Heading In the Right Direction
I buy a lot of different cases to find that mythical "perfect" case. The perfect case is different for everyone and I have different cases that serve different purposes. However, I'm still searching for the case that does it all. What I'm really looking for in a case is minimalism, comfort, protection, and usability. For the longest time, the closest I could get to this was with Rhinoshield, who has even made it a more compelling option recently. I was going to get a Rhinoshield before I decided to buy a Thanotech K11 while having the Telephant Lab Dynamic Defender recommended to me. I'm glad I decided to get the Dynamic Defender. Immediately out of the box it is one of the most comfortable cases I've ever used. Sometimes the buttons can feel a little mushy, but for the most part are nice and tactile. What makes the Dynamic Defender so comfortable though is that it's silicone. I find that it doesn't stick to your pockets as bad as other silicone cases do and it is medical grade silicone if that matters to you. The Dynamic Defender has their own special protective system called Air Steel, which they say is a rigid and flexible steel frame. I don't think there's any actual steel or metal in the case since it doesn't react to a magnet. Telephant Lab also claims an anti g-force structure to disperse shock. The last big claim for the Dynamic Defender is the anti-fouling, nano-layer of paint to prevent dirt and scratches from showing and preventing discoloration. I've only been using the case for a week right now, but it seems that last claim may hold some weight. Despite all this fancy marketing, the Dynamic Defender is only MIL-STD-810G drop rated. There are numerous ways to get this rating, including some that don't even really include drops. The main point though is that the Dynamic Defender is really only rated for six-foot drops. I would love to see future iterations greatly improve that drop protection while keeping the comfort and slimness of the current iteration.
You know we need to talk about the cutouts. The mute switch cutout is a little small and narrow, but otherwise nice and easy to use. The speaker cutouts are great, and the lightning port cutout though, you might have some minor issues. Most of my lightning cables fit the cutout just fine, but something as large as the Belkin DuraTek cable is going to press in the top of the cutout just slightly. That may also because of the skin on my phone, but I wouldn't think so. You do get a nice lip on the back of the Dynamic Defender to protect the camera and let your phone lay flat on any surface. You'll find a much smaller lip on the front, however, it will still let you lay your phone screen down without any issue. Telephant Lab is also nice enough to include a glass screen protector and a back protector in the box. I didn't use the back protector since I have a skin on my phone, but I do have the screen protector installed. I'm not super impressed with the screen protector, it feels nice enough, but the edges haven't really seated properly and look like they're peeling even though they're not. Despite these minor shortcomings the Dynamic Defender ticks a lot of the right boxes and I'm excited to see where Telephant Lab takes it in the future.
The Good
Very comfortable
Tactile buttons
Feel solid
The Bad
Not a big lip for the screen
Only MIL-STD-810G rated
May have some issues with third party cables
Conclusion
The Telephant Lab Dynamic Defender is a great bumper case for anyone looking for decent protection in a minimal design that is also comfortable. That's as simple as it gets. While the color options are a little limited, the colors they do offer are great. Getting the protection and comfort that you do with the Dynamic Defender and the screen and back protectors with it, it's a steal at $30. This is one of the few cases I highly recommend so check them out here.
I buy a lot of different cases to find that mythical "perfect" case. The perfect case is different for everyone and I have different cases that serve different purposes. However, I'm still searching for the case that does it all. What I'm really looking for in a case is minimalism, comfort, protection, and usability. For the longest time, the closest I could get to this was with Rhinoshield, who has even made it a more compelling option recently. I was going to get a Rhinoshield before I decided to buy a Thanotech K11 while having the Telephant Lab Dynamic Defender recommended to me. I'm glad I decided to get the Dynamic Defender. Immediately out of the box it is one of the most comfortable cases I've ever used. Sometimes the buttons can feel a little mushy, but for the most part are nice and tactile. What makes the Dynamic Defender so comfortable though is that it's silicone. I find that it doesn't stick to your pockets as bad as other silicone cases do and it is medical grade silicone if that matters to you. The Dynamic Defender has their own special protective system called Air Steel, which they say is a rigid and flexible steel frame. I don't think there's any actual steel or metal in the case since it doesn't react to a magnet. Telephant Lab also claims an anti g-force structure to disperse shock. The last big claim for the Dynamic Defender is the anti-fouling, nano-layer of paint to prevent dirt and scratches from showing and preventing discoloration. I've only been using the case for a week right now, but it seems that last claim may hold some weight. Despite all this fancy marketing, the Dynamic Defender is only MIL-STD-810G drop rated. There are numerous ways to get this rating, including some that don't even really include drops. The main point though is that the Dynamic Defender is really only rated for six-foot drops. I would love to see future iterations greatly improve that drop protection while keeping the comfort and slimness of the current iteration.
You know we need to talk about the cutouts. The mute switch cutout is a little small and narrow, but otherwise nice and easy to use. The speaker cutouts are great, and the lightning port cutout though, you might have some minor issues. Most of my lightning cables fit the cutout just fine, but something as large as the Belkin DuraTek cable is going to press in the top of the cutout just slightly. That may also because of the skin on my phone, but I wouldn't think so. You do get a nice lip on the back of the Dynamic Defender to protect the camera and let your phone lay flat on any surface. You'll find a much smaller lip on the front, however, it will still let you lay your phone screen down without any issue. Telephant Lab is also nice enough to include a glass screen protector and a back protector in the box. I didn't use the back protector since I have a skin on my phone, but I do have the screen protector installed. I'm not super impressed with the screen protector, it feels nice enough, but the edges haven't really seated properly and look like they're peeling even though they're not. Despite these minor shortcomings the Dynamic Defender ticks a lot of the right boxes and I'm excited to see where Telephant Lab takes it in the future.
The Good
Very comfortable
Tactile buttons
Feel solid
The Bad
Not a big lip for the screen
Only MIL-STD-810G rated
May have some issues with third party cables
Conclusion
The Telephant Lab Dynamic Defender is a great bumper case for anyone looking for decent protection in a minimal design that is also comfortable. That's as simple as it gets. While the color options are a little limited, the colors they do offer are great. Getting the protection and comfort that you do with the Dynamic Defender and the screen and back protectors with it, it's a steal at $30. This is one of the few cases I highly recommend so check them out here.
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