Cases

My family of four currently has three Apple Watches, and that could grow to four. It becomes increasingly important to be able to identify which watch belongs to whom. There are plenty of junky plastic Apple Watch cases out there, so I was skeptical when I saw the Apple Watch Cases (starting at $49) from SkyB at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. SkyB let me try a review unit with one of my Apple Watches and holding it made all the difference.

When the folks at Michael Louis sent me a Personalized Embossed Leather Cases ($74) to review I thought I was getting special treatment. A leather case with my initials stamped in silver on the back? Pretty cool. Then I realized they offer free personalization to everyone, when ordering online! You can specify up to six characters and even choose emojis and the color. This is a nice touch and will certainly set your phone apart in a crowd.

If you're worried about losing your expensive AirPods you will want to connect a Bluetooth tracker to the AirPods case, but there's no practical way to do so. Fortunately, the folks at Trackeroo have developed the simple but brilliant Trackeroo AirPods Case (starting at $6.95). Trackeroo gave me a case to try, but at that price, the company probably paid more for postage sending it to me! It's truly a bargain given that it could save you $150 on a lost set of AirPods!

I'm always looking for the perfect wireless charging accessory, and with so many gadgets to charge, one thing I look for is the smallest footprint possible. Fortunately, Moshi sent me the SnapTo Magnetic Wireless Charger $49.95) to try, and it offers something impressive, no footprint. That's because it uses a combination of magnets to keep your phone in contact with the rubberized charging pad, plus an optional swiveling wall-mount that attaches via the included 3M adhesive strips.

I know the latest iPhones are water-resistant thanks to their IP68 rating, but I don't trust them. Besides, if you're on the lake or ocean and your phone ends up in the water, it won't float! Fortunately, I found the H2O Proof Floating Phone Holder (starting at $9.99) from WOW Watersports. These are the same folks who made the waterproof floating speaker I reviewed.

I always keep my iPhones in a case, and I've never broken a phone. And increasingly, the case I use comes from Catalyst. At this year's CES, Catalyst gave me an Impact Protection Case ($39.99) to try with my iPhone 11. In the past, I've alternated between the case company's waterproof versions and its regular ones, and they all have the same rigid perimeter that protects all along the edges, including where the Lightning port and speakers are. In addition, the new Impact case has a wide opening for the different cameras and flash in the latest iPhone 11 series. The Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 11 ($89.99) adds a hard-coated optical lens so you can take underwater photos and videos while still having protection!

I have been a fan of Catalyst's iPhone cases for some time, in large part because the company made iPhones waterproof long before Apple attempted to. I was able to try the Waterproof Case for AirPods Pro ($29.99) when I visited the company's booth at CES. They've done it again, this time for AirPods Pro. Keep in mind that the AirPods Pro case is considered water resistant but not waterproof. This is an important distinction that you don't want to find out the hard way, given how expensive those earbuds are.

One of my favorite takeaways from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is finding gadgets that have no batteries or circuitry of any kind but exist to enhance our use of electronic gadgets. One example is the JURA ANCHOR carabiner for AirPods & AirPods Pro (starting at $24.99). It's not an AirPods case but it adds a carabiner key chain through some clever magic. The carabiner has a Lightning connector that has no electronics, instead it acts as an anchor that supports up to 15 times the weight of the AirPods case. You plug the JURA into the Lightning port, again with no electronics, and the molded connector keeps it in place. Then you can use the carabiner on the other end to attach your AirPods to a backpack, keychain, etc.

If you prefer a leather folio case for your iPhone that has slots for credit cards, but also prefer a more compact case, the folks at Hex have a 4-in-1 iPhone Case ($99.99) they'd like you to try. They sent me one and it's got a lot going for it. It has three (or four in the case of the iPhone 11 Pro Max) slots on the back for credit cards, plus an internal slot for cash or more cards. And when you want to go it alone, the protective polymer phone case is easily detached from the wallet folio thanks to the metal plate and magnets built-in.

