So. You are a proud owner of a brand spanking new phone, and if you are like me, finding a way to keep is safe is a priority before scratches start to appear.
There are so many options out there, and if you don’t need a fully ruggedised option the marketplace is a wide and varied one. Having just been through the exercise with my new iPhone 6S, I thought I would share my thoughts and findings.
To start let me explain what I think is important in a case:
- Beautiful cases are all well and good, but sometimes practically is king. A case shouldn’t make a phone more difficult to hold – over the years I’ve come across cases that are slippery or feel unnatural to hold, and in one case, sharp. These cases actually in my clumsy experience at least, make it more likely that you’ll drop the phone or that it will jump off a chair arm, and therefore increasing the likelihood that it gets damaged. Instead, a case should feel comfortable and make holding your phone easier by almost gripping your hand. A pleasant to hold case can only improve your overall experience of the phone.
- Your case should protect your phone. Perhaps this is an obvious statement, but an important one. Dropping your phone from a reasonable height shouldn’t damage your device, so a case needs to protect your investment from normal wear and tear across all surfaces including the screen. Protecting the screen through a case is normally performed by having a lip which overlaps the edges of the screen so if the case is dropped screen-down, the lip takes the brunt of the impact and not the screen. The larger the lip, the more protected the screen is.
- The case shouldn’t prevent access to any of the phones ports or buttons. It stands to reason that the functionality of your device shouldn’t be impacted.
- Finally, the case shouldn’t detract from the beauty of your device. In fact, it should compliment it – unless you have special requirements – nobody wants an ugly case/phone combo.
So which cases impressed me?
If you don’t need Rugged
First up is the MiBeat Gel Case, available from Asda for a bargain £4, which was a complete punt and an impulse buy. The MiBeat Case was a pleasant surprise as I really wasn’t expecting much for a four quid case, but it’s really not bad at all.
It isn’t the most beautiful of cases, but the gel build means that it’s easy to hold and makes it feel surprisingly comfortable. There is ample lip around the edge of the screen, meaning that it should be protected against face-down drops.
It’s often handy to have a second case around for the times where you may spoil or break your favourite case. At £4 the MiBeat Gel case is a bit of a bargain that’s well and truly up to the job.
Next up was the CaseIt Inspire, which is available for just under £10 from Amazon. This is a hard shell clip-on case, which fits perfectly on my iPhone. The hard shell means that where covered, your phone is well protected but there is a minimal (if any) overlapping lip around the phone’s edges, which means that there is little protection should your phone fall screen first.
I also found that the styling of the pattern on the case clashed with that of my iPhone, making it look quite ugly – as you’ll see in photos below.
With no screen protection and less than attractive looks, it’s fair to say that the CaseIt Inspire hasn’t found a home protecting my iPhone.
Next up is something completely different: The Caseit Executive Folio Case, which is available for £18 from Amazon.
This is a truly stylish case, with a folding cover which sits in front of the screen to protect it, and adding a professional feel. Like the Inspire, the case fits perfectly on my iPhone, but the styling is so much better with a transparent back that shows off the iPhone’s iconic design and colouring.
The CaseIt Executive Case is the most expensive case of the three non-rugged cases, but is by far the most attractive one whilst still providing a good level of protection. The screen cover even provides resistance against keys in the pocket.
The only issue I found with the CaseIt Executive is that due to the positioning of the power and volume buttons, along with the soft fabric edge on the case, I kept on altering the volume on my iPhone, which is frustrating.
As cases go, the Executive looks stunning and protects the front of the phone when in the pocket. The MiBeat is great value, though.
Going Rugged
Then there are times when you want to provide a little more protection for your device, when life becomes a little more rough and ready.
On these occasions, a case like the CaseIt Rugged Adventure comes in handy. Offering protection up to the European EN60950 standard, the CaseIt Rugged case offers protection against impact up to 500g, drops of up to 1 metre, and has been weight tested up to 80kg. This is certainly a phone case for active users.
Coming in two sections, the Rugged case provides a silicone interior to prevent shake damage and a hard exterior shell with strengthened corners to protect against impacts.
The CaseIt Rugged Case looks stylish (for a rugged case), feels nice in the hand and provides easy access to buttons and ports and offers good value at £15 from Amazon.
If you are looking for a Good Looking Rugged Case then check out the CaseIt Rugged Adventure.
