Best iPhone case/holder for somebody that is rough on phones?

Sharpshooter3 · Nov 9, 2020

So I am finally moving in to the 21st century and upgrading to a smart phone from my old flip phone. (I know people make fun of me for the flip phone but hey they make calls and text and that’s all I really need + if I break it I can replace it for $20 off eBay) Anyway, I’m used to carrying my phone on my belt and I work out doors all day everyday in the elements and can be a little rough on phones so pocket carrying is probably not a option for me. What has everybody had the best luck with protecting their smart phones as far as a case goes? And what are you guys using for holsters to carry them? From what google brought up it looks like otter box cases may be a good choice, but dose there plastic phone holder for a belt retain a phone that well for somebody that is active? For reference if it matters I’m stepping in to a iPhone 12pro. Looking forward to hearing your wisdom thanks!

MtnGhost · Nov 9, 2020

My $0.02 - Avoid Lifeproof. You can get away with a basic Apple silicone case and a screen protector. Get the 3 packs from Amazon .. you'll need to replace them every couple/few months (when your keyboard strokes stop working right, that is a sign to change it out).

Other than that, the Element Cases are worth it. I've had their 6061 case and some of their polymer cases. They're all worth it.

Otterbox's quality is garbage now, and the non-Defender models are way too slippery.

Also, get AdGuard Pro.

Sirshredalot · Nov 9, 2020

Im a welder and use a unicorn beetle case.

This is my second one, and while i did manage to break a phone in my first one...it was bacause it got bent in half by my ass.

Ive dropped my phone from 8ft onto concrete/steel and no damage, melted spatter into the case and screen protector, covered it in grinding dust and the phone has been just fine.

Theyre a lot cheaper than the other names and work great.

Shred

Northfl · Nov 9, 2020

I have the otter box. Used them for years. Never had a broken screen. I am pretty rough on them as well. They have a warranty as well. I broke the clip on one and got inline to them and they sent me a new case and holster.

Aries256 · Nov 9, 2020

Otterbox, if it can survive my dad, it can survive anything

WizManBooks · Nov 9, 2020

This thread is in serious need of some pictures.

sjoliat · Nov 9, 2020

Another vote for Otterbox Defender. There was a comment about quality having gone down, but I think a lot of it has to do with the screen designs that are just hard to wrap a case around.

Mike 556 · Nov 9, 2020

I beat the hell out of my phone, its a tool I use for my business. Its been in an Otter box for two years, Dropped countless times, hit with nails, cracked the protective screen 3 times! The Otter box continues to protect the phone, I highly recommend.

IrishWind · Nov 9, 2020

Another Otterbox user here. Not sure on model, bit it has a soft rubber insert and a second hard plastic shell. Has done really well. I do have an iPhone 11 and I have noticed the back has some cracking on the back. I feel Apple screwed up by making the back the glass too. Front side looks fine.

The D · Nov 9, 2020

Another otterbox user here. I have a Pursuit series case on an iPhone 8 plus. It’s not as robust as the Defender but I’m fairly careful with my phone. The feature that I really had to hunt down in a phone case was a cover over the speakers but ports to re-direct the sound. I keep phones for a while, I jumped from 6s to 8 plus last year, and the speaker & charge ports would get clogged with shit from my pockets and tool box. This is the only case I found that had this feature, but definitely open to more options if anyone knows of any others, and I love it. It’s taken some falls but the phone is still fine. The case is open on the front so maybe a screen protector if this could be an option for you. I can tell the sound is muffled a bit from the case but it’s not bad at all. I really like this case and will be using this style from now on

vh20 · Nov 9, 2020

Otterbox Defender, especially if you're going to wear it on your belt (I do, too). You'll eventually break the spring loaded jaw off the belt clip after you've snagged it really hard on the workbench corner a few hundred times, but other than that they've been really tough.

lash · Nov 9, 2020

MtnGhost said:
My $0.02 - Avoid Lifeproof. You can get away with a basic Apple silicone case and a screen protector. Get the 3 packs from Amazon .. you'll need to replace them every couple/few months (when your keyboard strokes stop working right, that is a sign to change it out).

Other than that, the Element Cases are worth it. I've had their 6061 case and some of their polymer cases. They're all worth it.

Otterbox's quality is garbage now, and the non-Defender models are way too slippery.

Also, get AdGuard Pro.

