Tech experts reveal their favorite phone cases

For many of us, our phone is the most expensive thing we carry with us all day. Sure, some folks go caseless, but they exist on another level. Maybe they're supremely coordinated or enjoy living on the edge — either way, that's not me. I need a case. 

But even a casual glance at the phone case marketplace feels like we're walking into the backrooms: endless corridors of silicone and plastic rectangles. To narrow things down, I asked people who work with tech on a daily basis. These are the cases tech experts use to project their own phones — and it's tough to find a better endorsement than that.

Torras Magnetic Translucent

Yahoo Tech news editor Daniel Thorp-Lancaster goes streamlined on his Samsung S26 Ultra. "I'm a big fan of simple phone cases, and this one from Torras is my current favorite," he says. "It's relatively minimalist yet protective. It has pretty strong magnets on the back if you use a magnetic mount, and the sides have a slightly grippy texture to stay secure in your hand."

The case is rated for 12-foot drops onto concrete, and the magnet has a stronger-than-average 18 Newton force, which translates to about 4 pounds of holding power. Thorp-Lancaster also likes that you can add "a little more personality as each case comes with swappable green and orange buttons as a nice accent."

Torras Ostand Q3 Spin

To find ideas for Android phone users, I turned to Jason Howell , host of not one, but three tech podcasts, including Android Faithful . His favorite case also comes from Torras, a one-time sponsor of the show. He still uses the sample they sent him for his Google Pixel 11 Pro. 

"I have really loved everything about the case since I've had it on my phone," he told me. "I haven't taken it off and have no plans to." In addition to protection, the Torras Ostand Q3 Spin case includes a foldout ring that acts as a grip and an adjustable phone stand. Howell says, "It rotates and snaps back into place in a very satisfying way. In other words, it makes a great fidget!"

The ring is compatible with Pixel Snap (Google's answer to MagSafe), which allows you to attach accessories. "Creators like me can stick the phone to various metal surfaces for unique shots while out and about," says Howell. "It's super unique."  

Peak Design SlimLink

Peak Design's SlimLink received full-throated endorsements from two experts I spoke with. Tom Bridge , CTO and Mac Admin of IMP , a concert production company in Washington, D.C., says he's "gone all-in on the Peak Design family of cases." Yahoo's own tech expert Chris McGraw explains why it's great: "At first glance, this case doesn't look like much, but the small square in the middle is the difference, making this case compatible with Peak Design's mobile accessories."

And those mobile accessories are all kinds of useful. Bridge says, "I have the MagSafe mount on the dashboard of my car, and the Out Front mount on the handlebars of my bike — and I love how the mounts work." 

McGraw is partial to the Creator Kit , which allows for tripod attachments, and the wallet stand , which he says "has housed my ID and credit cards for the better part of a decade now." It also folds out to become a tripod and stand, which McGraw says "comes in handy for everything from FaceTime with the grandparents to taking a fishing selfie streamside."

On durability, both says the cases have helped their phones survive numerous falls without issue. And Bridge particularly likes the quality and feel of the case: "The textured back is grippy enough for my hands, even when they are slippery or damp," he says. 

Casetify Impact (with cats!)

As a tech editor with more than a decade of experience, my colleague, Yahoo Tech Deputy Editor Valentina Palladino , has tested a dizzying number of phone cases. Her case of choice is equal parts protection and personality. 

"I use a Casetify Impact case with an adorable cat design on my iPhone 16 Pro," she says. The specific one Palladino uses is out of stock, but there are plenty of other cat-oriented designs available — and all of the Impact cases are drop-resistant up to eight feet.

"I like that it offers my iPhone decent protection while also letting me show off my personality," says Palladino. "Impact cases are also quite slim, so they don't add a lot of bulk to an iPhone."

Mous Limitless Aramid Fibre

As for me, I'm currently using one of Apple's Tech Woven cases as part of my ongoing testing of the iPhone 18 Pro . I like how the Mulberry option matches the iPhone's new Burgundy shade, and the built-in attachment points accommodate Apple's wrist strap , which is handy. But when it comes to protecting my own phone, I really can't say enough about Mous cases. The brand's Aramid Fibre case got my iPhone 11 through five years of hard use. 

Yes, this is the brand that likes throwing phones off cliffs to show how protective the cases are. I've never put my case through that kind of abuse, but it did help my phone survive the chaos of new motherhood when dropping my phone was a daily occurrence (the glowing screen fascinated my toddler). It's one of the few cases where the camera guard is tall enough to protect the lenses and the case itself is rigid. That helps resist torsion, or twisting, which no doubt helped me avoid cracking my screen whenever I plopped down with my phone still in my back pocket.