iPhone 6(s+)

Otterbox Defender vs Commuter vs Symmetry – iPhone 6 Cases

 

Figure out which Otterbox case is right for you in our Otterbox Defender vs Commuter vs Symmetry Comparison

Is your heart set on getting an Otterbox case for your iPhone 6? Or are you reading this article while in a big box store and all you have in front of you are Otterbox cases? Well, we can definitely help you decide which case to get. Looking for other iPhone 6 cases? Check out our comparison tool: http://www.mobilereviews-eh.ca/top-iphone-6-case-comparisons/

Right off the bat, we’d recommend the Otterbox Symmetry out of these three cases. It’s light, well built and offers decent protection if you can pair it with a screen protector. The second case, and it will cost twice as much as the Symmetry is the Otterbox Defender. This case will add quite a bit of bulk and weight to your case but be warned, it may damage your iPHone 6 if you’re not diligent in keeping it clean.

Last and definitely the least is the Otterbox Commuter. We are hopeful that Otterbox is making this case better because the version we got right at the iPhone 6 launch suffered from really bad build quality. Like the Defender, if you’re not diligent in keeping your case clean, your iPhone 6 is going to suffer a bit of damage.

Pretty simple right? It sort of is. Keep reading if you want more details.

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Design – Slim or Rugged, none of these cases are sleek like the iPhone 6

Otterbox Defender Vs Symmetry Vs Commuter - iPhone 6 ComparisonsBetween these three cases, the Defender is the thickest case followed by the Symmetry and Commuter. Out of these three cases, the Commuter handles the best only because the edges of the case are rounded like the iPhone 6. The Symmetry’s edge make a bit more difficult to use with one hand.

The quality of materials on the Symmetry are a notch above the Defender and the Commuter. The rubber sleeve on the Commuter stretches out quite a bit so dust and debris can easily fall between the case and the iPhone. The Defender will suffer in a similar manner as previous generations of the Defenders have as the rubber shell will slowly stretch out overtime, the port covers might fall/get torn off easily and there design doesn’t prevent dust/debris from entering the case cavity.

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Protection – The Otterbox Defender is a tough case…if you clean it.

In terms of protection, Otterbox doesn’t rate any of these cases to a specific Mil-Spec which is shame since they claim that they are tough cases but we can’t really say. Out of the three cases, the only case that we’ve tested in terms of drop protection is the Otterbox Defender. We’re giving Otterbox the benefit of the doubt by saying it will protect your iPhone from 6.6 ft drops but in our drop test, we threw in 40 ft in the air. The iPhone 6 is fine though a little bent.

In terms of water and dust protection, none of the cases are waterproof and only the Commuter and Defender offer dust protection but the poor design and build quality of these cases negates their dust protection in our opinion.

For screen protection, the only two Otterbox cases that come with screen protectors are the Commuter and Defender. The Commuter is sticky screen protector where the Defender is built into the case. We will note that during our 40 ft drop of the Defender, the iPHone 6 landed screen first on a gravel parking lot and the iPhone 6 screen did not shatter.

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Functionality – The case that has the worse built quality is the one that offers the best iPhone functionality

In our Otterbox Defender vs Commuter vs Symmetry comparison, we’re going to tell you that the case we don’t recommend is the case that provides the easiest access to your iPhone. The Symmetry and Defender had volume and power buttons that were a little more difficult to use. Every one of the cases allows you to access your hardware ports easily and use third party cables and headphones with the your iPhone 6.

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9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Pingback: Otterbox Defender vs Commuter vs Symmetry – iPhone 6 case comparison | News

  2. Luis

    January 16, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    Will using an OtterBox film screen protector for the iPhone 6+ help reduce the gap behind the OtterBox Defender screen protector?

  3. Mohito

    May 18, 2015 at 5:47 am

    Hi there

    Is there any reason you do not review I-Blason cases? I would love to see a review on their armored box version with built in screen protection. I would like to see comparison between this case and the otterbox as well.

    Thank you!!!
    Mo

    • Aaron Ho

      May 20, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      I will see what I can about getting a couple to review.

  4. Fabian

    July 6, 2015 at 12:10 am

    U should make a video on the #1 case so far u reviewd

  5. Megan

    September 10, 2015 at 3:31 pm

    Absolutely the perfect article for what I was searching. So thorough. Thank you!!!!

  6. Bigstar

    November 17, 2015 at 5:45 am

    Thanks for your review Otterbox Defender vs Commuter vs Symmetry. I see the review on YouTube first.

  7. Stacy

    February 10, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    Do you do a comparison just like this one for iPhone 5C.
    I really want to make a good choice. Thanks.

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