It was a close race for first place, but Apple and Spigen separated from the pack to take the #1 and #2 spots in our reader iPhone case poll.
Advertisement
Apple Leather iPhone Case
For some reason, I always balked at the iPhone leather cases (maybe the price, maybe some internal resistance to buying a case from Apple?) but, mostly due to a lack of time to get anything else before a trip, I bought one last year and fell in love with it. $50 was more than I usually spend on a case, but it looks very professional, I like the the leather ends up “healing” over all the dings and scratches it’s gotten so far, and, actually, with the quality I’ve seen in year one, I bet that my actual cost of ownership over 2 years will be comparable to the 2-3 cheaper cases I would normally get in that time. Note: The color of the case when you buy it is meh, but the patina that develops is, in my opinion, gorgeous. – Wittyname
I second this. I’ve many other leather cases in the same price point, and they were all terrible.
The only drawback to leather cases I think is that they absorb smells. Cooking etc. easy fix, I used a drop of essential oil and leather conditioner to fix that. – Pinguinos
Another vote for this case. It starts looking great after a month or two of use. I’ve had mine for about two years now (pic below), and it still looks good (and is mostly holding up), but the patina probably peaked for me around the one year mark. – ItsDeke
Advertisement
Spigen Ultra Hybrid
Advertisement
Advertisement
I’m that guy. You know the one that gets the new iPhone.. every year.. on launch day. Which means I also get a new case & glass screen protector on launch day. Because I always sell my old iPhone (to pay most of the cost for the upgrade to the new iPhone) its incredibly important I keep my iPhone looking as new as possible, so that its worth as much as possible when time comes to sell it. The first thing I do before I even turn on any new iPhone to make sure its well protected.
I’m so anal about this, this year I bought my own screen protector and case with me to the Apple store to pick up my 11 Pro Max and made sure I installed both before I let the representative power on the phone to activate it with my phone carrier.
Anyways.. I’ve tried a ton of different cases over the past 10 years of iPhone ownership. Everything from the $1 store hard plastic ‘clip’ case.. to the $50 Apple genuine leather. None of those protect as well or look as good at the $12 Spigen Ultra Hybrid case I now get on Amazon annually. I’ve bought this case every year since 2014 and it is my default go to case for 99% of my usage scenarios. I generally just get clear as it shows off the entire design Apple is known for and while still retaining a ton of extra protection around areas that normally get scuffed, scratched or chipped like the corners, camera lens and screen. – Daekwan
Spigen has been my go-to for years. Stylish, small footprint, yet still protective. – Buster
Advertisement
Totallee Phone Cases
Advertisement
Advertisement
I went into detail about these ultra-thin cases here, and while they won’t provide you much in the way of drop protection, they’ll give you a better grip on your phone, and remove any anxiety you have about scuffing or scratching your expensive new phone. If you have AppleCare+, and thus aren’t overly concerned about shattered screens, this is the case to buy.
Advertisement