X-Doria’s Shield Case For iPhone Is Rugged And Good-Looking [Review]

As you already know, I swing more or less caseless when it comes to iPhones and iPads. I cover the iPad’s screen with a Smart Cover, and have a dedicated jeans pocket for the iPhone. But once in a while eI need something more rugged, and that’s when I reach for X-Doria’s Shield, a multi-layer case which adds minimal weight and bulk but quite a good bit of protection:

The Case

The case comes in three parts, two of which I still have. These are a silicone inner, which covers pretty much everything except the screen, and a hard plastic shell which clamps the whole thing in place.

The third – lost – part is a plastic screen cover which you press over the front go your iPhone 5 before putting the rest of the pieces in place. It’s a little like dressing up a doll, only without the pink frills or tiny, tiny shoes.

The Good

The Shield is light, sturdy and very pleasing to the hand, In fact, you’ll find yourself peeling it apart and then putting it back together just because its so much fun. Go ahead – it won’t care. It’s easily tough and flexible enough to play around with until you replace your iPhone 5 with the inevitable newer and slimmer model Apple will release in a year or two.

You’ll find yourself peeling it apart and then putting it back together just because its so much fun.

The case covers up all the holes and buttons, with a flap to cover the mute switch and headphone jack. The silicone part also covers the home button and yet it still remains easy to press. Score one for floppy silicone.

I use the Shield for cycling. Usually my iPhone can sit safe inside the padded insert that inhabits my Ortlieb handlebar bag, but when I go on a longer trip, I use the iPhone a lot, pulling it out of the bag to check the map or take a photo. And as I do this on rough ground, and sometimes whilst tired, and and sometimes while moving, I want something easy to grip, and that will protect the phone if I drop it.

The X-Doria Shield does all of these, and its bright orange color makes it easy to find if I do drop it into the undergrowth by the side of the road.

The Bad

The flaps that cover the holes can be tricky to open

The flaps that cover the holes are essential to make things splashproof, but they’re also tricky to open. This isn’t a problem for the headphone jack, which I don’t use much when I’m doing outdoorsy stuff, but the cover on the mute switch is a real pain. Then again, it’s more of a pain to have a dead phone, so you have to balance these things.

Worse is the plastic cover. I lost mine, but that’s because I never used it. It attracts fingerprints, and when it scratches it looks terrible. I guess it’s good to have it in the box as an option (the rest of the case works fine without it), but I ditched it almost immediately.

I also ditched the plastic cover which sits over the lens. When this gets dirty it’ll degrade the quality of your photos, and seeing as taking photos is one of the main reasons for me to take the iPhone with me on a trip, the cover annoyed me pretty fast. Fortunately its easy to tear off.

The Verdict

As rugged cases go, the Shield strikes a good balance between ruggedness and lightness. It’s not a huge wad of padding (it’ll fit easily into a pants pocket), and neither is it so thin as to render it pointless. It’s also trustworthy enough that I don’t worry too much when the iPhone gets a whack.

You might want to keep the screen protector, but the camera cover seems pointless – especially as the iPhone 5’s lens is probably the toughest part of the whole phone.

In short: This is decent case that’s well worth the $40, and the most flawed parts can just be thrown away, or kept for when you really need them.

Product Name: : ShieldThe Good: Light, bright and tough. Your iPhone 5 is in capable and good-looking hands. The Bad: Finicky flaps and easily-damaged plastic screen covers. The Verdict Trustworthy and worth the price. Also, lots of fun to play with. Buy from: X-Doria

[rating=good]