When I worked for myself I purchased Otterbox cases. I've been employed for the past 4 years and the company I work for purchase cheap cases, for both phones and tablets. I've not heard of anyone in our field service team breaking a device, despite the fact that we audit repair shops (i.e. we don't work in offices) using our tablets on a daily basis. I wonder if the extra expense is justified.
For my personal iPhones and iPads, I have always used the Otterbox Defender cases. My son uses the Lifeproof cases. We have never had any breakage. That being said, I use less expensive cases on my work devices. The last 3 have been Unicorn Beetle from Amazon. This was for Samsung devices, both tablets and phone. The cases seem to fit well, and I have not had any damage with these either. They offer similar 2-layer protection and they are considerably less expensive. ALL of my devices end up hitting the floor at some point, some more often than others.
I use an OtterBox Symmetry folio series on my iPad mini. It is slimmer than say a Defender series; cost me about $40 via Amazon. I'm very happy with it. Not sure if they still offer this series or not; but my reckoning is that compared with potential damage if the device fell unprotected the cost was a good investment. Am Yisrael Chai! Moshe ben David
I have bought some boxes from Harbor Freight for cheap. I put cameras, suppressors and ghost hunting equipment in them. They’ll take a fall or drop and I’m not worried. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I have used otterbox defender cases since way back in the bkackberry days, without a single broken phone. I would rather spend more on a rugged case, to protect my investment. Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
I have really enjoyed Otterbox cases for phones. They tend to degrade less over time. I have used super cheap cases for phones and tablets, too. The polymers just breakdown quickly, get sticky and pieces fall off. For me, both Poetic and Spigen have proven to be very durable and reasonably priced. Sent from my LG-V520 using Tapatalk
I've had cheaper cases before, and I've never had an issue with breakage. However, I have lost a phone because it slipped out of my pocket (the phone was later found, no harm done). So I buy the Otter Box Defender, not because I trust the case more, but because I trust the clip more. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Bit late on the take but I'll second the Unicorn Beetle cases. Have had them on something like 4-5 different phones over the years, and always a good fit that stays tight and feels protective enough. I had one on a couple phones through deployments to the Middle East and had no issues.
I've used both Spigen and Unicorn Beetle and never had any complaints. Both iPhone and Airpods cases won't break the bank.
I've used higher end cases and cheaper cases. For me, the most critical aspect of a case is its grip and balance. If it has good grip and balance, I'm far less likely to drop it. I have never been able to tolerate Otterbox cases for any length of time, though - they are just too bulky.
