Do Hard or Soft Cases Provide Better Phone Protection?

When the initial excitement of having a new phone wears out, it’s not uncommon to start thinking about which accessories might protect the phone and make your life easier. Most people decide to get a case, but there are many options available. If you’re deciding between a soft or hard case for Samsung Galaxy S3, there are a lot of factors to take into account. There is no right answer, as each type of case has its advantages and disadvantages.

Soft Case

Soft cases are those typically made of rubber or silicone. The softer material is designed to provide shock absorption for when the phone is dropped on a hard surface. Instead of your phone making direct contact with concrete, it instead has a layer of soft material as a buffer. Unfortunately, that layer is thin, so especially bad tumbles may still damage the phone. Some rubber cases also cause the phone to bounce when dropped, which can increase the chance of the phone’s screen scraping against something. A major benefit of soft cases is that they provide a lot of grip, which may prevent you from dropping your phone in the first place.

Hard Case

Hard phone cases are typically made of plastic or other hard materials. Like soft cases, they are designed to provide shock absorption, but they do it in a different way. When a phone with a hard case hits the ground, it acts almost like the bumper of a car. Hard cases typically provide better shock absorption than soft cases, but they can have a couple of downsides. If the case doesn’t fit well, the shock absorption will be minimized. Hard cases can also result in minor scratches on the phone.

Quality

Whenever a question is asked regarding whether soft or hard cases are better, it usually ends up with people recommending a particular soft or hard case for Samsung Galaxy S3, rather than making an argument for a type of case in general. Because either type of case can work, the overall quality of the case is more important than what type it is. Some high end cases even combine aspects of soft and hard cases so you get the best of both worlds.