C4 Labs Review

Zebra Black Ice Case For The Raspberry Pi

My latest open source efforts have been almost exclusively devoted to the Raspberry Pi. Over the years I have developed a strong affinity for this little powerhouse of a computer, but was never particularly pleased with the choices for housing the unit. 

I have gone from no housing at all, just letting it sit on my lab bench, to trying several of the inexpensive ABS cases available on the market.  I was never pleased with any of these choices. The "naked bench top" approach always left the computer exposed to mayhem, and the ABS cases never fit quite correctly, making installing and removing the SD cards difficult, not to mention removing the board from the cases, an exercise in frustration.

So I went on a quest for a quality case and found the C4 Labs family of products. I purchased a Zebra Black Ice case and was immediately impressed with both the physical design and the design aesthetics. You do have to assemble the case, which takes about 10 minutes, but it is well worth the effort. The case not only provides substantial protection for the RPi, but is truly a thing of beauty. Its rounded corners, and color accent make me smile each time I see or pick up the case. That is not something I had ever gotten from working with the RPi before.

The case comes with a set of heat sinks, as well as a set of soft feet. It allows access to GPIO pins, the DSI display connector and CSI camera connector. It provides for air flow on both the top and bottom, and has holes for screw mounting the case if desired.

If that wasn't enough, C4 Labs provides wonderful, personal,  customer service. I had some questions and not only were they answered and resolved quickly, but C4 Labs went over and beyond to make sure that I was satisfied. This is a rare thing these days.

I highly recommend this case for its protection, design integrity, quality construction, and aesthetics. If you too want to smile when you use your RPi, check out C4 Labs cases.

NOTE: I am not an employee of C4 Labs, nor have they solicited for this review, I am just one happy customer.