I think that the Commander may be overkill for the average user, but it obviously is intended for more active use and abuse. It has a removable outer shell that snaps into place and surrounds the standard Otterbox rubber / hardback. That shell adds a sturdy clip-on and more protection – but more bulk. 

For the first week, that optional shell was left on the kitchen counter next to the charger. I noticed yesterday that it is now in the junk drawer, along with the box of wooden matches (for the electric stove?) and the colorful ball of rubber bands from the daily newspaper we stopped taking five years ago and the box of breath mints I got at a trade show booth in 1996, meaning that shell back will be seen again only when we redo the entire kitchen.

One element of the Commander that deserves respect is the screen shield. It is a solid piece of material, not a layer of film. Installation just needed snapping it into place as a step in assembly.

That feature stands out after I tried to install the the thin plastic film screen protector that came in the box with  on my otherwise excellent Commuter model case. The film has two paper tabs, one on each surface. 

One tells you “this side down.”  That tab and its backing peel off without leaving any residue, leaving the thins screen film and a tab that allows you to control the sheet without touching its clear surface. 

The problem is the upside tab. It de-laminates as you peel it off, leaving behind a layer of paper that covers the virtually permanent adhesive attached to outside of the plastic film.

It is the same adhesive that you find on “move your car” notices and prescription-bottle labels. I have yet to find a solvent for it and I have used some strong, even dangerous stuff. It still leaves a mess. As a result of my efforts at removing the sticky residue, that part of the screen protector is scratched and ugly. 

I wrote to Otterbox. They responded within 1/2 day and said I am being sent a 2-pack of screen protectors. I’ll will report back here if they are as dysfunctional as the original or if they are easier to install.

Other than that, the cases are excellent. They even feel secure in the hand while the understated design does not tart up the devices.