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UAG Monarch vs. OtterBox Defender vs. Spigen Tough Armor vs. Speck Presidio2: Full Comparison & Verdict 2024

UAG Monarch vs. OtterBox Defender vs. Spigen Tough Armor vs. Speck Presidio2: Full Comparison & Verdict 2024

    Some smartphones, such as the iPhone, cost quite a bit of money, people will be worry about unintentional damage from drops or otherwise. So the phones cases are a must in today’s age of glass sandwich flagships. It can not only help protect phones from scratches, cracks, drops and other types of damage, but also some provide extra features such as protection against water or dust exposure. The popular phone case brands on the market includes UAG Monarch, OtterBox Defender, Spigen Tough Armor and Speck Presidio2 etc. You may be wondering what's the potentials and drawbacks of each brand? Which brands is best for your need? In this guide, I will make a comprehensive comparison between UAG Monarch, OtterBox Defender, Spigen Tough Armor and Speck Presidio2 to help you make a right decision.

Cover Photo:unsplash.com Mark Chan

UAG Monarch vs. OtterBox Defender vs. Spigen Tough Armor vs. Speck Presidio: Overview

#1 UAG Monarch Series

Price: $14.95 - $79.95

Colors: crimson, Oxide, Carbon fiber, silver, Kevlar Black, Mallard, Black, Kevlar Olive

UAG's Monarch Series Protective Cases are one of the most rugged and durable on the market. They offer military drop-test protection for all your Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, Google, Microsoft, HP, and LG products. Urban Armor Gear Monarch Series is built with quality materials consisting of 5 protective layers. Starting with UAG’s signature armor frame and shock-resistant core, layered with top-grain leather, a polycarbonate shear plate, and alloy metal hardware—all wrapped in impact-resistant rubber.

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Source:urbanarmorgear.com

Monarch cases  also feature upgraded side grips with honeycomb traction designed to provide a firmer grip, as well as oversized tactile buttons for precise use. The design of the camera opening provides a glare-free flash, ensuring that the case doesn’t interfere with the quest for flawless photos. UAG cases are Apple Pay & wireless charging compatible and available in an array of vibrant colors. It also comes with a 10-year limited warranty, which is longer than anyone ever keeps a smartphone.

PROSCONS

A well-constructed case made of premium materials

Backplate and edge protection only
Plenty of protection, especially when paired with a UAG tempered glass shield

Doesn't obstruct Apple Pay or wireless

charging


10-year limited warranty


Where to buy UAG Monarch Cases?

Urban Armor Gear  (3-4% cashback)

Walmart (2.5-3% cashback)

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#2 OtterBox Defender Series

Price: $49.95 - $129.95

Colors: Black, Blue, Aqua, Camo, Fuchsia, Green

The Defender Series offers the most safeguards of any OtterBox case. And it's available for a range of smartphones and tablets. Designed for real life, the Defender Series combines tough layers to guard against the roughest drops, scrapes, bumps, dust and grime.   It's OtterBox's only series with 3 layers of protection: a polycarbonate inner layer, a silicone outer layer and a sturdy, swiveling belt clip holster. Nearly every square millimeter of of the phone is protected, and the case even provides a built-in screen protector.

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Source:otterbox.com

The Defender Series slides easily into the pockets of most trousers and coats. For a better fit, you can either remove the holster or attach it via this holster to your belt. This accessory also doubles up as a kickstand for watching videos on the go or for hands-free viewing. Unlike UAG Monarch series, the Defender Series only guarantee them from material and workmanship defects for 1 Year from the date of purchase.

PROSCONS
Superb protectionBig and heavy
Protection against most weather elementsOnly 1-year guarantee

Has good grip so it shouldn't slip out of

your hand


Scratch proof (even from sharp objects)
Belt clip that works as stand

Where to buy OtterBox Defender Cases?

OtterBox (6-7% cashback)

OtterBox AU (4-5% cashback)

OtterBox UK (6-7% cashback)

#3 Spigen Tough Armor Series

Price: $19.99 - $59.99

Colors: Black, Blue, Red

Spigen's Tough Armor is the seemingly the company's pride and joy form of case protection as it offers the most drop protection out of all the Spigen cases. It's also designed to stay as slim as possible yet provide the same level of protection you'd get with much bulkier OtterBox cases. Air cushioned corners form a concealed pocket of air in order to help absorb corner impacts more effectively and help reduce the amount of shock transferred to the device.

1676428607602567.png

Source:spigen.com

Your camera and screen also stay protected from scratches with  Spigen's Tough Armor cases, thanks to the raised lip design – this means that the glassy display and camera remains unscathed when you place it face down.This dual layer design has an integrated kickstand on the outer shell  which unfolds to keep the phone facing the user so you can watch your  favourite videos on your phone hassle free.  And yes, it's MagSafe compatible too.But there isn't much choice in terms of colors or design.

