Major Smartphone Case Brands Ranked Worst To Best

When flagship smartphones cost over $1,000 — and even cheap ones average $200-$300 — you need a great case to protect your smartphone. Protective cases used to be bulky and unsightly, but technology has improved. Now, you can have a case that can withstand drops and also be pleasant to look at.

You can even invest in multiple phone cases, and grow a collection you can choose from when you get bored of your existing case. Because smartphones are so expensive, buying a new case is a great way to scratch the itch of wanting a new phone. It may not actually be a new phone, but it'll feel like one when you change up your case. And if you want to recycle your case every time you get a new one, there are some fantastic uses for old phone cases that'll keep your home from collecting clutter.

But which smartphone case brands are the best? Everyone's needs are different, and the perfect phone case for you may come from a brand that's not even on this list. However, these are generally the best major smartphone case brands. It's important to note that just because these phone case brands are ranked from worst to best, it doesn't mean the first few brands are bad choices. Rather, they're just not as great as the brands mentioned later in the article.

CASETiFY is one of the biggest smartphone case brands among millennials, reaching about one in seven. The brand started with a simple idea: to make your Instagram photos into custom phone cases. While you can still create custom cases with your own photos, CASETiFY offers so much more now.

You can find all kinds of cute designs, some of which are part of collaborations with major celebrities, like Sarah Jessica Parker, Pharrell, Saint Laurent, and Thom Browne. CASETiFY has also branched out with big retail partners like Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Lane Crawford, and Amazon to reach even more customers. In the co-lab, you'll also find products that feature trademarked icons and brands, like "The Powerpuff Girls," Oreo, "The Mandalorian," "Harry Potter," and "The Office."

There are phone cases for iPhones from the newest 14 series to the older 7 series. Then, you can find cases for Samsung's Galaxy S23, S22, S21, and S20 series, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and 4, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and 4. Google Pixel users can also snag CASETiFY cases for their 6, 6 Pro, 7, 7 Pro, and the new Fold phone.

CASETiFY offers a ton of other products with all the same brand partnerships and major celebrity collaborations. In addition to phone cases, there are prints, watch bands and cases, earbud cases, laptop cases, bags, and so much more. Most of these products can also be customized with personal photos as well.

This is a fantastic smartphone case brand if you want something that's one-of-a-kind or something that represents one of your niche hobbies or favorite brands. However, CASETiFY's catalog of phone cases is limited to more recent flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, and Google, so it won't be a good fit if you have a phone from a smaller company.

The Incipio brand was born in 1999 in a California garage, like many startups seem to find their beginnings. The company started out by making a case for the first iPhone, and have since created cases for more phones and cases with new, groundbreaking technology. Now, the company's phone cases can be found online and in various retail locations around the globe.

Incipio has phone cases for almost every iPhone, including series 14, 13, 12, 11, 8, 7, and 6. There are also cases for the iPhone SE (2022/2020), but currently no cases for the iPhone X series, including the XS and XR devices. Samsung users can find cases for the Galaxy S21, S22, and S23 series devices, as well as the Z Flip 3 and 4, and the Z Fold 3 and 4 phones.

There are cases for Google'x Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, and 7a, but no cases for older Pixel devices. Then, there are a few select Motorola cases, including options for the Moto G Power, Edge, HiPhi, and the Moto G Stylus.

Incipio offers cases for iPads and other tablets, screen protectors, AirTag accessories, and AirPod cases. Among its collections — in which you'll find cases for both phones and tablets — there are fashion series, featuring partnerships with Kate Spade New York and Coach, and featured series, including special traits like eco-friendly, antimicrobial, or extra drop protection. There are also innovative collections that focus on recycled materials, hybrid screen protection, AeroGrip for MagSafe, and more.

