What kind of phone case is defined as a good phone case?
Looking cool? Nice hand feel?
Yes, but not only that, more importantly, the phone case should have enough strength to protect your phone,
Rugged mobile phone case is the right one most people choose.
It is not a good thing to drop a phone. No matter how powerful your phones are from the inside, they are not designed to withstand even the shortest of falls or accidental bumps.
Rugged smartphones might’ve been an excellent solution to our problem, but most rugged phones in the market aren’t quite up to modern standards.
You could either get a smartphone that packs in superior hardware but falls short in protection.
Or you could get a rugged phone that can be used as a rock to scare foes but falls short in hardware.
Even if you manage to find a Rugged phone that packs in decent hardware and software, they are ridiculously priced.
A rugged phone case might be the right way to get the best from both.
It is more logical to buy a rugged phone case for the smartphone of choice. These phone cases make the rugged phones seem irrelevant, so let’s look in detail at how well these cases fit in the ongoing competition between smartphone cases, their pros and cons, and our suggestion for you to get a nice rugged phone case.
What is a Rugged Phone Case?
The rugged phone industry has become prominent over the past few years due to its reliability in harsh weather conditions and affordable pricing. Similarly, the rugged smartphone cases offer such protection for regular smartphones. The rugged phone case can easily protect the phones from usual falls, and is also termed as armor phone cases. It is built of heavy-duty material and is always considered as the toughest phone case. It also offers features such as drop protection, shockproof, anti-scratch and even adds protection from water splashes and dust. The action and activity are as the name states that act as a layer to protect your phone.
But, the heavy-duty case is often a bit less attractive due to its bulky size and weight. The rugged mobile phone cases are usually made of metal, hard plastic, or a combination of multi-materials. As the metal sometimes causes signal weakness problems, rugged phone case suppliers have shifted to making the cases from pure plastic that combines both TPU and PC. The TPU is thermoplastic polyurethane which is best known for protecting the phone from any damage.
Prominent players and market
If you are concerned about the scope of rugged phone cases in the global market, think of the back-glass replacement cost of flagship phones. Users are always looking for phone cases that provide structural stability to their smartphones. We believe very few users would be willing to trade design over protection while buying phone cases.
Big players like the Otterbox, UAG, and DEFENSE have already stepped into the rugged phone case industry. The rugged phone case of the Otterbox brand is famous for its Defender series，while both DEFENSE and UAG focus only on the rugged mobile phone cases market. DEFENSE has become the first mobile phone case company to be listed on the Chinese stock exchange. There are many other mobile phone peripheral brands involved in rugged mobile phone cases. It can be said that the market for rugged mobile phone cases is very large, and many consumers are willing to buy such cheap “insurance” for their expensive mobile phones.
Pros and Cons of Rugged Phone Case
It is good to know the pros and cons of buying a rugged phone case for your smartphone. So here are the advantages and disadvantages of these Armor phone cases.
Advantages of rugged phone cases
- Rugged phone cases are usually shock-proof, dust-proof, and waterproof. These cases will help your phone get through most abuses you could throw at it.
- Some of the rugged phone cases in the market come with a feature called 360° protection, which helps to fully protect the mobile display. This makes them the best choice for outdoor sports and harsher work environments.
- Rugged phone cases are tough, sturdy and durable, it is perfect for industrial environment or for someone who needs a practical case to protect their phone, they are great for those who are enthusiasts in outdoor and sports such as cycling, hiking and running.
- Colors are often more of a personal choice but to be honest, most black-colored rugged cases look stunning. But you do have more options than black. Telephant rugged phone case is the one known for making phone cases in every color under the sky.
- Since most rugged phone cases are thick by nature, manufacturers have the freedom to design them the way they wish. This has often resulted in some of the best-looking phone cases in the market.
Disadvantages of rugged phone cases
- Remember what we said about the thickness of the cases. The rugged cases are not that light and do feel bulky in hand. Some phone cases are so thick that they might not fit in the pockets of your jeans.
- Even though the advancements in construction have brought down the price, these phone cases are still priced relatively higher.
- Phone is hard to remove from some rugged phone cases, especially when the phone case does not support wireless charging.
- Since these cases are designed with protection in mind, the overall look and feel might not be that pleasing.
Choosing a Rugged Case for Your Smartphone
Now that we know the pros and cons of rugged phone cases, you must keep the following things in mind before buying a new phone case for your smartphone.
As we said, you could get a two-part case for your smartphone. A strengthened outer case and a softer inner case. We highly recommend you to look for such phone cases as you have the provision to remove the outer casing and give your phone a fresh look.
Many rugged phone cases in the market offer a glass film in front of the screen for extra screen protection. It should protect your smartphone if it lands on its face on the floor.
Belt clips and kickstands are always a good thing to have in a phone case. Dedicated rings in the back might help you hold onto your phone if you have the habit of taking selfies from the edge of a walkway or a cliff.
MIL-STD certification (or military standard certification) is a series of tests that takes these phone cases to the extreme. We recommend you get a certified phone case as it might be a lot more durable. These cases might also be able to withstand harsher environmental conditions.
Rugged Phone Case Ideas
OtterBox Defender Series
OtterBox Defender Series (official page) is a line of rugged phone cases designed for flagships smartphones and tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G and iPhone 13 Pro Max. These multi-layer cases protect your device against drops, scratches, and bumps. The OtterBox Defender Series also offers a holster that doubles as a belt clip. The hostler can also be used as a hands-free kickstand. These cases are MIL-STD-810G 516.6 certified, and wireless charging will work as usual even with the case on.
UAG Pathfinder SE Series
If the design is your primary concern, then this might be the right choice for you. The Pathfinder SE Series from UAG (official site) is a selection of rugged phone cases for flagship smartphones and tablets. The intricate design and unique contours of these cases might be enough to grab attention. Even though these are armor cases, they are surprisingly thin for the protection it offers.
DEFENSE rugged phone cases
DEFENSE(official site) is experimenting with a combination of Anodized Aluminium for the edge frame, hard & clear polycarbonate for the back, TPU & soft rubber bubble pattern on the inside for the case. This sophisticated combination of materials ensures your phone will remain protected even in the deadliest of falls. DEFENSE has also made sure the wireless charging capabilities of your phone remain unaffected even with the inclusion of Aluminium.
To wrap things up
Even though rugged phone cases are bulky and expensive, they are an ideal choice for users looking for best-in-class protection. Also, this might be the right time for sellers looking to experiment with something new to the market. We highly anticipate rugged phone cases might play their part in the future of phone cases. Especially the two-part models.