PROSCONS
Military-grade standard protection Not enough color options
Built-in kickstand
Air Cushion Technology
Lightweight than other competitors
Affordable Price

Where to buy Spigen Tough Armor Cases?

Spigen 臺灣 (6-7% cashback)

Bestbuy (0.4-0.5% cashback)

#4  Speck Presidio2 Series

Price: $39.95 - $54.95

Colors: Black, Blue

Speck's Presidio2 line of cases are the most protective, durable, and slimmest dual-layer cases that it has ever created. Designed for tough moments and big drops, it has extreme protection cushioning provided with Presidio®2 Armor Cloud™ Technology that lines the perimeter of your case with air capsules. On impact, the air capsules flex and suspend the device on a cushion of air, similar to an airbag.

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Source:speckproducts.com

According to Speck, all of the Speck's Presidio2 cases will the able to withstand drops of up to 13 feet, and each case will also offer antimicrobial protection to prevent stain and odor causing bacteria. The more recent iPhone cases also have versions with built-in magnets for MagSafe accessories.

PROSCONS
Grooved ridges for gripLimited color selection
Tactile button feedback
Air pockets for protection
13-foot drop protection

Soft-touch finish with antimicrobial

protection


Where to buy Speck Presidio2 Cases?

Speck  (4-5% cashback)

Walmart (2.5-3% cashback)

UAG Monarch vs. OtterBox Defender vs. Spigen Tough Armor vs. Speck Presidio: Side by Side Comparision

1. Design and Materials

The UAG Monarch Series cases are made with a soft TPU inner layer and a hard PC outer shell. This combination of materials protects your device from drops of up to 6 feet. It is equipped with 5-layer premium protection: a shock-resistant core, an unmistakable signature armor frame, layered with top-grain leather (or carbon fiber), a polycarbonate shear plate, alloy metal hardware, and impact-resistant rubber surround.There is honeycomb patterned material on the sides, that extends around to the back, for excellent grip.The button covers fully encase the buttons, but the large button surfaces on the case make it easy to power off the device or manage volume (if you even do that by button anymore).

The OtterBox Defender Series works hard and plays harder with a rugged and refined design that’s ready for anything.The case is constructed with a hi-impact polycarbonate endoskeleton with an impact-absorbing silicone compound. All ports are concealed by silicone flaps, yet the design leaves a hole for the microphone on top and exposed areas for the speakers on the bottom of the phone.

Well-known for its shockingly  slim — but durable — protection, the Spigen Tough Armor series case is built to  survive the biggest drops. Not only is the  case made of two layers (a flexible TPU interior and a hard PC outer shell), but it also includes extra foam inserts. These are placed inside the TPU interior for an additional degree of shock absorption when the phone falls on the ground.

The Speck Presidio2 series cases combines  a polycarbonate outer shell and an impact-absorbing inner material. The  case gets its name from the angled rubber ridges on the back. They add  to the grip and stop your phone from sliding off surfaces. Raised bezels  around the screen, covered buttons, reinforced corners, and Microban  antimicrobial technology (that reduces bacteria by 99%) add to the  case’s protective capabilities. 

2. Protection

The UAG Monarch Series case is considered an ‘all-terrain’ phone case. It’s been built to withstand 2X MIL-STD (810g-516.6) drop protection. The case has 5-layer construction and features a soft impact-resistant core and protective screen surround. The cases also have a raised bezel that protects your screen from scratches and cracks.

The OtterBox Defender Series raised edges better shelter for the display and the camera mount. It also adds a hard plastic outer case shell and holster to offer three layers of defense: the most protection from OtterBox. It is the only option to provide DROP+ 4X protection (four times as tough as the military drop standard).

The Spigen Tough Armor series case is very rigid and secure, so much so that it has a military-grade durability rating (MIL-STD 810G-51.6, to be exact). Like a lot of Spigen's other cases, the Tough Armor also features the company's proven Air Cushion Technology that helps to absorb the impact of especially nasty falls.

The Speck Presidio2 series cases has been tested in  the real world to withstand drops of up to 13 feet. Plus, the Innovative film provides increased scratch protection. Raised bezel technology resists screen damage on face-down drops.

UAG Monarch vs. OtterBox Defender vs. Spigen Tough Armor vs. Speck Presidio: Verdict

Otterbox is yet famous giant in the phone case space, and its specialty is heavy-duty cases. If you want dependable and heavy-duty protection for your phone, then an Otterbox case is the way to go. When it comes to quality materials and defense against damage, Otterbox cases are outstanding.

Spigen Tough Armor, UAG Monarch ,Speck Presidio2 cases, on the other hand, often also feel solid, but aren't nearly as thick as an OtterBox, generally making them more comfortable for the average user. So if you're looking for slim, protection rolled into one, they may be a more wise choice.

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2023-02-14 22:524328