Did you know that the average cost of a simple phone repair job for a high-end phone can be as much as $302? While most people think a repair job should cost less than half of that, preventing damage to your phone can be even cheaper!

Investing in a decent phone case can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars across your phone’s lifespan. Decent phone cases must be made of suitable materials, which is why we rank the six toughest phone case materials in this quick guide.

1. Rubber

Flexible rubber is a tough material that protects your phone mainly by absorbing the shock of a bump or fall. It also does an excellent job of staving off scratches.

Another key selling point for rubber cases is that bending does far less damage to them than to other materials. This makes pure rubber ideal for people who often remove their phone’s case.

2. Leather

Genuine leather works better in phone cases, but synthetic leather also does the job well (synthetics merely wear out quicker). A leather phone case offers a shock-absorbing benefit that’s second only to rubber. However, leather is the easiest of all these materials to grip, man excellentt a great option for people who tend to drop their phones often (and it’s also stylish).

3. Tough Plastic

Most phone cases today contain some hard plastic because it’s durable and affordable. Polycarbonate phone cases, TPE phone cases, and TPU phone cases all protect the phone mostly from scratches. Ridges and bumps in the design can also fortify the phone’s structure and change the angles of falls to guard the screen.

Shop for iPhone 16 cases here if you’re looking for a premium blend of hard plastic, great design, and other protective materials.

4. Wood

Aside from looking stylish (and maybe even a little rugged), wooden phone cases boast many of the same advantages as plastic cases. With the right finish, they can be just as water-resistant and easier to grip. Wood is also a bad conductor, so it can shield your phone from ambient heat quite well.

5. Steel

Steel and aluminum phone cases do well in the harshest of environments, as some of them can protect your phone from compressive shocks (like getting stepped on) and scratches. Steel is excellent for first responders or people who spend much time with their phones out in rough country.

6. Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber phone cases are an excellent one-size-fits-all solution if you take your phone into many extreme environments. It’s light, durable, relatively flexible, and heat resistant.

Pricing the Best Phone Case Materials

Aside from phone case materials, the price also has a bearing on the phone cases people choose to buy. Rubber, synthetic leather, and tough plastic phone cases are more abundant and, therefore, more affordable.

Carbon fiber, wood, and metals are pricier materials, on average, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t right for you. Your job or lifestyle demands could make such an investment the better option.

If you want to learn more about the kinds of jobs and environments that are harder on tech, do your research on the rest of our blog. We have amazing tech guides, app breakdowns, software tips, and so much more.