Best rugged cases for iPhone 13 Pro 2024

iPhone 13 Pro Rugged Cases
(Image credit: iMore)

For some people, the only good iPhone 13 Pro case is a heavy-duty case. Whether you want to take your iPhone 13 Pro on all of your outdoor adventures, or your worksite is hazardous (to your iPhone), or you tend to drop your iPhone more than you'd like, a rugged case is just what you need. Here are some of the best rugged cases for the iPhone 13 Pro you can buy.

Which of the best rugged cases for iPhone 13 Pro should you buy?

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

When choosing the best case for your iPhone 13 Pro, first, you'll want to decide if you'll use a MagSafe charger and accessories. If you think you will, I'd recommend getting a MagSafe compatible case. If not, you can usually save a few bucks by skipping that feature.

Our top overall pick is the Smartish Gripzilla iPhone 13 Pro Protective Case Compatible with MagSafe for its great price point and feature set. The best way to avoid damaging your iPhone is not to drop it in the first place, and this case has super-grippy edges to help keep that from happening. The design and multiple layers of this case will help prevent damage just in case you do drop it. Plus, you can choose a simple solid color or a fun pattern.

The OtterBox Defender Series has been around pretty much since the beginning of the iPhone. It's a staple, and OtterBox has a good deal of brand loyalty because of this case. If you're looking for something "lightweight but protective," look elsewhere on this list. This case is a tank, but if heavy-duty is what you need, this is IT.

If you're the kind of person who needs a rugged iPhone case, then you could probably use a rugged Apple Watch as well. The Apple Watch Ultra is the first Apple device that's made rugged for extreme situations. This will be the perfect accompaniment to your ruggedized iPhone 13 Pro. 

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 TechRadar and Tom's Guide. Before joining iMore in 2018, Karen wrote for Macworld, CNET, AppAdvice, and 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.