The case itself does look like it provides some protection too. While I'm not going to throw my DS on my tile floor just to test it, it does look like it will provide protection from accidently dropping it or hopefully a dog getting a hold of it. You can tell what the big concern is in my house! Did I mention that it also comes with a new stylus? This stylus is also "armored." The three-sided armor on it makes it so that you can hold the stylus more like you would a regular pencil. It's quite a bit more comfortable than a normal stylus!
After you have the case on, I think that it makes the DS more comfortable to hold. It doesn't increase the size by too much, which is good for smaller hands. The game case holder on the bottom feels rubberized. This rubber makes it softer to the touch and keeps it from sliding all over the place if you lay it down on a movable surface, like a car dash.
I'm sure you're also concerned with what your DS is going to look like under the armor. The armor does not cover the entire DS. All of the buttons and the GBA port on the front are easily accessible. The stylus is also easy to get to as well for those times that you're not bringing the new armored stylus with you. The Black and Grey colors of the armor work well with any DS color as well. My pink DS looks quite stylish peeking out from beneath.