Totally disagree with your assessment of the Lifeproof cases. I’ve been using them for years and have never had any damage to my apple iphones. I have dropped my phone more times than I count, on surfaces like concrete, tile, pavement, from heights as much as 8’ off a ladder one time. I’ve dropped mine inside a CNC machine into the chips and coolant, and once into a toilet while plunging it. Wash it off with soap and water and everything is fine.

Do any of that with you cheap cases and fragile screen protectors and see what it gets you. Never mind, I’ll tell you what you get as I’ve seen other guys phones. You get cracked phones, you get to use that warranty you bought because you couldn’t trust your case, and you get to replace those crappy @screen protectors about 4-5 times per year after they get so shattered that you can’t take it anymore.

My phone spends time outside in the sand and muck and in my pocket taking all kinds of abuse. After about 3 years, the case material starts breaking down from constant abuse and I call up lifeproof. They have a new case to me for free in 24 hours.

As such, I have never had to pay for a phone warranty nor had to replace my phone due to damage or that it stopped working. That knowledge alone is worth the $80 for one of their cases.

If you are truly active and are not one that likes to constantly have to deal with new cases and damage and cracked screen protectors, etc., etc., then you should get a Lifeproof case.

If Lifeproof is listening, I’d like to sign an endorsement contract...

BufordTJustice · Nov 9, 2020

Leave it in the truck...or the house.

lash · Nov 9, 2020

BufordTJustice said:
Leave it in the truck...or the house.

I totally get your sentiment, but to me, having a ‘smart’ phone is like having another tool on my toolbox. Why pay for and have all that computing power at your beck and call and then only use it as a very expensive phone?

deersniper · Nov 9, 2020

Lifeproof.

texastonk · Nov 9, 2020

Otter box with the screen cover is the way. I have gouges in the plastic and the rubber of the OB from dropping it. No damage at all to the phone.

IrishWind · Nov 9, 2020

Magpul used to do phone cases. Basic protection for everyday wear and tear, but I've dropped a few phones, 3-4', and cracked the screen more than I had hoped. OtterBox for me now.

LeftyJason · Nov 9, 2020

I don't do apple but my wife does. We both use lifeproof fre cases. She's got her 6s and I've still got my galaxy s7. Only problems we've had is that it's hard for others to hear her through the case. She threw my phone into the wall once and only damage was back glass cracked.

Here is what I use to hold my phone. No idea who made it or where to get another but been running it for 7 years.

msstate56 · Nov 9, 2020

Otterbox Defender. I’ve been using them for over a decade. I’ve yet to break a phone and I drop it on concrete at least once a day.

I should also add that a friend left his iPhone 10 in a Defender case on his trunk. Drove off and hit the interstate. Realized his mistake a few miles later. Used find my iPhone to find it on the shoulder of the interstate. Phone still worked. Only cracked the tempered glass screen protector (not included with Defender).

Missalot · Nov 9, 2020

My two cents is that the holster is the weak link. All the cases seem to work pretty well, the bulkier the case, the better the protection. All my failures have been the holster breaking on the phone clip or the belt clip sometimes with very costly results. I think some kind of belt pocket like in the above post is your best bet.

Moe Ron · Nov 9, 2020

I had a 5s in an Otter Box. Just upgraded about a month ago. The 5s looked like new. I carry in my back pocket. It’s abused

bunsen27 · Nov 9, 2020

Otterbox Defender Series of cases are as close to bombproof as I have found. I've used them on my iPhone 4, 5c, SE (gen1), & SE (gen 2). I've worn out the silicone sleeves and even broken the interior shell but each phone still looks NIB and works!

PDXGS · Nov 9, 2020

Lifeproof Fre
Fropped meh iPhone in a Lifeproof from my motorcycle jacket pocket while doing 60+mph on a country road. GF was behind me in a car and saw the phone land and go under the real wheel, which spat it out into a water filled ditch. Didn't know what/where it was for about another mile. She thought it was road debris. When we went back to retrieve it, it was in about 6" of ditch water. The case was toast but the iPhone was pristine and unhurt. They have great customer service too...

goinghunting · Nov 9, 2020

Wilderness Tactical phone holster

Put phone in otterbox or such and carry on belt in Wilderness case.

goinghunting · Nov 9, 2020

Wilderness Smartphone Case

Wilderness Smartphone Case for iPhone, Android and PDAs.

www.thewilderness.com

hlee · Nov 9, 2020

I had an otter box defender on a while ago. It was really good at protecting the phone. But, the exterior rubber armor eventually got pretty ripped up, and no longer held to the plastic frame. And, it was way too grippy. Put the phone in a pocket and it wasn't coming out. That's good and bad. It was an annoyance to me. Beyond that, the defender case is HUGE. It turned a pretty svelt iPhone into a brick. Also, it turns out that the defender is not waterproof- see below.

