Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Grab one of these cases for your iPhone 11 right now

Your iPhone 11 has a beautiful design, and it deserves the best iPhone case. It comes in a wonderful variety of colors, and you're going to want to keep it looking good. Whether you prefer a clear case to show off your phone's true color, love leather luxury, or need a heavy-duty case to protect it in the field, these are some of the best iPhone 11 cases you can buy.

Apple-designed

Apple's Silicone Case (for iPhone 11)

Staff Favorite

For some people, there's just no substitute for the case created by Apple's design team. It's guaranteed to hug the iPhone 11's every curve; it's a beauty. Not to mention, it's the only iPhone case with the Apple logo on the back.

$39 at Amazon

$39 at Apple

Clear pick

Speck Gemshell iPhone 11 Case

Speck cases are protective and have flexible corners to make them easy to put on and remove the case. This transparent case shows off your gorgeous new iPhone 11's color.

$13 at Amazon

$13 at Walmart

Vegetable retanned full-grain leather

Woolnut Leather Case

Available in various colors like black, cognac, and green, the Woolnut leather case offers a slim design. Watch as a beautiful patina transforms the case in time.

$45 at Amazon

Trending

GVIEWIN Marble iPhone Case

Marble is in, and this ultra-slim TPU case is right on-trend. Note that this case is more for scratch protection than heavy drops.

From $16 at Amazon

Luxury folio

Nomad Rugged Folio

Nomad makes gorgeous leather iPhone cases that are just as protective as they are elegant. It's both sleek and supple with its blend of polycarbonate and full-grain premium Horween leather.

$70 at Nomad

Barely there

Totallee iPhone Case

I'm a fan of Totallee's absolute minimalist cases. One of the first case makers to list cases for the newest iPhones, Totallee guarantees a perfect fit or a free replacement.

$25 at Amazon

Stylish and practical

Shakehive Vintage Leather Wallet

$38 at Amazon

The Snakehive case is made from soft matte velvet-like European Nubuck leather that will age beautifully over time. It includes a secure rubberized TUP holder to keep your phone in place. Available in multiple color choices.

Popular

Otter + Pop Symmetry Series for iPhone 11

OtterBox and PopSockets had a baby, and this case is it. An interchangeable built-in PopGrip assures a firm grip for selfies and slofies.

From $48 at Amazon

$60 at OtterBox

Kick back

ESR Kickstand Case

Kick back and watch a video or FaceTime hands-free. This slim TPU case has a metal kickstand that pops out to prop your iPhone horizontally or vertically.

From $17 at Amazon

Hidden features

Bellroy Phone Case - 3 Card

This elegant full-grain leather case holds up to three cards plus a SIM card and SIM tool in the secret compartment. The compartment lid doubles as a kickstand.

$79 at Bellroy

Whimsical

Sonix iPhone 11 Case

Sonix offers several cute, whimsical designs for the iPhone 11, such as coffee, clouds, rainbow, donuts, and more. But the case is more than cute; it's military drop-tested.

From $20 at Amazon

Classy protection

Mous Limitless 3.0 Protective Case for iPhone 11

Mous cases are designed to be ultra-protective without a lot of bulk. Plus, they're incredibly stylish and come in a variety of finishes with natural materials such as bamboo, walnut, and leather.

From $60 at Mous

Tough

Spigen's Tough Armor iPhone 11 Case

This rugged case from Spigen is a classic. It's got a cutout for the Apple logo, so no one has doubts about which phone you own. Plus, it has a kickstand for video viewing.

From $17 at Amazon

Your choice

Skinit iPhone 11 Impact Case

Skinit is known for its custom decals, but they make cases as well. Choose one of their many designs, including lots of popular licensed themes, or upload your own.

From $20 at Amazon

From $40 at Skinit

The hotness

Velvet Caviar for iPhone 11 Case

This iridescent, holographic, moonstone marble case is more than hot; it's drop-tested. Velvet Caviar's motto is "Pretty but protective."

From $30 at Amazon

Charming blooms

Ciel by CYRILL iPhone 11 Case with flowers

The clear case shows off the amazing color of your iPhone 11, overlaid with an adorable floral pattern. The flexible TPU bumper and hard PC back maximize protection while maintaining a slim profile.

