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Best iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Cases to Buy in 2023 – CNET

$40 at Amazon

The Otterbox Symmetry Series Plus comes in a new Euphoria color

OtterBox Symmetry Series Plus

Best overall iPhone 14 Pro case

$19 at Amazon

Caseology Capella Mag Clear

Under $20 iPhone 14 MagSafe case

Lupa Legacy Wallet Case

Affordable folio wallet case

Otterbox Figura and Lumen cases

Best Otterbox iPhone 14 cases exclusively sold at Apple and Otterbox.com

$50 at Amazon

$50 at Zagg

Catalyst cases

Clean look, lanyard-friendly iPhone 14 case

Otterbox OtterGrip case

Best case with an integrated grip

Moft case with MagSafe kickstand wallet

Best iPhone 14 case with MagSafe kickstand/wallet combo

$35 at Incipio

Rokform Eagle 3 Magnetic Golf Case

Case with most powerful MagSafe magnet

See at Amazon

Case-Mate Blox

Best iPhone 14 case with square corners

Wildflower x Olivia O’Brien Case

Best TikTok viral phone case

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With each new iteration, the iPhone gets slightly more durable, particularly the glass that covers its screen. But the latest iPhones are still prone to dents, scratches and — worst of all — cracks. You don’t want to risk having to pay potentially hundreds of dollars to fix a phone you’ve already paid a bundle for, so, needless to say, it’s a good idea to protect your investment with one of the best iPhone 14, 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max cases available on the market today.

What to look for in an iPhone case

If you’ve bought an iPhone 14 and are looking for a case, you probably know that each new model has its own specific case, so make sure you get the correct one. Note that the Pro versions, which include the iPhone 14 Pro and larger iPhone 14 Pro Max, sport extra cameras that require a larger cutout on the back of your case. 

Whether you need the best iPhone 14 Pro case or the best case for the standard iPhone 14 model, we’ve rounded up some great everyday options in a variety of styles and prices, from slimmer to more rugged. We’ve tried all these cases with an iPhone 14 and will continue to add other top cases as we find others that we think are worthy of this list.

Best iPhone 14 cases

The Otterbox Symmetry Series Plus comes in a new Euphoria color The Otterbox Symmetry Series Plus comes in a new Euphoria color

Otterbox

Speck

Amazon

Amazon

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

Lupa Legacy

David Carnoy/CNET

David Carnoy/CNET

Amazon

Zagg

Catalyst case

David Carnoy/CNET

Casetify

The Otterbox OtterGrip integrates a retractable grip into a Symmetry Series case The Otterbox OtterGrip integrates a retractable grip into a Symmetry Series case

Otterbox

David Carnoy/CNET

Rokform

Incipio has lots of new cases for the iPhone 14, including old favorites like the Grip with MagSafe, sturdy Duo with MagSafe (12-foot drop protection) and the Organicore, an eco case that’s 100% compostable and is now available with a translucent back. It also has licensing deals with Kate Spade and Coach, and some of those cases offer eye-catching designs.

I like the new Forme with MagSafe (pictured left), AeroGrip with MagSafe and 16-foot drop protection (pictured middle) and Idol cases. You have to dig around Incipio’s site to find those cases, but they’re worth checking out. The Forme comes in some cool designs — even better than the sample shown here. 

Incipio cases start at $35 for a non-MagSafe case and $45, $50 or more for cases with MagSafe. 

Rokform makes some mountable rugged cases for iPhones (see above), but its Eagle 3 case has a unique feature that I appreciated: A powerful MagSafe-compatible magnet built into the case.

Rokform bills the Eagle 3 as an iPhone golf case because it’s designed to stick to the metal roof poles on your golf cart, allowing you to conveniently view hole yardage info from golf GPS apps or mount your phone to capture your swing on video.

But this is also the case for someone who wants a powerful magnet so you can securely mount your phone on anything metal or have your MagSafe accessories really stick to your phone. For example, a lot of MagSafe-enabled wallets just don’t stay on your phone all that securely. With this case, they really stick. And with some MagSafe accessories, like the Clckr Stand and Grip, I actually had to work a bit to pull the accessory off. 

The Eagle 3 is fairly pricey at $70, though it’s worth mentioning that Rokform offers 20% to first-time customers and free shipping for US orders over $45.

Tech21 has a range of iPhone 14 cases, including its popular Evo Check (pictured), which is equipped with MagSafe for $40 to $50. There are also several other cases to choose from, including the ultraprotective Evo Max, which is rated for 20-foot drops and has a slide cover to protect the iPhone 14’s back cameras, along with a holster you can clip to your belt. 

Although they don’t have MagSafe, I’m a fan of Clckr’s cases, which feature a built-in kickstand and grip strap (it’s available in purple or black) that folds out and clicks into place on the back of your phone. Clckr sells just the stand/strap accessory to stick on the back of your phone (or on a case), but the iPhone case with the integrated kickstand accessory is better. At launch, only the clear version of the case is available, but hopefully Clckr’s faux-leather Saffiano case will return for the iPhone 14 (I liked the blue version of that for the iPhone 13). 

With the stand clicked in place, you can use your device hands-free in either portrait or landscape mode. Note that you can wirelessly charge your phone with this case on, though you have to be more careful about placing it in the right spot on a wireless charging pad for it to work.

Smartish’s affordable, simple, slim cases and wallet cases return for the iPhone 14. The Wallet Slayer 2.0 case (pictured) comes in a few different designs, including the Groovy color shown here. It holds three credit cards plus cash, and you can use one of your credit cards as a kickstand. However, its one downside is that it’s not compatible with wireless and MagSafe chargers.

Smartish also sells a MagSafe case called the Gripzilla. It’s one of the most affordable MagSafe cases and is easy to grip, as its name implies.

