| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Grippy design | Very poor drop protection |
| Cool metallic screw accents | Heavy & Bulky |
| Great MagSafe strength | Buttons feel stiff and squishy |
| Included belt holster | Case fit at the top is loose |
| Strong camera-lump protection |
We’ve always loved the look of Pelican products. They always have that “built for battle” vibe that makes any iPhone feel unstoppable. But after testing a lot of cases, we’ve learned the hard way that looks don’t always equal protection.
How We Test
30+ drops per case | 6+ metrics recorded per impact | 100% independently tested
Our goal is to find out what cases are actually best for your iPhone. We don’t base our reviews on any of the marketing a company wants you to believe. We’re reviewers, not influencers.
Our case testing procedure for the iPhone 17’s:
- Buy the case ourselves
- Measure all the physical dimensions of the case:
- Weight
- Size
- Back rigidity
- Corner/Back Thickness
- Corner compression
- Rank the handling and access of the iPhone in the case
- Perform magnetic strength tests using a force meter
- Perform audio tests (if needed using a DB meter)
- Perform 30 corner, face and camera lump drop tests. This data is collected from the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. We’ve built custom drop rigs to ensure every drop almost identical. To gauge the iPhone’s protective abilities, we measure:
- Average peak deceleration
- Average decay rate
- Average impulse
- Average max rotation
- Average angular displacement
- Average settling time
- After we collect all the data, we then run it through or scoring formula to figure out how well the case ranks.
We’ve got a few more ideas to implement for the next round of iPhone’s including more data collection during drops as well as high speed camera photos of the initial impacts.
Design
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 75 g | 45 g |
| Added Case Thickness | 77% | 51% |
| Added Overlook Bulk | 107% | 66% |
The Pelican Shield looks like it could survive a building collapse. Giant TPU edges are glued onto a rigid PC frame, and the aramid fiber version we tested has a recessed back so it won’t scratch or slide around. The metallic screw accents are a standout. They’re decorative, not functional, but miles better than the fake ones we see on UAG cases. Inside, though, the iPhone sits on hard plastic ridges with no soft impact layer. It’s also the only case in this entire batch with a belt holster, and the tapered top and bottom add a unique shape. Overall it’s a thoughtful design, but unfortunately it hides a fatal flaw.
This is also one of the biggest cases we’ve tested. It adds 75g of weight and makes your iPhone feel 107% larger in the hand. That’s not a typo.
On paper, the Pelican Shield looks like a tank. The corners are massive and angled, hitting 5.8mm at their thickest. The back measures 3.2mm and the entire shell is incredibly rigid, taking 82N to bend 8mm. That’s 186% stiffer than the average case.
So with giant corners and a super stiff back, this should be a protective powerhouse, right? Sadly, it’s all for show.
Accessibility & Handling
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Extremely grippy; matte TPU edges with natural anchor points | – |
| Buttons | Integrated; stiff press with squishy feel | – |
| MagSafe Strength | Pull 9.6 N / Push 11.3 N | 10.1 N |
The Pelican Shield is easily one of the grippiest cases we’ve used. The matte edges and aggressive design elements give your fingers natural anchor points, which makes the case feel secure despite its bulk. The buttons are easy to find but stiff to press, and once they actuate, they feel mushy which is an odd combo for such a rugged design.
The port cutout is spacious and covered, so no pinky irritation here. Screen access is great too; Pelican added a gentle inward slope so swiping feels surprisingly smooth. For MagSafe, it took 9.3N to pull accessories off and 11.3N to push them sideways which is 39% stronger than average. Honestly, almost too strong… almost.
Protection
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Back Thickness | 3.2 mm | 2.4 mm |
| Corner Thickness | 5.8 mm | 2.9 mm |
| Air Pockets | Present | 10.1 N |
| Rigidity | 81.9 N | 29 N |
| Initial Impact | 13.298 G | 10.3 G |
| Rotation Rate | 298.55°/s | 300°/s |
| Time to Settle | 0.690 s | 0.53 s |
| Settling Rate | 0.196 s⁻¹ | 0.24 s⁻¹ |
| Total Force | 1.855 Ns | 1.5 Ns |
Corner drops told the whole story. The iPhone recorded 13.3G at 3ft, which is 27% higher than average and more force are being transferred into the device. Rotation rate was 42% higher and settling rate was 14% slower. High initial impact, more spin, and longer ringing? Terrible combo.
Face-first drops were even worse. The top of the case has a sloppy fit, and the initial impact was 123% worse than average. That’s catastrophic for a case that looks this beefy.
The camera-lump protection, however, is surprisingly good. Pelican built a solid structure around the camera: a PC back, TPU frame, plus an extra layer of PC. This combo improved initial impact by 17%, reduced settling rate by 13%, and cut total force by 30%. So the camera area is great… the rest, not so much.
Value
This is a premium-priced case that sells toughness as its main feature. But when the real-world data shows that the Pelican Shield mostly protects how it looks rather than the iPhone inside it, the value drops hard. Even with the holster and the cool design elements, there are far better options for both protection and everyday usability.
Verdict
Would we buy it if we weren’t reviewers? Honestly, no. Even if we needed a belt holster… still probably no. The Pelican Shield nails the rugged aesthetic and absolutely slays grip. But when it comes to actual impact performance, it fails in ways a premium case simply shouldn’t. A case this big should be a fortress, but the data shows it’s mostly armor for the case itself, not your iPhone.