The Best iPhone 13 Pro Max Case of 2021

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What to Look for in an iPhone Case in 2021

Choosing a case to protect your phone from accidental damage as well as wear and tear isn’t as simple as it should be. But when you have a large device like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, a case is even more important.

Bigger, heavier devices will hit the ground with more force, and despite the latest Corning Gorilla Glass and Ceramic Shield improvements, a bad-luck corner drop can still annihilate your expensive phone screen. Because of that, a case is integral.

Silicone cases offer a good compromise between bulk and protection. They also provide a more grippy surface to hold on to, something that matters with larger phones, especially if your hands are on the smaller side. Silicone cases are fine for handling small day-to-day drops, such as from your desk onto the carpet, but they won’t protect too well with drops onto hard surfaces.

Hard cases, especially those with air cushions on the corners, are a much better choice if you suspect that your phone might take a less gentle trip to the ground at some point in the future. Ironically, they offer less grip than silicone cases. This isn’t an issue when holding the phone in your hands, but hard cases are more prone to slide off your lap or any slanted objects you place them on.

Exceptional rugged cases can bulk up your phone, and you may want to consider having a slim case and a rugged case, depending on the occasion. You probably don’t need a rugged case in the office, but if you’re going on a hike over the weekends, it makes sense to add extra protection to your phone.

Whatever case you choose, there’s always a tradeoff between how much weight and bulk a case adds and the protection it provides.

In the end, you need to think about where you want to use your phone, what type of damage it’s likely to suffer, and how much you care about extra weight or thickness. While balancing these factors, you’ll find one of these cases offers a perfect fit.

Note: The cases below only fit the iPhone 13 Pro Max model. They will not fit the other iPhone models, including the standard iPhone 13, Pro, or Mini.

There’s not all that much to say about the Apple Silicone Case with MagSafe, other than it’s not as basic as it might appear. A lot of thought has gone into this phone cover, and you’ll find the usual Apple attention to detail in play.

The outer material is a high-quality, grippy, and absorbent silicone that’s soft to the touch. On the inside, you’ll find a microfiber lining. Best of all, the cover is magnetically aligned and held in place. So it should all feel solid.

This case doesn’t add much thickness to the iPhone, but there’s an impact protection tradeoff. Silicone cases will offer some protection for less violent drops, but they mainly protect your phone against scratches and dents. That’s the most common type of damage, and new phones themselves are much tougher against drops than before anyway.

So if you take the balance of risks into account, the Apple Silicone Case offers the best solution for most people.

It may seem odd to pair a flagship phone like the iPhone 13 Pro Max with a budget case, but there’s no reason to spend more money on an accessory if it does the job you need adequately. With the Spigen Liquid Air Armor case, it’s actually surprising that the price tag is so low.

The case certainly doesn’t look cheap, although its military-style finish isn’t for everyone. At least the look serves a purpose, though, since that grip pattern can help you hold onto the large device even with sweaty hands.

Spigen also claims that the case offers military-grade drop protection, and it includes air pockets to increase the survival rate following serious falls. It’s practical, looks like a quality product, and offers real protection. At this price, it’s hard to say no.

Apple’s MagSafe feature, which was off to a slow start with the iPhone 12, is finally starting to gain steam. If the range of MagSafe accessories has piqued your interest, you’ll want a case that’s going to offer the best compatibility with MagSafe on all fronts.

While all MagSafe cases from Apple offer proper physical compatibility with MagSafe gadgets, only this Apple Clear Case offers aesthetic compatibility with any color accessory. It’s a good clear case with a special anti-scratch coating and treatment to prevent yellowing.

Of course, the Apple Clear Case has the same magnetic alignment found in Apple’s other MagSafe covers, and you can see them through the case itself. Overall, if you plan on using a variety of MagSafe devices, this is the case we think you should choose.

