Just One Little Thing
The Tech21 Evo Elite still has one little annoyance that all Tech21 cases seem to have. The bottom of the case by the charging port is loose. If you have a charging cable plugged in it's fine though, so if you have a lightning port plug I would recommend using it to solidify the bottom of the case. If it weren't for this one little thing, Tech21 would be among my favorite case manufacturers. Aside from that though, the Evo Elite is a fantastic case. Immediately out of the box you'll notice how solid the case is without being uncomfortable. The sides are rigid and made of a soft plastic while the top side is more rubbery, most likely TPU. The backside is, unfortunately, a smooth hard plastic and will nick easily. The Evo Elite does cover the buttons, however, it is a soft covering that gives great tactile feedback. The mute switch cutout is also easily accessible while the camera cutout will not give you troubles. The lightning port cutout is large enough that it shouldn't be an issue for any third party cable, especially since it flexes. I also find the Evo Elite easier to wield with a PopSocket or similar product, not for any reason other than great handling all around. Even though the back of the Evo Elite is a smooth plastic it doesn't slide around as easily as you might expect. The inner lining of the sides are also ribbed to add a bit of air to aid in drop protection.
The Evo Elite is going to give you a great solid grip on your phone that feels nice. You get a sense of comfortability in the rigidness without it being stiff and blocky. It's a great slim case for your phone that offers the drop protection you'll need in average circumstances. Don't expect the Evo Elite to give you any kind of extreme protection. This case is more about comfort and everyday needs. I wish they had made the back out of something other than the smooth plastic to add to the comfortability, but it's not bad as it is. The question to ask is whether or not you feel like the Evo Elite deserves its price tag. It's more expensive than the Evo Mesh/Check cases but not by a huge amount. It just comes down to how comfortable you are with the prices of average iPhone cases.
The Good
The Bad
Conclusion
The Evo Elite is one of the best Tech21 cases I've ever used, but for its price, I can't really recommend it. You get average drop protection with average comfortability for $50. There are plenty of other options for the same price or cheaper that will give you as much if not more. If you're set on Tech21 though, I would say spring for the Evo Elite over an Evo Mesh/Check. Check it out for yourself though, you can usually buy it at a store like Best Buy or directly from Tech21 here.
The Tech21 Evo Elite still has one little annoyance that all Tech21 cases seem to have. The bottom of the case by the charging port is loose. If you have a charging cable plugged in it's fine though, so if you have a lightning port plug I would recommend using it to solidify the bottom of the case. If it weren't for this one little thing, Tech21 would be among my favorite case manufacturers. Aside from that though, the Evo Elite is a fantastic case. Immediately out of the box you'll notice how solid the case is without being uncomfortable. The sides are rigid and made of a soft plastic while the top side is more rubbery, most likely TPU. The backside is, unfortunately, a smooth hard plastic and will nick easily. The Evo Elite does cover the buttons, however, it is a soft covering that gives great tactile feedback. The mute switch cutout is also easily accessible while the camera cutout will not give you troubles. The lightning port cutout is large enough that it shouldn't be an issue for any third party cable, especially since it flexes. I also find the Evo Elite easier to wield with a PopSocket or similar product, not for any reason other than great handling all around. Even though the back of the Evo Elite is a smooth plastic it doesn't slide around as easily as you might expect. The inner lining of the sides are also ribbed to add a bit of air to aid in drop protection.
The Evo Elite is going to give you a great solid grip on your phone that feels nice. You get a sense of comfortability in the rigidness without it being stiff and blocky. It's a great slim case for your phone that offers the drop protection you'll need in average circumstances. Don't expect the Evo Elite to give you any kind of extreme protection. This case is more about comfort and everyday needs. I wish they had made the back out of something other than the smooth plastic to add to the comfortability, but it's not bad as it is. The question to ask is whether or not you feel like the Evo Elite deserves its price tag. It's more expensive than the Evo Mesh/Check cases but not by a huge amount. It just comes down to how comfortable you are with the prices of average iPhone cases.
The Good
- Comfortable
- Grippy
- Tactile buttons
The Bad
- Back nicks easily
- Bottom flexes too much
- Average drop protection
Conclusion
The Evo Elite is one of the best Tech21 cases I've ever used, but for its price, I can't really recommend it. You get average drop protection with average comfortability for $50. There are plenty of other options for the same price or cheaper that will give you as much if not more. If you're set on Tech21 though, I would say spring for the Evo Elite over an Evo Mesh/Check. Check it out for yourself though, you can usually buy it at a store like Best Buy or directly from Tech21 here.
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