One of the changes I've come to notice after using/reviewing almost every major smartphone over the past seven years is how these devices have evolved to become fragile glass sandwiches. Smartphones nowadays have fewer parts that can move or cause a ruckus like slide-out mechanisms or removable batteries, but they've become more vulnerable to damage and scuffs thanks to shrinking bezels around the displays and glass panels on both the front and back. That's exactly why you need a case — a tough one at that — to guarantee your phone survives whatever insanity your life throws at it.

I've been using rugged cases a lot lately, and think it's a great way to ensure you get the best protection for your phone. Of course, it's not necessary to buy a rugged case for your smartphone since it's just a matter of preference. But they're no longer the clunkers of yesteryear and can offer plenty of meaningful features in addition to actually protecting your phone in a decent capacity.

1 Size matters, at least for cases

Let's first address the elephant in the room: Rugged cases tend to be bulky and take away from a modern smartphone's beautiful design and are some of our favorite cases for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It's true that no one really wants a chunky case for their phone since it'll affect the overall usability. But the truth is that you don't have to buy one of those "apocalypse-ready" cases to actually protect your phone anymore.

These days, rugged cases look better and are much thinner. Options like the UAG Pathfinder, the OtterBox Commuter series, and the Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro have come a long way, and they now offer a great deal of protection by adding just a few millimeters to the overall thickness.

Phone cases on a yellow background.

Spigen's Tough Armor case is one of my favorite rugged cases that offers excellent protection and is the reason why my colleague buys it for every phone she gets — currently the iPhone 14. It's a bit on the thicker side compared to thin or hybrid cases, but it's not overly thick and is far from the larger and heavy-duty cases we once used to have. A slightly thicker footprint allows the case manufacturers to add things like air cushions and reinforced corners to help absorb the impact of a drop, which is just not possible with thinner cases. In fact, newer thin cases on the market barely do anything to absorb the impact when your phone inevitably falls or hits a hard surface.

Design is entirely subjective, but I'd like to quickly highlight that there are plenty of good-looking rugged cases on the market now. In fact, it's really hard to find an ugly case as long as you know where to look or stick to our case recommendations here at XDA. I get that some manufacturers try to do too much and ruin the overall look of a case, but there are plenty of excellent case brands like Dbrand, Spigen, Supcase, OtterBox, and more offering good-looking cases with tasteful designs.

2 Might have thoughtful extras for added convenience

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro for Galaxy Z Fold 4 on wooden table.

Some rugged cases go the extra mile to offer thoughtful extras to make your rugged case investment that much better. A lot of them justify the added thickness by adding specialty features like belt clips and kickstands that are hard to ignore. I am a huge fan of the kickstand, which is why I often use and recommend the likes of Spigen Tough Armor or the Ringke Fusion-X stand cases. My father, on the other hand, prefers using cases like the Supcase UB Pro or the Poetic Guardian from the list of best Pixel 7 cases for his Pixel 7, which come with extras like belt clips and holsters. There are even some that have a built-in ring that doubles as a kickstand and a way to better hold your phone.

The added contraptions allow you to skip the pocket and carry them easily if you're worried about bulk. You don't necessarily have to buy a rugged case that comes with all these extras, but they do have their appeal. You'll definitely appreciate the added convenience once you get used to them, and you'll never find these features on, say, a thin or even a hybrid case.

3 They help you get a good grip on your phone

An image showing Dbrand's Grip case with a bunch of other rugged cases in the background.
Dbrand's Grip case has "grip strips" on the sides.

With phones getting bigger and more difficult to maneuver, I find it comforting to have a case with a good grip. Dbrand's aptly named Grip case, another favorite of mine, comes with a textured/ribbed side frame that makes it more comfortable to hold, regardless of its form factor. This particular case makes it easy for me to use phones which I otherwise find too slippery to hold due to the lack of grip on the aluminum frame. Some thin and hybrid cases also have a textured finish, but they're rarer.

I would also like to point out that smartphones nowadays have become a lot thinner, meaning they offer more room for rugged cases with relatively thicker padding without making you feel like you're holding a piece of brick from the 2000s. In fact, I am a huge fan of how many of these rugged cases make my phones feel "solid" in hand. It inspires confidence in holding and using it every day.

4 Cases can actually protect your phone

The current crop of thin and hybrid cases on the market offer varying levels of protection for your phone, but none of them come close to a heavy-duty rugged case when it comes to properly protecting your device. Cases like Supcase UB Pro and Poetic Neon offer dual-layer protection, meaning they offer two pieces to lock your phone in place instead of one. The combination of a tough outer shell and a softer inner shell makes a perfect enclosure for your smartphone to rest in. The rugged cases also do a better job of protecting your phone against fall damage as they have air cushions and reinforced corners.

Not to mention, you can also expect a rugged case to protect your phone's display and camera lens with raised edges around them. Even the latest version of Gorilla Glass or iPhone's sapphire glass displays aren't entirely immune to scratches or cracks, so you'll need something to take care of that. Here's a side-by-side comparison to show you how much of a difference it makes:

The image on the left shows a Slimcase Transparent case installed on a Galaxy S23 versus Dbrand's Grip case on the right. While that may not look like a lot, the raised edges on the right will protect the display from scratches and cracks since they prevent it from coming in direct contact with a surface.

I'm not going to sing praises about the coveted MIL-STD certification considering how many of the hybrid and thin cases pass the MIL-STD standards now, but I find peace in knowing that my rugged case is sturdy enough to withstand the forces that could potentially break my $1,000 investment.

I am personally not a huge fan of rugged cases with built-in screen protectors, but I know many users find it convenient to pick up cases like Supcase UB Pro that offer great drop protection with a 360-degree enclosure. Such cases also keep sand and other debris from slipping in and messing with your phone's functionality.

5 Final thoughts

Using a rugged case is not going to magically make your phone fight physics and make it immune to drops and scuffs. However, they'll certainly do a better job of protecting your phone than a simple thin case or a skin. We all love the beautiful look and feel of your excellent phone on day one, but keeping it just as pristine and beautiful looking a year later is more important and difficult, in my opinion, and a rugged case will give you that confidence with its incredible toughness. There's no shortage of rugged cases on the market, but I often find myself recommending options from brands like Supcase, Spigen, UAG, OtterBox, and more.

Lastly, I'd like to highlight that the rugged cases no longer carry the exorbitant price tags they once used to. Some of them are more expensive than others, but don't let the price of a case greatly affect your purchase decision, as buying a reliable phone case is almost always better than relying on protection plans or bearing hefty repair costs.