Your iPhone 13 Pro Max is going to take up a lot of real estate, whether in a pocket or a bag. So why not cut save some bag space and use a wallet case instead? Most of us don’t carry much cash around anymore, so this Smartish wallet case with its capacity for a few cards and a little paper money is perfect.

Many wallet cases use a flipbook design, which can be a little annoying to use. Smartish uses a clever push-pull design that makes it easy to insert and remove cards. It also offers a textured surface to improve grip and air pockets in the corners for exceptional drop protection. The case features raised lips around the cameras and screen, so they don’t touch the ground when the case is flat.

The main downside here is that nothing wireless, like Apple Pay or wireless charging, will work because the back of the case is too far from the phone’s back. It’s not a huge deal, but if you need a case that still allows those features to work, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

The Otterbox Defender Case for the iPhone 13 Pro Max isn’t messing around when it comes to protecting your phone. The case is made of different layers of material, which helps diffuse impacts away from the fragile phone itself. Otterbox claims it can survive four times as many drops as the US military requires for its devices.

Sure, it’s understandably a bulky beast, and you should be prepared for that. But, with the addition of a belt clip, you may even avoid using your pockets entirely.

Otterbox’s Defender Series Case even comes with a port cover for the Lightning port, probably the weakest point in the iPhone’s general water and dust resistance abilities. The only real potential negative is that this rugged case doesn’t come with a screen protector, but Otterbox says that its iPhone 13 Pro Max screen protectors are compatible with this case.

If you don’t mind the extra bulk and work or play in rough conditions, this is the case for you.

The Otterbox Symmetry Clear Case doesn’t have the full MagSafe compatibility of Apple’s clear case. Still, if you don’t particularly care about MagSafe, we think Symmetry is the better clear case of the two.

The Symmetry manages to combine the best aspects of clear cases with the additional ruggedization you’d usually expect from opaque cases like the Defender Series, our rugged case pick. While it’s not outright as tough as the Defender Series, this offers more protection than typical hard clear cases, and it’s not super thick either.

Although MagSafe goodies won’t stick to this case, wireless charging works fine. If you lay it down on your MagSafe puck, you can still charge your phone. If Otterbox ever puts MagSafe compatibility into this case, it would knock Apple’s offering off the podium.

Still, for now, your attachment to the magnetic technology remains the dividing line between the two clear case options here.

When smartphone engineers put in all that effort to shave just a few more millimeters from a phone’s body, it feels like a shame to slap a thick and bulky case on the device. But what about essential protection against cosmetic damage?

That’s where this Totallee Thin case comes into the picture. At only 0.02 inches thick, it’s more like applying a coat of thick paint to the device rather than a case.

This is a case you’ll want to pair with a screen protector, but surprisingly it has a raised lip to protect your cameras. After all, you don’t want to stick anything over those. We like the Frosted Clear option in particular, but there are several attractive color options.

Is there a point to such a thin case? While it’s not going to be much help in a severe drop onto a hard surface, it should be just fine when it comes to preventing cosmetic damage such as scratches or minor dents. Most people encounter these during their phone ownership cycle, so if you don’t have a history of being a butterfingers and want to go the minimalist route, this is a great choice.

Although we’ve created some excellent synthetic materials over the years, it’s still tough to beat the properties of genuine leather. Apart from feeling and looking more premium than other materials, it’s naturally protective against shocks, dents, and scratches.

At the same time, it doesn’t add the sort of bulk to your phone that synthetic ruggedized cases do. Leather is also a natural product that will accrue a patina over time. Some people find that appealing, so it can be considered an advantage depending on your tastes.

Apple’s Leather Case is designed to fit your iPhone perfectly and uses magnetic alignment to keep it in place. You’ve got full MagSafe compatibility and a very premium soft leather finish. The color selection isn’t exhaustive, but all five colorways are great regardless.

While this cover isn’t cheap in absolute terms, it’s surprisingly affordable given that it is premium leather and has MagSafe features, shared with Apple’s other phone cases.