Best Heavy-duty (Rugged) Apple Watch Cases in 2023

The Apple Watch is a fantastic piece of tech, much more than just a health and fitness tracker. However, it's pretty easy to scratch it up or break it, and repairs are costly. You may not need a case for daily activities or a desk job, or you may be able to make do with a less rugged Apple Watch case. But we certainly recommend using a heavy-duty rugged case for your outdoor adventures or a worksite if your Apple Watch is at risk of damage. Here are some of the best heavy-duty rugged cases you can buy for your Apple Watch. Before you hit that "buy" button, be sure you are getting the correct model and size Apple Watch case.

Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, & SE

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Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2 & Series 3

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Which should you choose?

I'm a fan of Spigen's offerings, whether you have a later model Apple Watch or an earlier one. Spigen cases are reasonably priced and yet they offer protective, rugged Apple Watch cases. This case (opens in new tab) is a band, too.

However, if you're going to be underwater, I'd go for the Catalyst Waterproof Case (opens in new tab). Although the Apple Watch itself has some water resistance, particularly the newer models, it's not 100% waterproof. While you can swim laps in a newer Apple Watch, if you're going scuba diving, I'd definitely keep the Apple Watch in this case.

Karen S Freeman
Contributor

Karen is a contributor to iMore.com as a writer and co-host of the iMore Show. She’s been writing about Apple since 2010 with a year-long break to work at an Apple Store as a product specialist. She's also a contributor at CNET. Before joining iMore in 2018, Karen wrote for Macworld, AppAdvice, WatchAware. She’s an early adopter who used to wait in long lines on release days before pre-ordering made things much easier. Karen is also a part-time teacher and occasional movie extra. She loves to spend time with her family, travel the world, and is always looking for portable tech and accessories so she can work from anywhere.