OtterBox Defender Series Case for iPhone 5: The Best iPhone 5 Case Available

By Michael Hansen, 7 October, 2012

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Review Category

Rating

5 Stars

Review

I have used Otter Box cases for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, and now the iPhone 5. The iPhone 3GS case was pretty nice, but the 4S case left a lot to be desired. By far, the iPhone 5 Defender Series case is a huge improvement over that for the 4S and is Otter Box's best iPhone case yet. When Otter Box said the new iPhone 5 Defender case had a tougher rubber shell, they weren't kidding. The outer rubber shell fits securely around the case, even after a couple weeks of use and a couple drops. I bought my phone and case on launch day, and the case still feels like new two weeks later--no loss of shape, etc. The port covers fit securely, which is a big improvement over the iPhone 4S Defender Series case. There's not too much else to say. I would definitely recommend this case to anyone who wants the maximum amount of protection for their iPhone 5. This case has definitely surpassed my expectations.

Devices Accessory Was Used With

iPhone

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Comments

By John Gassman on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 12:28

The main problem I have with the otter box case on the 4s is that the flaps come off with extended use. Is this a common problem with all cases Otter box distributes?

By applegirl72 on Monday, October 27, 2014 - 12:28

I loved this case for my iPhone 5C The sad part is that it broke at the bottom of the charger port. When I went back to get another one Future Shop only had the commuters. I would recommend this case to someone any day.

By Lisa on Monday, October 27, 2014 - 12:28

I have an OtterBox Defender case for my iPhone 5S. It is the first defender case I have had, and I really like it. It is very well make, and well worth the money.

By Mike Freeman on Monday, October 27, 2014 - 12:28

IMO the case is too bulky; I don't plan to protect my iPhone 5 from nuclear attack! (grin) Different strokes, etc.

By sockhopsinger on Monday, October 27, 2014 - 12:28

I used to like the Otterbox Defender series until I had a 4S. After that, I realized that, while it did offer good protection, it was extremely bulky, so I set out to find a better case that did all of the same things that the Otterbox series did but took up less space. I recommend, for the iPhone 5 and 5S, the series by Case-Mate called the Case-Mate Tough Xtreme.
http://www.case-mate.eu/iphone-5-tough-xtreme-cases.html'

It is very similar to the Otterbox in that it has multiple pieces. It has a plastic piece with a built-in screen protector on top that fits over your iPhone. Then, that piece fits into a very tightly fitting rubberized piece. It offers, in my opinion, equally as much protection as the Otterbox Defender cases, but is a far slimmer design. Of note, make sure that if you look into getting this case, you find one that specifically states that it is for the 5S if that is the phone you have. Hope this helps.