Though Poetic phone cases are durable and protective, the company's biggest claim to fame is its brilliant variety of designs and styles. Poetic says that its cases are "extraordinarily durable, distinctively stylish," and with a quick browse of the website, you'll see how that's true.

iPhone users can find cases for the flagship 14 series, as well as the older iPhone 7/8 generation. Then, Poetic offers cases for Google's Pixel Fold device and the 7 series, with options for phones going back to the Pixel 4. Samsung's flagship Galaxy S23 series has plenty of Poetic cases to choose from, and there are also cases for the Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, Note 20 series, and various Galaxy A devices.

Poetic provides phone case options for a ton of OnePlus and Motorola phones compared to previous brands on this list, as well as one option for LG's V60 ThinQ device. You can also find Apple AirTags, Apple Watch accessories, tote bags, and cases for tablets from Apple, Samsung, Amazon, Google, and OnePlus through Poetic.

A few of Poetic's best-selling phone case collections include the Spartan collection and the Guardian collection. Spartan cases are equipped with 360-degree full-body protection, a retractable built-in kickstand, and a premium leather texture. Then, Guardian cases have an anti-scratch clear back, full-body coverage that protects the camera, and two front-frames for extra durability.

Urban Armor Gear was founded in 2012 by three people with a common goal: to create a phone case that could protect a phone in the most challenging situations. The first phone case that UAG developed featured the company's signature pattern inspired by jerry cans. If you're unfamiliar with jerry cans, they're designed to make transporting liquids, like water, less heavy. Jerry cans are made of pressed steel to add durability and rigidity, but they're particularly lightweight.

The first jerry-can-inspired phone case from UAG was made for the iPhone 4, and the design soared in popularity with the launch of Samsung's S3 phone. Through blogs and forums, customers started sharing how their phone survived being run over by a car or falling from a tall building because of its UAG case. Urban Armor Gear is the first major smartphone case brand to have all of its products third-party certified to Military Standards (MIL-STD).

UAG has also subjected its phones to some wild conditions during testing, allowing the company to make big breakthroughs and prove the durability of its cases to the public. UAG is the first company to send an iPhone 6 into space and have it survive, and the first company to throw phones out of a moving vehicle and have them survive.

You can find cases for the latest flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, and Google through Urban Armor Gear. UAG also offers cases for older generation phones, including the iPhone 6s, 7, and 8 series, Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 and S10 series, and Google's Pixel 3 series. Then, you can also find cases for more niche, smaller phone brands, including Huawei, LG, Motorola, and Xiaomi. Weirdly, there's only one case right now for the OnePlus 9RT, but the collection of OnePlus cases could expand in the future.

OtterBox was founded in 1998, and it's one of the longest-standing phone case brands. This means the brand has had plenty of time to perfect its phone case technology and combine the durability customers want in a protective case with an attractive design to show off.

The company may have started in a Colorado garage, but it has since expanded to keep up with global demand. With that expansion, the company has been able to massively give back to its communities. Since 2011, OtterBox employees have volunteered almost 134,000 hours in local schools and nonprofits, providing over $3.8 million of value to communities.

OtterBox cases used to be quite bland, with only solid colors to choose from, and those colors were often darker. Despite not having a lot of options to choose from, people still opted for an OtterBox case if they didn't want to risk their phone's screen or back cracking after a drop. Luckily, the company has listened to customer demand and people can now choose between the darker, classic cases and bright, colorful cases. You can even customize phone cases through OtterBox or opt for something from a partner collection, like Disney, Pixar, or "Star Wars."

All of the popular flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, and Google have plenty of OtterBox case options. Then, phones as old as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and Google Pixel 4a, and most phones in between these older generation options, and the newer flagships have cases to choose from too. OtterBox cases can also protect phones from OnePlus, Motorola, LG, Microsoft, Huawei, T-Mobile, Nokia, and more.

In addition to phone cases, OtterBox sells tablet cases, screen protectors, power accessories, AirTags cases, earbud cases, and handheld gaming console accessories. The company also released sturdy iPad cases and accessories made for kids, and it has a range of outdoor items, including coolers, drinkware, and dryboxes.