From $16 at Amazon

Clever kickstand

Smartish iPhone 11 Wallet Case

This slim wallet case holds up to three cards, but it also has a clever surprise. Pull out one of your cards and pop it into the designated slot for an instant kickstand, perfect for watching videos. This case comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

$25 at Amazon

Extra battery

Apple iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case

Apple's own battery case provides up to 50% more juice. Charge this case and your iPhone wirelessly and simultaneously. With this model, Apple has added a very cool feature: a dedicated camera button. Choose from Black or Soft White.

$129 at Apple

Come on, do I really need a case?

I have a friend who prides herself on not using a case, despite my advice to use one. Surprise, surprise: She dropped it and shattered the screen and corners of her iPhone. When I worked at the Apple Store, I saw more cracked/damaged/dropped phones than I could count, and I was a product specialist (salesperson), not a technician (repair person).

But since YOU'RE here to hear my advice, it's this: Use a case. There's no excuse to say, "I don't like cases," because there are so many options out there. Even the thinnest, nearly invisible cases are better protection than none at all. I do still recommend getting AppleCare+ because some drops are going to do damage even with a case. But AppleCare+ only gets you a couple of repairs (or replacements), and you'll still need to pay a deductible. Plus, a repair can take hours out of your day. So, a simple case could save you a lot of time and money.

Do I need to spend a lot on a decent case?

Absolutely not. I have various cases in a regular rotation since I like to match my case to my outfit. The prices of my favorite cases range from about $10 to $100. An inexpensive TPU case can protect as well as the most elegant top-grain leather, sometimes even better. It's the shape and construction of the case that matters more than price or materials.

How can I tell if a case is protective enough?

A bulky, rugged, heavy-duty case is certainly going to be more protective than a thinner case. Whether you go heavy-duty or not, always look for case edges that come up higher than screen level, so if you set your iPhone face down on a table, the screen would not contact the table. You also want the back of the phone case to be thicker than the camera bump, or at least to have a raised lip to give your camera lenses some protection. It's nice to have some kind of textured grip on the edges of the case to make it less likely that you drop the case in the first place. Also, look for a bumper going all around the phone if you don't want the phone's bezel to develop micro-scratches. Reinforced corners are also a good idea since that area is so vulnerable to drops.

Will a barely-there case protect at all?

Barely-there is better than not there at all. It will definitely protect your iPhone from getting scratched. Maybe you'll get protection from very light/gentle drops. I dropped my iPhone in a barely-there case onto the pavement from waist height, and it did sustain enough damage that I had to get it repaired. If I'd been indoors and dropped onto the carpet, it might have been fine. But I can't recommend a barely-there case for drop protection.

Do I need a screen protector, too?

I absolutely recommend a good screen protector for your iPhone 11. If you don't have one on your iPhone, your screen will develop micro-scratches over time, even if you're quite careful. A screen protector can also help keep your iPhone screen from cracking in a fall. When I worked at Apple, I saw several people coming in for a new screen protector because theirs had cracked in a drop... but the iPhone screen was still pristine underneath.

What type of case is best?

That's an entirely personal decision. A heavy-duty case is obviously your best protection against gravity's will, but if you're like me, you really don't like a bulky case. I'll use one if I must, like if I use up my two AppleCare+ incidents, for example. I tend to choose a slim-to-medium case, but you do you. I'm not too picky about materials, I'm fine with TPU if the case is cute, but I also love luxurious leather.

Otherwise, it's all about the feature set you need. Do you plan to use wireless charging? Then don't choose a case with a ring, wallet, or PopSocket on the back. If you don't need to charge wirelessly, those features on the back can come in handy. Portfolio-style wallet cases are a convenient all-in-one solution if you don't want to carry a separate wallet. However, they are bulky, so a folio is not worthwhile if you don't need that feature.

Which one should you choose?

You can't go wrong with an iPhone case designed by Apple to pair with your device to perfection. The Apple Silicone Case is slim and fits the iPhone 11 like a glove. The outside is smooth without being slippery; the inside is soft microfiber to prevent scratches.

On the other hand, I do love the Otter + Pop Symmetry Series cases. You get a nice, protective case that isn't overly bulky. Wireless charging won't work consistently due to the PopSocket on the back, but that PopSocket makes an awfully convenient phone grip for selfies and kickstand for video-watching. The PopSocket is easy to swap out if you want to express different moods without changing up the case itself. OtterBox makes some of our favorite heavy-duty cases for iPhone 11, and it's a brand we trust.


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