The ClearBoost iPhone case might save your bacon when you find yourself with a weak wireless signal.

You usually find mobile phone signal-booster antennas for sale in drugstores and truck stops. The concept is simple enough. Place a copper antenna on the back of your phone, and, like extending the bunny ears on your old-school TV, you get a better signal. Griffin takes that underlying concept, wraps it in a rugged case for the iPhone, and actually makes it work. 

The antenna did indeed boost the signal of our iPhone in areas where AT&T’s coverage was spotty. If your home or workplace is one of those spots where iPhone owners wander around desperately trying to grab a few more bars of reception, the ClearBoost can help. In our tests, stationary calls in trouble areas resulted in better reception and clearer phone calls with the ClearBoost’s help. In addition to better call reception, the EDGE mobile network seemed slightly zippier. Just don’t expect miracles. The case can’t make AT&T’s signal magically appear in areas with no coverage.

While stationary on-foot calls got a little extra something, driving with the ClearBoost case resulted in no noticeable difference in mobile reception, and we still experienced drop-outs in areas prone to dropped calls.

The rugged case protected our iPhone from a short drop and didn’t impede typing on the device. All the iPhone’s buttons were easily accessible and the slim form factor fit easily into our pocket. A nice surprise was the rubber that encases the actual antenna and runs the length of the case: It produced just enough grip to keep our iPhone from sliding on the dash during normal, non–“Fast and the Furious” driving. The biggest drawback was the antenna nub at the top of the case. The antenna sticks out about 3/4 inch, and, while it’s essential for increasing your phone’s reception, it detracts from the clean aesthetic of the iPhone.