I've also had a life proof case. I "upgraded" to that after forgetting that I was carrying a phone and wading into the gulf. It was a pretty good case, but the design causes the screen cover to bow away from the screen. It made the touch screen more of an annoyance to use. The case is also pretty big- not OB defender big, but still moderately obscene. It was waterproof. Until the charging port cover broke off, the headphone jack plug broke off, and the screen cover delaminated from the rest of the case. The life proof case build felt "cheaper" than the otter box defender.

I'm now using an otter box commuter case. It's not waterproof. It doesn't have space-age exterior rubber armor. It doesn't have an integrated screen cover. It doesn't double the size of the phone. It will allow the phone to slip into and out of a pocket easily. It is not "bomb proof," however, I have also discovered that I'm not a bomb tech.

Marinevet1 · Nov 9, 2020

Another vote for Otterbox........

D1gger · Nov 9, 2020

I have a Mous case for my iPhone. I've dropped it plenty of times. They have some crazy videos dropping from extreme heights with no damage

Aramid Fibre Phone Case - Limitless 2.0

Superior drop protection and added functionality in a slim and sleek design

www.mous.co

MIDWAY · Nov 9, 2020

Juggernaut cases take a beating

nhdeadhead · Nov 9, 2020

I had a pelican on my iPhone and would drop it probably daily and that case took a beating and my phone was never harmed. You can usually get them cheaper than an otter box, look for “used” on Amazon
Only downside is they make the phone bulky. I’ve since switched to a slim hardback case and also use a glass screen protector and do my best to pay attention to where my phone is and try to drop it less since these new smartphones aren’t exactly cheap!

Also, if you want to use the wireless /Qi charging pads in your home or car the bulkier cases prohibit it from working but it works with my slim hard case

lash · Nov 9, 2020

The Mophie wireless charger at home charges both my wife's and mine, both in Lifeproof cases.

And fwiw, due to some above comments:

early 1st gen Lifeproof cases did have screens that often were not screen hugging, especially if not crystal clean when assembled to the phone. However, the current screens act like and feel exactly like the clear screen protectors people use, except that they don't shatter like glass the first time they are dropped. no shattering...
I post 99% of my posts from my phone and have never had single sensitivity issue. Lol, wouldn't you know that I am posting this from my laptop, for the first time in months.
The newer Fre cases are quite slimmer, more so than any otter box and not bulky like Otterbox.
They are impact hard plastic on the sides and back, which makes it slide in and out of a pocket fine, despite how large these phone/minicomputers are these days. We both use Iphone X.

This concludes this segment of the royalty free advertising for LifeProof. I'll take my remuneration in the form of bitchcoin, thank you.

Gregor.Samsa · Nov 9, 2020

otterbox FTW. had a bunch, I'm clumsy, my phone lives on.

LeftyJason · Nov 9, 2020

hlee said:
I had an otter box defender on a while ago. It was really good at protecting the phone. But, the exterior rubber armor eventually got pretty ripped up, and no longer held to the plastic frame. And, it was way too grippy. Put the phone in a pocket and it wasn't coming out. That's good and bad. It was an annoyance to me. Beyond that, the defender case is HUGE. It turned a pretty svelt iPhone into a brick. Also, it turns out that the defender is not waterproof- see below.

I've also had a life proof case. I "upgraded" to that after forgetting that I was carrying a phone and wading into the gulf. It was a pretty good case, but the design causes the screen cover to bow away from the screen. It made the touch screen more of an annoyance to use. The case is also pretty big- not OB defender big, but still moderately obscene. It was waterproof. Until the charging port cover broke off, the headphone jack plug broke off, and the screen cover delaminated from the rest of the case. The life proof case build felt "cheaper" than the otter box defender.

I'm now using an otter box commuter case. It's not waterproof. It doesn't have space-age exterior rubber armor. It doesn't have an integrated screen cover. It doesn't double the size of the phone. It will allow the phone to slip into and out of a pocket easily. It is not "bomb proof," however, I have also discovered that I'm not a bomb tech.

