As with any new product from Apple, a lot of third-party products have hit the market for the Apple Watch. Because all versions of the Watch are rather expensive, many of these products have been protective equipment for Watch’s screen or case. The Bumper for Apple Watch from Actionproof is the “first bumper / shock absorber for the Apple Watch. The Bumper is not a cover; it offers momentary protection, making the Apple Watch ready for extreme use.” Even though it sounds as if the Bumper was designed for the Apple Watch Sport, it can actually be used with all versions of the Watch.
Right now, The Bumper is only available to fit the 42mm size. They sent The Gadgeteer Bumpers in all three of the currently available colors. I was selected to give them a try.
Tech specifications
- Made of hypoallergenic, “ultra resistant rubber” that offers 360° shock absorption
- High resistance to UV radiation, ozone, and outdoor exposure
- Temperature resistance: Min. -40°F / Max. 248°F
- Torsion and shock resistant
- Resistant to chemical aggressions
- Resistant to abrasion
The Bumper is available only for the 42mm Watch. It’s currently available in black, orange, and white only. As you can see in the above photo, the black and the orange have colored markers at the 12:00 position. If you enlarge the photo, you may be able to see that the white one has only a roundish discolored region at the 12:00 position. When I opened up the package, the white had a blob of orange color that was easily removed by lifting it off with a fingernail. It was the first Bumper I removed from the shipping bag, and I just assumed it had pulled some color off the orange one. That was not the case; the orange blob was apparently a poorly applied 12:00 marker on the white Bumper. The orange Bumper wasn’t missing any color.
Here’s the back of the Bumpers. You can see that a bar of the rubber extends to form a cage over the Digital Crown. The sides of this cage are open, so you can easily turn the Digital Crown while the Watch is wearing the Bumper. You can also see lozenge-shaped markings at the center top and bottom; they indicate the position of the buttons used to remove the Apple Watch’s band. On the right size of each Bumper are openings for the Watch’s microphone and speaker. And of course, the large center opening leaves the health sensors completely exposed.
This image (like the lead image) was borrowed from the Actionproof site. You can get an idea here of the bulk the Bumper adds to the svelte Apple Watch.
As you can see in these images, the black Bumper is a dust and dirt magnet. You can also see how the “cage” leaves the Digital Crown free so you can still twist it. You press the Digital Crown by pressing on the bar of rubber covering it. The position of the side button is clearly marked by the lozenge-shaped embossed button. You can use both of these controls easily enough while the Watch is wearing the Bumper.
The health sensors are completely uncovered, and the Watch performed its health monitoring functions as normal while wearing the Bumper. You can also clearly see the location of the strap-removal buttons and the openings for the microphone and the speaker. Both the speaker and the microphone performed perfectly while the Watch was wearing the Bumper.
The openings for the strap cover more of one side of the Watch than the other. There is still plenty of room on the more open side to slide in the band after you’ve put the Bumper on the Watch.
And here’s the strap in place.
Putting the Bumper on the Watch could be done with the strap in place, but it was much easier to get the Watch in the Bumper if you removed the straps first. It was easy to get the straps on after the Bumper is in place, too. That’s nice to know if you have a wardrobe of straps you periodically switch between.
The Bumper is actually on my husband’s Watch here. He has the 42mm size, while I have the 38mm size. The Bumper is just too big to fit the 38mm size, as expected.
Here’s the Watch in the Bumper. The glass crystal is left completely uncovered, but the sides of the Bumper come up high enough to offer some protection to the glass itself.
You can see the Actionproof name embossed on the left side of the Bumper. This is the only branding on the Bumper.
The Bumper complements the Sport band on my husband’s Watch Sport. He best liked the look of the black Bumper with his white band. He wore the Bumper on his Watch for several days. He says he does feel that it offers protection against bumps, and he said he would definitely put the Bumper on his Watch while traveling. He doesn’t like the extra bulk for his daily use in a sedate office, though, and he feels that it hides the beauty of the Apple Watch. While he won’t be wearing it on his Watch most days, it will be welcome protection for those days when he’s dashing around an airport trying to make his connecting flight.
Source: The Bumpers for Apple Watch used for this review were provided by Actionproof. Learn more at the Actionproof website.
Product Information
| Price: | $35.00 for each color |
| Manufacturer: | Actionproof |
| Retailer: | Actionproof |
| Requirements: |
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The bumper will leave scratches on the steel version ? after you removed?
I only have the aluminum Sport model, so I can’t address questions about the steel model. However, the Bumper is made of rubber, and it didn’t leave any scratches on the aluminum Watch. I don’t see how it could cause scratches, because it is so soft.
How snug does it fit while on the watch? Snug enough that it doesn’t shift while in use? Snug enough to keep dust and grime grime getting trapped between the watch and the case? So snug that it takes serious effort to get it on and off? I have a fairly active outdoor job, and find myself generally removing my watch while working to keep it from being damaged. My Fitbit Charge generally stayed on my wrist all day, as I wasn’t all that concerned with beating it up. Since my watch now comes off during my most active part of the day, I’m losing my activity tracking accuracy. if this case could protect it, I’d order it in a heartbeat. However, if it’s not snug enough to keep dust and grime out, but so snug that it takes considerable effort and stretching to remove it, it would soon show signs of the inevitable abrasions of dust trapped inside the case being forced across the face and body of the watch. I’d hate to scuff it up by trying to protect it from getting scuffed up. I bought and then returned the Epik watch case/band for that very reason.
It fits snugly enough that you have to work at getting it on or off, but not snugly enough to keep out dust and grit.