There are few things more heart-wrenching in this day and age than the cracked, shattered screen of a smartphone that’s been dropped one too many times (Yes, first world problems, I know). That spider web of fissures dancing across the screen is a frustrating, expensive, and public reminder to be more careful.

I’ve dropped my phone before– it fell out of my jacket pocket and the screen shattered on the concrete as I walked out of a hair salon. It was Easter weekend, and in an attempt to cheer myself up about being away from family for the holiday, I’d gone to the salon for a new ‘do. But the stylist didn’t do a great job, and so I was bummed about my haircut when I angrily tugged my jacket on, causing my phone to drop and break. Cue hysteria.

Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt for a case that would protect my phone from accidents without fail. The OtterBox brand promised to do just that– but $60 for a phone case is pricey, and the case is huge and bulky. There’s no way that would fit in the back pocket of my jeans or in my wallet.

My new Speck case

Speck turned out to be the best solution I could find to protect my phone. Their cases offer “military-grade” protection, yet are only $35 and come in a variety of cute colors and patterns. I admit, I didn’t know what military-grade protection meant when I first read it on the package (It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie). But after some digging online, I found that Speck Candy Shell cases are certified under the MIL-STD-810G U.S. Military Standard. This mean they’ve gone through a series of hard-surface drops from multiple heights at varying angles. And that is super cool, because next time I don’t secure my purse or jacket and my phone falls free, I won’t have to worry.

I am still way too scared to perform my own drop test, but I trust their testing and feel a LOT better knowing that my phone is protected. I also love the stylish design and range of color combos and features– I especially love the bright neon colors and cases that do dual-duty and also hold an ID and credit card.

Speck isn’t just phone cases though– they also design laptop and tablet cases, all of which seamlessly fuse style and function. I had a bright green Speck case on my Macbook all four years of college, and I’m happy to report that my machine is still working great after being nudged off my bed more than once, shoved in my backpack more times than I can imagine, and shipped around the world while I studied abroad. Plus, I could always easily find my computer in the library or dorm.

There are a lot of options for phone cases out there. It seems like every brand is printing cases with their own designs and patterns these days. But Speck is honestly the only company I’ve seen that offers equal parts protection, functionality and style. And that’s why I’ll continue to keep my phone in a Speck case.

Disclosure: Speck sent us complimentary product to review for this article. But I was using their cases long before I wrote this! 

Posted on 3/5/2014

Written by Liz Wassmann

Liz Wassmann is on the Dot Complicated editorial team and has written for a variety of Bay Area publications over the past several years. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found watching trashy TV, wine-tasting, or running on a beautiful Bay Area trail. Follow her @lwassmann13.

Comments

comments