Incipio Stowaway case for iPhone review

A card compartment that doubles as a stand makes the the Incipio Stowaway a convenient travel case for your iPhone.

When I first saw the Incipio Stowaway case for iPhone I thought it was ingenious. Sometimes I'm out traveling or just shopping and don't want to carry my whole bag with me, so the idea of just having a place to store a few credit cards, IDs, and or some cash is very appealing. Whether you're a lady with a purse or a guy with a wallet, you know what I mean. Sometimes less is just less!

Back to the Incipio Stowaway case. It fits both the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4 and comes in black on black, blue on gray, orange on gray, and two tones of purple. It also comes in two parts -- a soft silicone core and a hard polycarbonate outer shell. That provides extra protection... but I'm not a huge fan of it in general. It almost always ends up being like a prophylactic that takes way too much time to put on perfectly. You have to literally go around all the edges and make sure they're properly positioned around and over the buttons, ports, and sides. If you don't, it just doesn't look right. I personally prefer cases where the two parts are fuzed together, they're faster and easier to take on and off.

Once you have the Incipio Stowaway case properly put on, the fun begins. The entire back is a hatch (yes, like in Lost) that opens up to reveal a small area that can fit some business cards, credit cards, ID cards, or a few bills. And I have to admit, the thought of a secret hiding place does bring a smile to my inner spy girl.

The hatch also doubles as a stand which works in both horizontal and vertical modes. (Of course, you have to take your cards out first or they'll fall out when you open the door to stand it on.)

The good

• Stowaway hatch is ingenious
• Hatch doubles as a stand
• Dual layers provide good protection

The bad

• Dual layers are fiddly to put on and take off
• Bulkier than a skin case

The bottom line

With a convenient compartment that not only lets you stash some cards or cash but doubles as a stand for movie watching, the Incipio Stowaway is an excellent travel case for your iPhone. While I'm not thrilled about every element of its execution, for those who like the extra protection of a dual layers design, it's a great alternative to more traditional, wallet-style cases.