Woogie Case

When I received an email asking me if I’d like to review the Woogie, a huggable case for your iPhone/iPod Touch, I asked my kids if they’d like to help me with the review. One of them immediately said, “We’re getting a Wookie in the mail? Is it going to be Chewbacca?” After I’d let them down gently and explained that no Star Wars characters were being delivered I showed them the picture of the Woogie and got a “What is that??” response. Off to a great start! But…when the Woogie arrived in the mail my kids were immediately intrigued.

At first glance the Woogie looks like a bright green asterisks mark. When you pick it up you’ll discover it’s very soft and cuddly. The “arms” are smushy and filled like a bean bag. One of the arms contains a small speaker tucked inside with a cord coming out of the Woogie to attach to your device. A plastic, protective pocket has been sewn onto the Woogie’s center. This is where you would slide in your iPhone or iPod Touch. The idea is to protect the device in something that’s safe and appealing to children. When you add in the device the Woogie becomes a very entertaining stuffed friend.

My eleven year old was the first of my children to try out the Woogie. She took it to her room and I later found her cuddled up with it watching cartoons on the Netflix app. Once my eight year old saw what was going on she had to have a turn watching shows in bed too. My son tried playing a few apps while the iPhone was in the Woogie. He enjoyed it but I think he had a little trouble with the protective case. The device will register your touch through the case but you have to push down more than you would if it weren’t there. In my opinion the Woogie is excellent for watching videos, playing with storybook apps, and things along those lines. Games will also work fine, but it’s probably best to not play those that require precision tapping.

The last of my children to come to the Woogie party was my fifteen month old. I’ve only recently been showing her apps on phone, usually when we’re stuck somewhere waiting and I need an excellent distraction. When I sat her down in my lap and let her hold the Woogie she got pretty darn excited because that’s the closest she’s ever been to the screen. She kept bringing it up to her face but becuase of the plastic she was able to touch it without me panicking about teething drool or any other such incidents. I won’t be letting her drag the Woogie with my phone around the house anytime soon but it’s great to have another tool in my arsenal of distraction.

The Woogie comes from Griffin Technology, makers of a variety iPhone and iPod cases. Griffin has teamed up with Iceberg Kids, the developers of many great e-book apps for children. You can download a free Woogie app from Iceberg that contains a sampler of their Sesame Street e-books.

Woogie is absolutely a unique and very kid friendly case for your iPhone. If your house is like mine and it’s inevitable that your little ones are going to be near your phone this case is a fantastic idea. The entire concept is fun. Griffin has the Woogie listed at a retail price of $19.99 which seems completely reasonable to me. You’d pay at least that for a quality hard shell protective case. The Woogie is a whole lot cuddlier and you’ll feel much better about your kids handling it than a regular case. It’s been a very big hit at my house and I for one am thrilled it was a Woogie and not a Wookie that came in the mail.

See the Woogie online here.

Disclosure: I received a free Woogie for review purposes.