I have been covering (and using) cases from Urban Armor Gear for several years, and the cases always had a military-grade feel to them, with a rigid exoskeleton design. It looks like the company now wants to appeal to the masses, based on the Civilian Series iPhone Case ($49.95) it sent me to try. While the traditional models were thicker and had lots of flat surfaces, the Civilian is thinner, smoother, and rounder. But this protective iPhone case still has a rigid design that doesn't skimp around the ports, which some cases do.

I have never reviewed cases from Caudabe until the company recently sent me the slim Synthesis iPhone Case ($24.95). Caudabe seems to have found a niche for slim, rugged iPhone cases that it calls "Minimalist Perfection," and I can't disagree. These ultra thin protective iPhone cases are slim enough that those who prefer naked iPhones shouldn't object. Yet they add grippability through a unique polymer, which should prevent drops. 

While kids may flock to PopSockets, the colorful collapsible stand that you may have seen on the back of people's iPhones, there's an alternative that may appeal to kids as well as older folks who need to keep a secure grip on their mobile devices. I had the opportunity to try the CLKR Phone Grip and Stand (starting at $14.99) as CLCKR sent me some versions to try. Like a PopSocket, they can attach to an iPhone or you can buy iPhone cases with the CLCKR built in. I tried both.

Longtime readers of my reviews know that I like the juxtaposition of traditional materials like wood and leather with the latest in technology. A great subscriber to that philosophy is Nomad, and the company has numerous technology products featuring their high-end Horween leather. Nomad sent me its newest example, the Passport Wallet (79.95). The higher priced option includes a slim Tile Tracker as described below.

I am all-in on the digital economy. I use my Apple Watch and Apple Pay and Apple Card to conduct commerce. I try to carry as few credit cards as possible. But my wife still uses a checkbook and assorted credit cards, including store-specific payment and loyalty cards. But she also needs her iPhone when out and about. A cell phone purse is a great way to combine her old and new requirements, so I let her try the sample the Mule Clutch Wallet ($66.50) that Allett sent me.

I have reviewed a number of gaming controllers from GameSir but the i3 Gaming Case ($39.90) the company sent me to try breaks the iPhone Bluetooth game controller mold. Instead of a plastic Xbox-like controller fitted to work with and house an iPhone, GameSir started with an iPhone case and added buttons to it. 

With the vast variety of iPhone cases to choose from, companies have the opportunity to refine their solutions to specific market segments. Some focus on aesthetics, others on utility. In the case of Shuttercase, the company has targeted the photography/videography market with its rechargeable battery case shaped in the style of a DSLR camera back. Does this form factor help or hinder the encased iPhone's camera performance? Read on to find out.

MOFT recently shipped me the crowdfuned X Invisible Foldaway Stand (starting at $17) for both phones and tablets. MOFT has been selling similar items for laptops for some time, so in spite of being a Kickstarter project, this is the real deal. So what is it? It's a compact stand that is so thin it could fit in an envelope, but it expands to support a three different angles and accommodates both portrait and landscape modes. 

It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.

As Apple continues to design its iPad Pro line as the laptops of the future, having a way to safely carry not only the tablet but also a variety of accessories is practically mandatory. And with the release of iPadOS, the variety of USB-C accessories that provide more accessibility, charge, and storage will continue to expand the iPad Pro accessory universe. Given the iPad's thin footprint and comparatively small charger, using a traditional laptop bag to carry an iPad collection will add unnecessary carrying weight and leave a large amount of bag capacity unused. To address this specific market need, Cocoon Innovations has designed a messenger sling that protects your expensive iPad Pro and various accessories while keeping the bag ideally slim for lightweight travels and commutes.

I wrote this review on the anniversary of the moon landing. It's about time we had a space dividend for iPad users! Enter the Capsule Case ($59.99) that Phoozy sent me to try. The case is sold in a gold or silver finish that looks like something an astronaut would carry. For those who don't want that kind of attention, Phoozy also has a modern camouflage design or basic black. I prefer the gold, myself.