or scoring formula to figure out how well the case ranks.
We’ve got a few more ideas to implement for the next round of iPhone’s including more data collection during drops as well as high speed camera photos of the initial impacts.
Design
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 44 g | 45 g |
| Added Case Thickness | 45% | 51% |
| Added Overlook Bulk | 55% | 66% |
The Smartish Gripmunk feels like the smaller, lighter sibling to the Gripzilla. It adds just 44 grams to your iPhone, increasing overall bulk by about 55%. Despite being compact, it’s packed with Smartish’s signature personality — a grippy finish, ridged sides, and a minimal look that keeps your iPhone feeling more “ready to grab” than “locked in armor.”
Accessibility & Handling
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Abrasive matte finish with edge ridges — excellent hold | – |
| Buttons | Integrated; slightly squishy, no dedicated camera button | – |
| MagSafe Strength | Pull 8.0 N / Push 9.6 N | 10.1 N |
When it comes to handling, Smartish continues to lead. The Gripmunk’s texture borders on abrasive, but that’s exactly why it works. The edge ridges lock into your fingers, so it’s almost impossible to fumble your phone even during one-handed use. Button tactility is decent. Smartish aligns its integrated buttons close to the iPhone’s actual ones, though they still feel a little squishy. Screen access is excellent thanks to the nearly flush lip around the display, and side edges remain sturdy without bowing out.
Unfortunately, MagSafe performance isn’t great. We measured 8 N for pull and 9.6 N for push which is about 8% below average. It’ll still hold to MagSafe chargers, but you’ll need to be mindful when snapping accessories on or off.
Protection
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Back Thickness | 2.5 mm | 2.4 mm |
| Corner Thickness | 2.0 mm | 2.9 mm |
| Air Pockets | Present | 10.1 N |
| Rigidity | 7.8 N | 29 N |
| Initial Impact | 9.428 G | 10.3 G |
| Rotation Rate | 332.14°/s | 300°/s |
| Time to Settle | 0.560 s | 0.53 s |
| Settling Rate | 0.137 s⁻¹ | 0.24 s⁻¹ |
| Total Force | 1.383 Ns | 1.5 Ns |
Here’s where the Gripmunk starts to show its limits. Corner thickness comes in at 2 mm with very shallow air pockets, and the back panel measures 2.5 mm which is thinner than most rugged competitors. Rigidity testing revealed it only took 7.8 N to flex 8 mm, which is 73% below average. In short, this thing is floppy.
During corner drop tests, the iPhone experienced 9.4 Gs but still 3 Gs lower than the Gripzilla, which is impressive for a smaller case. However, the rotation rate was 15% higher, and it took 40% longer to settle, suggesting a bit of bounce after impact. The total force ended up 4% lower overall, likely because the thinner TPU corners distributed impact more evenly rather than rebounding sharply like the Gripzilla.
But it’s not all good news. The Gripmunk failed the face-first drop test which is something we expected given its low clearance and soft camera-top area. For camera-lump drops, the story gets worse: the initial impact measured 30% higher than average, and total force was 7% higher. That’s not a case you’d want protecting your expensive lenses.
Value
At its price, the Gripmunk sits firmly in the “budget-friendly” zone. You’re paying for great grip and comfort, not tank-level protection. It’s the kind of case that feels awesome in hand, adds barely any weight, and costs far less than premium models but it also doesn’t inspire confidence in hard drops or camera protection. For users who rarely drop their phones, that might be a fair trade-off.
Verdict
Would we buy the Smartish Gripmunk if we weren’t reviewers? Honestly, probably not. While it nails grip and ergonomics, its weak rigidity and camera-drop failures keep it from being a top pick. Still, if you want a thin, comfortable case that won’t slip out of your hands and you’re not prone to dropping your phone often, the Gripmunk could be a decent everyday choice just don’t mistake it for the Gripzilla’s toughness.