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Best LifeProof iPhone 12 Cases: 2021’s #1 Options
LifeProof makes some of the coolest iPhone cases around, but if you want to get the right combination of style and protection which iPhone 12 LifeProof case is best?
Best LifeProof iPhone 12 Cases
#1) FRĒ FOR iPHONE 12 – Black
FRĒ FOR iPHONE 12
The Most Popular Option
Built using 60% recycled materials, the FRĒ for iPhone 12 case from LifeProof is the #1 best selling option right now. Available in two additional colors (Free Diver and Ocean Violet), the FRĒ is ultra-slim and completely water, dust, and sand/grain resistant. And if that wasn’t enough, LifeProof donates $1 of every sale to environmental causes.
#2) NËXT FOR iPHONE 12 – (Clear/Black)
NËXT FOR iPHONE 12
The Most Stylish Option
Built using 55% recycled materials, the LifeProof NËXT case for iPhone 12 is designed to look as sharp as hell, without scrimping on protection. The design, which incorporates clear aspects, is designed to accentuate your iPhone 12’s design, while protecting it. 100% water and dust resistant, the NËXT iPhone 12 case will also withstand drops from two meters.
#3) WĀKE FOR iPHONE 12 – (Blue/Green)
WĀKE FOR iPHONE 12
The Most Cost-Effective One
LifeProof’s WĀKE case for the iPhone 12 is made almost entirely from salvaged fishing gear – upwards of 85% of its chassis, apparently. The case features a unique wave-pattern design on the rear that was inspired by the sea. This is the most sustainable case that LifeProof makes and it also benefits from all the usual protections as well – drop-proof from up to two meters and water and dust resistant.
Is LifeProof Better Than OtterBox?
LifeProof and OtterBox are both premium iPhone case brands (and both owned by OtterBox LLC). Both provide excellent protection for your iPhone too, however, OtterBox’s iPhone cases tend to be a little chunkier and lack some of the durability you get with LifeProof’s iPhone cases.
For instance, LifeProof’s iPhone cases, while slimmer and generally nicer-looking, are also waterproof as well. OtterBox’s are only dust and splash resistant.
This is the #1 reason why you’ll pay slightly more for a case from LifeProof.
Both OtterBox and LifeProof cases provide shock and dust resistance, but if you want full waterproofing support, you’ll want to be going with LifeProof. Again, you will pay a little extra but LifeProof’s cases are, generally speaking, lighter and better looking that OtterBox’s.
Does LifeProof Have A Lifetime Warranty?
Neither OtterBox nor LifeProof provide lifetime guarantees for its cases. You do have some cover, however, according to the company’s official notes on warranties and returns:
Otter Products, LLC and its affiliated companies worldwide (“LifeProof”) warrants LifeProof products against defects in material or workmanship for a period of one year from the original date of purchase of the product by a consumer (the “Warranty Period”).
OTTERBOX
This isn’t life-time cover, but 12 months warranty is pretty darn good, especially for an iPhone case.
Do LifeProof Cases Actually Work?
LifeProof cases are very, very good. This is why they’re so pricey. With a LifeProof case installed on your iPhone 12, you have complete protection from dust and grains (including sand) as well as water, so if you’re at the beach you can use your phone as liberally as you like and there will be ZERO sand in it when you get home.
With drop-protection, ALL LifeProof cases are designed to handle falls from a maximum height of 6.6 feet which is plenty high enough for most people. 90% of phone dropping incidents happen when a phone is being taken out of a pocket which is about 2-3 feet from the ground.
With LifeProof cases, you’re covered over double that. And with the water-proofing stuff, once your iPhone 12 is inside its LifeProof case it is good to survive under water for up to an hour – or, 30 minutes longer than it would without a case on.
Is A LifeProof Case Worth It?
Your iPhone 12 was not cheap, so looking after it should be a high priority for you. And while there are plenty of cheaper alternatives to LifeProof available, none pack in the same level of design and protection.
In this respect, LifeProof is a premium brand for a premium phone. The company, which is more of a boutique offshoot of parent company OtterBox, is aimed squarely at high-end users that want the best possible protection but also a nice looking case.
With phone cases, you rarely get both of these things; there’s usually a trade-off with design and looks over safety features and protection. If you want a nice looking case, you have to give up certain protections, for instance. But with LifeProof cases you get water, dust, and grain resistance as well as gorgeous looking cases that actually compliment the design of your iPhone 12.
In this respect, I would argue that LifeProof cases are 100% worth it. You’re getting market-leading protection and some of the best-looking iPhone case designs on the market. And if both of those things are important to you, as they should be, a LifeProof case becomes more of an investment than a cost.
After all, if you keep your iPhone 12 in pristine condition, when the time comes to sell it, you’ll get more money for it. With this in mind, it is definitely worth paying more for a LifeProof case now because it’ll pay dividends later when the time comes to upgrade your phone.
And, who knows, if your next phone is the iPhone 13 – and Apple doesn’t change the design too much – your iPhone 12 LifeProof case will probably still work on your new phone too.
Check out the full range here.
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