Some people prefer not to have a case on their phone or just want something that’s very thin that offers minimal protection. If you’re that type of person, a Totallee case may just be what you’re looking for.

There are a couple models to choose from, with the frosted version (pictured right) billed as the world’s thinnest iPhone case — it’s almost paper thin. It comes in multiple color options.

The case costs $39, which seems like a lot considering how thin it is, but it is eco-friendly (it’s compostable) and does have a raised “lip” around the camera that prevents damage to the camera lens, Totallee says.

Totallee also makes a very slim clear TPU case, the “clear soft” (pictured left in the iPhone 14) that offers a little more protection for the same price. I like that one better, but it is slightly thicker.

Case-Mate makes several eye-catching cases for the various iPhone 14 models, but its squarish Blox case is the one I like the most. It comes in a variety of colors, is MagSafe-enabled, clearly has good corner protection and is reasonably priced. I’m showing the clear model on a deep purple iPhone 14 Pro, but it’s also worth checking out the other colors, including rainbow frosting.

Urban Armor Gear offers several case options for the iPhone 14 models in a variety of colors, with MagSafe versions costing about $10 more than their non MagSafe counterparts. I like the Plasma (pictured middle), which comes in ash and white, while the Lucent (left) and Civilian Series (right) are also good and available in multiple colors.

The new Plyo with MagSafe (not pictured) probably has the slimmest design, but UAG’s cases all feature good corner protection and meet military drop-test standards.

Most new phones, including the iPhone 14 series models, offer a decent level of water resistance. But if you want some added protection, Otterbox still sells its waterproof and shockproof Fre case — and the latest version is built for MagSafe accessories. 

Note that the case was formerly known as the Lifeproof Fre, but after acquiring Lifeproof a few years ago Otterbox has officially made the Fre an Otterbox branded case that carries the legacy of being “designed by Lifeproof.” The case has an IP68 water-resistance rating (it’s rated to be fully submerged in two meters of water for up to an hour) and is also dust-proof. It also has a built-in screen protector and remains one of the best tough cases out there. Its biggest downside is that it’s expensive, but Otterbox sometimes has site-wide flash sales that bring its price down.

Based in Austin, Texas, Bluebonnet is named after the state flower and crafts leather-clad accessories for various Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks, Watches and AirPods. It does make a standard full-grain leather iPhone case that’s nice, but I thought its leather wallet cases were more unique and enticing. They’re available in limited color options (black or tan) in a few different styles, including a folio case that has a magnetic clasp (shown above, at right). Both the iPhone Wallet case (above left) and Card Holder case (not shown) feature an “organic” cotton elastic finger loop for grip. 

Note that Bluebonnet’s wallet cases don’t have a MagSafe option but its standard leather case is available with MagSafe.

During the past couple of years, Wildflower phone cases have risen in popularity. Collabs with music festivals such as Coachella and influencers like Emma Chamberlin have helped the female-founded business get its name out there. Though there are dozens of designs for iPhones of all shapes and sizes, I love the Wildflower x Olivia O’Brien case collab. 

The fairy design adds some character to the case and helps it stand out among all other phone cases. As for protection, the case isn’t as protective as an OtterBox would be, but there are a decent amount of features meant to protect your phone against several drops. The rubber bumpers covering the sides of the phone as well as the camera give more protection than flimsier cases. Overall the case is trendy and pretty good quality, making it worth the $35.

Read more: Best Phone to Buy for 2023

How we test the best iPhone 14 case

Virtually every case that appears on this list has been tested by CNET’s expert reviews team on at least one of the iPhone 14 models (we tested cases using an iPhone 14 and an iPhone 14 Pro). That means actually using the phone with the case on the phone for at least a day and making sure the buttons on the phone work properly with the case on.

  • Design: We evaluate the more superficial and cosmetic aspects of cases. considering how aesthetically pleasing it is because people do buy cases solely for their colors and the artwork on the cases. 
  • Durability: We look at the durability of the case, paying particular attention to corner and camera protection (raised corners on case can help your phone survive face-down falls).
  • Grip factor: We review the material the case is made of so we can talk about such factors as how grippy the phone feels in your hand and how protective it is. 
  • Extra features: Some iPhone cases have extra features such as MagSafe, integrated kickstand or grips and, in the case of folio models, slots for storing credits cards and cash.
  • Long-term testing: While we don’t do long-term testing for most cases, we do use some of the most popular cases for longer periods to gauge how they wear over time and see how well our phone holds up during accidental drops with the case on it. That said, we don’t do formal drop tests.
  • Waterproof cases: Only a few fully waterproof cases are available, but If the case is supposed to be fully waterproof, we test it by submerging it in water. 

We look at design features like the raised corners on this Otterbox case when we test the best iPhone cases.

David Carnoy/CNET

iPhone 14 case FAQs

How protective of an iPhone 14 case should I buy?

All the iPhone 14 models are equipped with Apple’s MagSafe feature, which offers faster wireless charging with compatible chargers. It also supports optional accessories — including Magsafe wallet, mini wallets and various mounts — that adhere magnetically to the back of your phone. Like the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 has “an array of magnets” (Apple says they’re recycled) embedded around a charging coil that can pull up to 15 watts of power. 

However, if you want to use those MagSafe accessories without taking your phone out of its case, you need a phone case that’s equipped with MagSafe support. The MagSafe symbol is a circle with a short pipe below it. You can see it on clear cases, but it’s embedded on the inside of the case so if it’s nontransparent, you’ll only see it from the inside. 

If you already have a MagSafe accessory — or plan on buying MagSafe accessories in the future — you’ll want to get a MagSafe compatible case; it’s a good option to have. With that in mind, the majority of the cases in this roundup are equipped with MagSafe. 

Are MagSafe cases more expensive?

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