Otterbox Sucks

I've gone through the defender and commuter cases, and I have to say, the quality of their products is embarrassing.

Do they protect your phone from drops? Yes, I'm sure they do. In every other area, however, otterbox just plain sucks. The defender screen protector adds noticeable lag to all touch screen functions. The home button feels mushy. Texting is a female dog due to the ridiculously high, raised lip.

The rubber lining on the commuter is very floppy and doesn't stay in place, even with the plastic outer shell holding it in place. The power button on top is very hard to use with the rubber lining.

This company has been at this for years. I'm sure they sell hundreds of thousands of cases.

Yet the cases still feel like cheap junk.

Now I understand why you all search and search and search for that elusive 'perfect' case. It's because companies like otterbox spew such unadulterated cheap quality boxes to the masses, there is an inevitable quest for something of quality as an alternative.

More power to you all. I am following in your footsteps now.

Delta438 said:

Just curious, is drop protection your sole purpose for getting a case? I know Otterbox is somewhat known for that, but there are other less bulky (and ugly) cases that do the job.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with Otterbox. However, I'm sure not all companies have bad reputation with build quality of their cases. The people here keep looking for the "perfect case" not because their current one has poor build quality, but they may find that their tastes change over time e.g style to minimalism.

Click to expand...

The only reason I chose otterbox first is because I had heard of them previously. It was an offhand recommendation from a radio shack employee sadly enough.

Having gone through two models, I'm completely stunned that they have a reputation for 'quality'. They have solid reviews on amazon and appear to be a leading brand, as I see these cases everywhere.

No, drop protection is not my sole criterion. It is one factor, but not the only one in choosing a case. I want full, uncompromised functionality of the screen and all buttons as well.

I also don't want the case to look or feel cheap, and both the defender and to a lesser extent the commuter, look sloppy and cheap. The designs seem amateurish. For example, both the plastic and rubber casing on the defender look TERRIBLE. And not with careful inspection. At first glance, it just looks like a really cheap, poorly made case.

On the commuter, the rubber lining flops around and doesn't stay in place. The rubber case doesn't form straight lines, not even with the external plastic case covering it to supposedly keep it in place.

It's a major disappointment.

Now, I have a mercury case as well, which looks nice. It even has the chamfer of the iphone top and bottom. However, it's shortcoming is that it has one large, single cutout on the bottom, which is not ideal.

The belkin candy grip seems like an ok case, as it has custom cutouts on the bottom. Having said that, it also looks like a plain, cheap piece of plastic.

I've already purchased 5 cases, all with high ratings on amazon, and for all of the reasons cited above, each one seems less than ideal. This is part of the beginner's learning curve, but I never anticipated spending so much time and energy trying to track down something as basic and seemingly simple as an iphone case.

Delta438 said:

Might I suggest the Poetic Atmosphere or the Power Support Air Jacket? If none of those suit your tastes, maybe you should start a thread posting your criteria. I'm sure people would be more than happy to give you suggestions.

Click to expand...

Greatly appreciate these suggestions. I really don't have very specific criteria right now, certainly not as specific as more experienced forum members who have had multiple rev. of the iphone and have used many different types of cases.

Right now, ideally I would like

-excellent drop protection

-protection from dirt if possible

-light weight

-a design which allows me to see and enjoy the design of the phone itself.


Right now, I just know the otterbox cases don't fit the bill. Given the huge number of options out there, I'll just keep reading up on the forum and eventually I'm hoping I see something I REALLY like.

I think most people who use iphones are simply not finicky. As long as their phone works, most users don't care about a minor nick or scratch, certainly never look for it, and would quickly move on if they did by chance happen to see it rather than posting on a forum about it?

Having said that, there should be some note by otterbox telling customers that the screen protector should be cleaned on the back to prevent scratching. I think I knew right away it might be an issue, but I was in a rush to get the phone protected, and I figured otterbox was a well known name and problems should be very rare.

It's disappointing when either the design of the case itself, or the soft, malleable finish of the phone, could lead to physical blemishes despite the most cautious handling.

Chuck-Norris said:

i like there cases, doesnt mean i think everyone has to like it.

the op tried em, didnt like em, hes entitled to his opinion.

why u trolling me?

Click to expand...

I agree. Let's keep it civil guys. We're talkin' 'bout.....cases. (Allen Iverson reference).

xMClass said:

Never understood the point of these rugged type Otterbox cases. What exactly do you plan on doing with your phone? Run it over with a Abrams tank? I find them extremely ugly and utterly pointless. Why would you put such a beautifilly designed device into something so... ugly? Normal cases will do just fine protecting your phone. Unless you plan on running your phone over with a vehicle... or throwing it at a brick wall.

Click to expand...

I'd say the majority of people are simply not very picky. Not like us, anyway. People on this forum are willing to spend many hours as hobbyists in pursuit of the 'perfect' or at least 'best' case.

Having said that, the ergonomic issues posed by using a defender case seem almost impossible to overlook or ignore, even for people who aren't very selective about cases.

SpyderBite said:

This is why Otterbox offers a lifetime guarantee on their cases. Keep your receipts and when your case become damaged call customer service and request a replacement. Note: They no longer guarantee the device as they had in years past. Just the case and I believe it is just the Defender and more expensive versions.

Click to expand...

I don't see why they don't just change the design of the defender. They should not be putting hard plastic with sharp edges against/adjacent to the soft alloy case.

They should also consider eliminating their 'screen protector' (what a joke). It is stiff and abrasive and clearly does not sit flush against the touchscreen.

People, do yourselves a favor and look elsewhere. Are you really planning on dropping your phone out of a second story window? If not, you don't need the bulk and weight of a defender case and all of the baggage it brings with it, literally.

Robster3 said:

Nothing wrong with the screen protector on the defender works perfect. That is coming from someone who hates stick on protectors and will not use them. If you think it is bad try a life proof worst i have had.

Click to expand...

I'm using a tech armor screen protector and it is an enormous improvement over the otterbox built-in screen protector. It will take a long time and requires a lot of trial and error to get a 'perfect' alignment, but once it's on, you're good to go for months and months. The touchscreen is extremely sensitive and works just as perfectly as far as I can tell with the screen protector on as it does without.

If it were not for the fact that the first of the 3 tech armor screen protectors was badly scratched, I would rate tech armor 5/5. For the price, it's a fantastic product.