I have had a few of these rugged cases and been through your position in deciding which to get. If your job isn't at all that rough but you would still prefer to have your phone protected when occasion arises, I propose to you the Seidio Convert. You get 2 case for the price of 1, not to mention the excellent belt-clip that comes with the package. It's actually a slider case that you put on your iPhone, then when needed an additional tough silicone skin over the first case, and then a polycarbonate exoskeletal spine over the silicone. Looks great, function great too. Great holster and nice packaged screen protector. 🙂 I'm not marketing for them but I'm one of their users.
On the other hand, if your job is indeed rough then just get an otterbox since your phone is going to in the case all the time. 🙂 Hope this helps.
It depends on the roughness of your job. If the Sedio Rugged had a built in screen protector I would say that it would be the top on ruggedness/protection. The Griffin Survivor offers what the Sedio Rugged offers with a built in screen protector. Both cover all ports etc and both cover back camera/flash. So in regards of total ruggedness in my opinion the Survivor wins only because of a built in screen protector. Again if the Sedio Rugged had a built in protector I would say the Sedio is better because of the better holster clip and looks nicer. I guess since the iPhone is facing in and the screen isn't exposed it might not matter. In regards to drops it might matter without a built in screen protector.
The Defender doesn't offer as much protection as the Griffin Survivor and Sedio Rugged. But it offers protection. If the Defender had flap protection for rear camera flash it could match the Survivor and Rugged or come close because as it is the Decender offers good drop protection and it's thinner and fits the form if the iPhone more, making it more stylish with the Apple logo cut out. But that's not the Defenders class. It's not in same class of protection as the Survivor or Rugged. It offers less protection but doesn't mean it doesn't offer protection.
If I was a construction worker I would recommend the likes of the Survivor or Rugged because of the iPhone being protected better against elements and potential bumps since both cover everything including back camera/flash, and cover front proximity/ speaker area than the Defender. What I wish the Defender had was flap protection for the rear camera/ flash.
The Speck Candyshell in my opinion offers as good drop protection as the Defender believe or or not but lacks built in screen protector of course. The Defender is not much bigger than the Candyshell.
Why I use Defender...
1) I don't need the ruggedness of the Survivor or Sedio Rugged but I need ruggedness because of my work environment.
2) The new version of the Defender seems slimmer than the previous version.
3) the Defender is more stylish than the Survivor and Rugged. Cause it provides Apple logo cutout, is slimmer. It's a type of case since its more stylish that you can still rock on the weekends when you're not in your work environment. I have a white 4S in a black Defender and I like the style of the white showing from the back of Apple logo cutout and back camera flash and outlines of white from the front around the screen and front proximity sensor area. Just more stylish in that I can rock it with a pair of nice jeans and a nice button down flannel on weekends and it looks nice, with the white of Apple logo cutout showing and white of back camera flash showing.
4) I like the easy access of the holster clip on the Defender. However I like the holster clip of the Sedio Rugged, Sedio makes great holster clips. I still like the Defender's holster.
