Buying a phone case: what should you look for?

Six things decide whether a case works out: whether it was made for exactly your model, whether it raises the edge around screen and camera, whether MagSafe works, which material it is, whether the buttons press properly, and how much it bulks up. In that order.

Most disappointments come from points one and two, and you can see neither of them in a product photo. Below is what to look for on each point, and how to check it before you order.

1. Was it made for exactly your model?

This is the one point where no compromise is possible. Watch the wording: a case made for the iPhone 18 Pro is something other than a case that is "also suitable" for the iPhone 18 Pro. The second nearly always means it was designed for a different device and happens to go around yours.

How you notice: play around the buttons, a camera edge that does not line up, and a case that lifts slightly on one side. If you are not sure which model you have, look in Settings > General > About.

Pro and Pro Max are never interchangeable — they differ by more than a centimetre in height. Wondering whether a case from your previous phone can stay? Read does your old case fit the iPhone 18 Pro.

2. Does it protect the two most vulnerable spots?

A phone nearly always breaks in the same two ways: flat on its screen, or with the camera lens on a stone. So a case has to be slightly higher than the phone in two places.

• A raised edge around the screen. Put the phone face down on a table and the glass should not touch. You can feel it with your nail: it should catch on the edge.
• A raised edge around the camera. The camera plateau already protrudes, so without an edge the lens itself rests on the surface. Replacing a lens costs more than the case.

And bear in mind what else is at play: a case that grips keeps your phone from sliding in the first place. Most damage comes from a slide off a table or out of a coat pocket, so in practice grip helps more than thickness alone.

3. Does MagSafe work, and does wireless charging work?

These are two different questions, and that is exactly where it goes wrong.

Wireless charging works through almost any case, as long as there is no metal plate in it — from a magnetic car mount you stuck in yourself, for instance.

MagSafe asks more: there has to be a magnet ring in the case. Without it, the distance between your charger and the ring in the phone is too great and nothing holds. Your charger falls off, and a card holder certainly does. More on that in how strong the magnets of a MagSafe card holder are.

So look for the words "MagSafe magnets built in", not for "suitable for wireless charging". The latter tells you nothing.

4. Which material suits how you use your phone?

In short: silicone is cheap and grippy, but attracts lint and yellows; leather feels luxurious, but turns slippery with warm hands and changes visibly; Alcantara keeps its grip and its looks, even after years of daily use.

The full comparison, including how the three behave after six months, is in Alcantara, leather or silicone.

5. Can you still press the buttons properly?

A detail you only notice once the case is on, and then every day. There are two kinds: cut-outs, where you press the phone's own button, and covered buttons, where the case lays its own button over it.

Covered buttons feel more refined but are more sensitive to a poor fit: if it is not exactly right you have to press too hard, or the button stays half depressed. Cut-outs are simpler and rarely go wrong. On phones with a separate camera button the same applies: it has to be clear or transmit properly.

6. How thick do you want it?

Thickness is a trade-off, not a mark of quality. Thicker means more protection and less phone; thinner is the other way round. The practical question is what you do with your phone: if it goes in a tight trouser pocket, a substantial case becomes a small daily struggle.

There is one place where thickness always gets in the way: a bike or car mount with a clamp. Those are often designed around a bare phone or a thin case.

Three mistakes people often make

1. Buying a universal case. "Suitable for several models" means it was made precisely for none of them.
2. Choosing on the photo alone. Colour and material look different on a screen than in your hand. Look at the description instead: which material exactly, is there a magnet ring, is the edge raised. Anyone not mentioning those usually has a reason.
3. Keeping a worn-out case too long. A case that has lost its tension no longer sits tightly around the edges, and that is exactly when your phone slides out of it in a fall.

When do you replace a case?

When it sits more loosely than it did at the start, when the raised edge around the screen has worn down, or when there is a split in a corner. All three have the same consequence: the case still does something for grip but nothing for protection.

Purely on looks you need replace nothing — unless you have a material that does not improve with age, and that is the case with most cheap cases.

Frequently asked questions

How much should you spend on a phone case?

It depends on how long you want to keep it. Under € 15 you are usually buying a consumable you replace a few times a year; spending between € 50 and € 70 often gets you something that can last as long as your phone. Work it out per month and the difference is smaller than it looks.

Is an expensive case also a better case?

Not automatically. What you usually do pay for with a more expensive case: real material instead of imitation, a fit made per model, and built-in magnets. What you sometimes only pay for: a brand name. The description gives away which of the two it is.

Do I need a screen protector as well as a case?

A raised edge protects your screen against flat surfaces — tables, floors. Against a stone or a key in your pocket only glass on glass helps. If you use your phone outdoors a lot, a protector is the cheapest insurance there is.

Does a case make my phone warm during wireless charging?

A little, yes. Wireless charging gives off heat and a case insulates. With a normal case you barely notice it; with a very thick case or one with a metal plate, charging can slow down. In that case take the case off, or charge with a cable.

Can I use a case from another model?

From a different size, never. From the same size, sometimes — if the phone has exactly the same dimensions and the camera cut-out lines up. That last part is usually the stumbling block.

Which case works with a magnetic car or bike mount?

A case with MagSafe magnets built in, so it clicks on without sticking a metal plate anywhere. That plate sits right on the charging coil, and it costs you wireless charging.

In short

First check that the case was made for exactly your device, then that the edge around screen and camera is raised, and only then whether it looks good. The rest — material, thickness, buttons — is taste and use.

Our Alcantara phone cases are made per model, with a raised edge around screen and camera and MagSafe magnets built in, in seven colours with a matching card holder. Discounted combinations are under offers.