Which Case Did You Buy For Your iPhone?

[bobright]

Just gave the Enzo a bath, it cleans up nicely 😯

Hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

She smelling good now?

 

[Ava*]

Unfortunately, it seems the most comprehensive set of drop tests on the web resulted in flawed data due to an error in the methodology. And the second most comprehensive set of drop tests resulted in almost every case passing the test, so very few meaningful conclusions came from those tests.

Because there’s not much useful drop test data available, and the claims made by the manufacturers are somewhat suspect, I put together another spreadsheet. This one ranks the protective cases I own purely by their level of protection. My rankings are based upon simply inspecting the cases, along with whatever I could glean from the limited available data on the internet. It was done for my own use, but I thought it might be of slight interest to a few fellow case nerds here.

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Thank you for this list! I have seen at least one person whose Q3 Air cushion corner was punctured during a drop, which caused damage to the phone and was the reason I returned the first version I had of it back in 2025. So I would probably rank the Tank first here. Otherwise, I agree with this ranking. 👍

 

[JBlass421]

Lasted a day and a half in the super sale Spigen Enzo.

It is a really nice case for sure!

It’s just so hard for me to rock regular cases anymore. Everything feels bulky, makes the phone feel wider and heavier so it’s not the case, it’s me lol

Back in the Moonrise Pitaka and it feels so much better!

 

[bobright]

Benks ArmorPro prestige arrived 😊

Sloppy fit?

 

[Hooterville]

Hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

She smelling good now?

She is smelling so good, I might give her another go later today 🤪 Probably stay clean for about 10 minutes

 

[Zensō]

Thank you for this list! I have seen at least one person whose Q3 Air cushion corner was punctured during a drop, which caused damage to the phone and was the reason I returned the first version I had of it back in 2025. So I would probably rank the Tank first here. Otherwise, I agree with this ranking. 👍

I hadn’t seen that issue with the original Q3 Air, good to know. This new Pro version is very different from the original—I assume they addressed any issues with the airbags, but I don’t know. What is totally different is the frame, which is far more substantial and rigid than the older model. This case is the stiffest I’ve ever encountered, even more so than the older Phone Rebels and Defenders. Plus, the fit is unreal. Combined with the airbags (assuming they don’t leak… lol) it seems like as much of a tank as the Tank (though at least one major advantage of the Tank is the covered plateau). I suspect either are more than protective enough for any real world mishaps.

 

[Four-Eyed Tech Guy]

Thanks for chiming in. I very much appreciate what you’re trying to do. My only criticism, which is meant constructively, is that almost every case you’ve tested protected the phone (at least externally), so in the end, we only have a list of passes with essentially zero failures, which doesn’t tell us anything about the relative effectiveness of one case versus another. I get it though—drop tests without a measuring rig are only pass-fail, so unless someone is willing to destroy a bunch of very expensive phones, the conclusions are limited. Of course, if someone only wants to know if a specific case protected a specific device at a specific height, then your drop tests are very helpful.

I appreciate the feedback! Yes I also felt I needed a way to show the drop force difference between rugged cases since all of the ones I have tested seem to be able to provide exterior protection without any issues. However, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to gather this data accurately enough without some very expensive and bulky gear, so it will likely come down to a lot of subjective things like feel in the hand, design, color options, etc. One thing worth pointing out is that the youtube video shared recently here regarding the RhinoShield AirX drop force data showed that it performed extremely well, but I still wouldn’t recommend that case for most people because it’s quite uncomfortable to hold for medium and smaller hands. Drop force is definitely one factor to consider, but I don’t think it’s the most important one. I also can’t risk dropping my primary iPhone 17 Pro Max anymore, so I’m trying to see what is the next best solution that would allow me to continue drop tests and gather useful results. So far, the best solution seems to be buying a “for parts” iPhone that still boots, has a clean exterior and intact glass but those are still worth about $400 each. That would at least allow me to still inspect the exterior and also run Apple’s mobile inspector tool to check for internal problems (same tool that BestBuy and the Apple Genius’s use).

 

[Zensō]

Lasted a day and a half in the super sale Spigen Enzo.

It is a really nice case for sure!

It’s just so hard for me to rock regular cases anymore. Everything feels bulky, makes the phone feel wider and heavier so it’s not the case, it’s me lol

Back in the Moonrise Pitaka and it feels so much better!

We need to get you into a Defender or Monarch for a couple of weeks to recalibrate your case tolerance. 😂

 

[Zensō]

I appreciate the feedback! Yes I also felt I needed a way to show the drop force difference between rugged cases since all of the ones I have tested seem to be able to provide exterior protection without any issues. However, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to gather this data accurately enough without some very expensive and bulky gear, so it will likely come down to a lot of subjective things like feel in the hand, design, color options, etc. One thing worth pointing out is that the youtube video shared recently here regarding the RhinoShield AirX drop force data showed that it performed extremely well, but I still wouldn’t recommend that case for most people because it’s quite uncomfortable to hold for medium and smaller hands. Drop force is definitely one factor to consider, but I don’t think it’s the most important one. I also can’t risk dropping my primary iPhone 17 Pro Max anymore, so I’m trying to see what is the next best solution that would allow me to continue drop tests and gather useful results. So far, the best solution seems to be buying a “for parts” iPhone that still boots, has a clean exterior and intact glass but those are still worth about $400 each. That would at least allow me to still inspect the exterior and also run Apple’s mobile inspector tool to check for internal problems (same tool that BestBuy and the Apple Genius’s use).

I wonder if a GoFundMe supported by this forum would cover the cost of the measuring rig? 🤔

Here’s a rough estimate of what it might cost based upon a discussion I’ve been having with ChatGPT:

 

[Four-Eyed Tech Guy]

I wonder if a GoFundMe supported by this forum would cover the cost of the measuring rig? 🤔

While that would be much appreciated, my main problem is lack of space hah. That’s why all of my drop tests are done in the corner of a bedroom or inside a closet. The dream would be to have a dedicated room for filming and drop test gear, but that probably won’t be happening anytime soon. I’d love to have an identical drop rig setup + data collection like what PhoneBuff has in their RhinoShield AirX video though and I hope that will become a reality as the channel grows.