Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves
Episode #149
I like iPhone cases and I rarely leave home without one. The case manufacturers have apparently taken note; in the weeks following the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus I received at least a dozen cases to check out.
So for the past couple of months I’ve been testing a different case every few days. Most cases worked as expected, and none of them was horrible, but there were only two that I liked enough to use everyday (at least when I’m not testing other cases).
But before I tell you about those, I asked my wife Lisa to assist in testing, but she fell in love with the first case she tried and that was that. Her pick was Numbers by SwitchEasy ($14.99), a smooth, simple plastic case with a nice “soft-touch.” It offers reasonable protection against damage and comes in five colors: Frost White, Stealth Black, Baby Pink, Methyl Blue, and the color Lisa fell for, Sunlit Tangerine. It didn’t do much for me but she loves it.
Lisa’s pick: SwitchEasy’s Numbers case in Sunlit Tangerine.
As for me, after extensive testing I couldn’t settle on a single case for all occasions, so I settled on two. The first is Seidio's Obex ($79.95), which is waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof while adding very little bulk. In the past I’ve used LifeProof cases, which are also water, shock, and dust-proof, but I like the Obex case even better because it’s easier to put on and remove, feels a bit slimmer, and its waterproof Touch ID seems to work more reliably.
Seidio Obex: Waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and slim, too!
I expect to use the Obex most of the time when I’m not testing other cases. It has built-in screen and lens protectors and is shock-and-water proof so when I drop it onto concrete or into a pool or toilet, as I invariably do, the phone should come out unscathed.
Last, but not least, there are times when I can’t use an ultra-protective case like the Obex. For example, I like to use Olloclip telephoto, wide-angle, and macro lenses, which require removing the case. Even though the Obex is easier to open and close than the LifeProof, it’s still too much trouble when I’m using clip-on lenses.
So the case I use when I’m planning to shoot with an Olloclip lens is called the Jewel ($19.99) and it’s made of transparent rubbery plastic so it goes on and comes off in mere seconds. I like the raised lip all around the screen and the reinforced ballistic corners to better protect against cracked screens from corner impacts. Like the Obex, it claims to protect against drops up to 6 feet, but it’s not water or dust-proof.
The Jewel by Ballistic is more protective than many, but not water or dust-proof.
So… Lisa’s loves the Numbers case; I’m alternating between the Obex and the Jewel; you can’t go wrong with any of the three.
And that’s all he wrote…