You want big look up the old otterbox armor for a galaxy s3. Will take pics later. Made the s3 the size of a galaxy note 3 but thicker.

mgrs · Nov 9, 2020

Lifeproof. Nuud is more livable, Fre is a bit better against water probably. Have not lost a phone in either in five years, and clean my phones in the sink with the dishes regularly.

chutinlead · Nov 9, 2020

Check out the Spigen tough armor cases. I just retired my 5 year old iPhone 6s. Same case as day 1. Add one of their tempered glass screen protectors and it's solid. I dropped that phone hundreds of times and I work in a machine shop. I'll snap a photo of it when I get home.

iPhone 12 / iPhone 12 Pro Case Tough Armor

Built to withstand anything you throw at it - Tough Armor® is packed with the latest extreme impact foam under durable layers without losing the slimness and grip. Your phone should be thanking you.[Long...

www.spigen.com

Landon4 · Nov 9, 2020

PDXGS said:
Lifeproof Fre
Fropped meh iPhone in a Lifeproof from my motorcycle jacket pocket while doing 60+mph on a country road. GF was behind me in a car and saw the phone land and go under the real wheel, which spat it out into a water filled ditch. Didn't know what/where it was for about another mile. She thought it was road debris. When we went back to retrieve it, it was in about 6" of ditch water. The case was toast but the iPhone was pristine and unhurt. They have great customer service too...

Lol I had my iPhone fall off of me on the streetglide wife was behind me and saw it picked it up and it survived no issues, it’s in a lifeproof I’ve had good luck with them used em for probably around 6-7 years now.

0724/1030 · Nov 9, 2020

I'm hard on phones and have young kids that can break anything. I dropped Otterbox a few years ago in favor of the Supcase UB Pro.

SUPCASE | Home of the Award-Winning UB Pro

Home of the legendary Unicorn Beetle PRO, SUPCASE offers award-winning drop protection for phones, tablets, smartwatches, MacBooks, earbuds, Nintendo Switch, and more — at a price anyone can afford.

www.supcase.com

chutinlead · Nov 9, 2020

0724/1030 said:
I'm hard on phones and have young kids that can break anything. I dropped Otterbox a few years ago in favor of the Supcase UB Pro.

SUPCASE | Home of the Award-Winning UB Pro

Home of the legendary Unicorn Beetle PRO, SUPCASE offers award-winning drop protection for phones, tablets, smartwatches, MacBooks, earbuds, Nintendo Switch, and more — at a price anyone can afford.

www.supcase.com

I got one of the unicorn beetle cases for the household tablet. It is a pretty awesome case. That UB Pro looks like the real deal too. I like it when there are at least dust covers for the ports.

mheimer_45 · Nov 9, 2020

Life proof all the way. On my fourth or fifth one. Cases get scratched and destroyed. Phone still looks brand new with zero scratches after 5 years. I time I thought I broke it I dropped it about 12’ feet flat on the screen. Didn’t bounce or anything. Climbed down pissed but picked up and screen wasn’t broke.

Shootin Stuff · Nov 16, 2020

1in Armor Plated Case for iPhone4/4S Marudai Corporation

FS1 · Nov 16, 2020

Otter box

SanPatHogger · Nov 16, 2020

Otter box here too

Krob95 · Nov 16, 2020

I always ran otter box defenders on my iPhones. Always seemed to work well and I’ve never broken a phone in the 5 years I’ve been in the oilfield. Just got the iPhone 12 pro max and it’s in a Mous case since otter box didn’t have any cases I liked this go around. This mous case is pretty nice. Seems like it’ll keep my phone protected fairly well.

aac_shooter · Nov 16, 2020

The Rokform cases are great, and they have a magnet on the back that I have used so often I wont do with out one. I have had them on my last 4 phones. Great protection.

Do-nothing · Nov 16, 2020

Otterbox or Beatle. That said two points: Had a LifeProof case years ago that was darn near indestructible. My second one a few years ago was crap not near as good a case as the first. My wife who is very easy on such things had the same experience. Take that for what it is worth. Second, I have a Beatle case that has been surprisingly good for the money.

palmbeachpete · Sep 11, 2024

have been using otterbox for the longest and I wouldn't switch it for a million dollaz

Aftermath · Sep 11, 2024

palmbeachpete said:
have been using otterbox for the longest and I wouldn't switch it for a million dollaz

hlee · Sep 11, 2024

I can buy a lot of phones for a million dollaz…

kl3309 · Sep 11, 2024

What da fuck kinda manchurian candidate bullshit is this?

Aftermath · Sep 11, 2024

kl3309 said:
What da fuck kinda manchurian candidate bullshit is this?

View attachment 8499535

I saw that, too.

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Best iPhone case/holder for somebody that is rough on phones?

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