Something Is Quite Right
I had an X-Doria case for my iPhone 7 Plus last year and at first, I didn't care for it, but it grew on me. It wasn't the best case out there and there were definitely things I thought could be improved. It also wasn't a Defense or Defense Lux. Now, the Defense Lux I have my for iPhone X, that is definitely a fantastic case. I had seen a number of people fervently praising the case so while I was out to buy a new screen protector I noticed there was Defense Lux's on the shelf. I just couldn't help myself. The store I was at had the Ballistic Nylon and Carbon Fiber options and I opted for the Carbon Fiber. I noticed today that there are also Leather and Rosewood options, which I kind of wish I had known about earlier. I digress though, the Carbon Fiber Defense Lux is still much better than other carbon fiber cases I've used. So what makes the Defense Lux such a great case? I'm glad you asked.
Let's start with that carbon fiber, which they call black carbon. This leads me to believe that it is not real carbon fiber and the fact that it is rubbery. This is fine though as it really aids in how the case feels overall. The design portion of the case covers a lot of the back of the case, but not all of it. It would appear to be stitched to the back of the case and the stitching is very well done. I wish it covered an even amount of the back, however, it leaves the lower right corner exposed for a rather large embossing of the word defense. While we're on the back of the case, the camera cutout is done well and if I wanted to nitpick, it's just ever so slightly off-center. Not enough to matter, many other case manufacturers get it a lot worse. All around the side of the case, and under the design on the back, is a rubber shell that is there to help absorb impacts. It's a softer rubber so it's still quite comfortable. Then around the back edge of the phone, angled from the side to the back, you have a border of military grade aluminum which helps with the rigidity and solid feel of the Defense Lux. As far as the mute switch cutout goes, this is something that's difficult for a lot of manufacturers to get right as well, but X-Doria made their cutout extra wide. It's twice the length of the mute switch making it almost too easy to use your mute switch.
Let's move on to the sides of the case. The top and bottom are very well covered from drops with added thickness and texture. There are three lines through the extra thickness giving it four bumps for the length of it. I would have liked to see this design run all around the edge of the case, however, it drops off right after each of the four corners. Then the case falls back to the rubber shell. As I said before the rubber shell is soft and grippy so it's comfortable to hold. On the left bottom side of the case, you have the X-Doria logo and it blends into the case so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. I appreciate that a lot, some manufacturers would rather advertise than make a good looking case. X-Doria found a way to make it look good. Now on the bottom edge of the case, you have a microphone cutout in the normal spot, but the speaker cutout is on top. There is an acoustic vent in the case that pushes the sound up and out of the front of the case. This speaker cutout works great and I wish more cases had this, or that more phone manufacturers made front firing speakers. There is a lip on the case to protect your screen, however, it's not as large as I would like. I have a tempered glass screen protector on my phone and it doesn't stick up much past that. Now my favorite feature of the Defense Lux is another thing so many manufacturers get wrong. The buttons. The buttons on the Defense Lux are some of the most tactile and pleasing buttons I've ever used on a case. Not just in tactility, but they have that satisfying click with them as well.
The Good
The Bad
Conclusion
While the X-Doria Defense Lux is more expensive than I've seen X-Doria cases before, I don't think that's a bad thing. Due to ergonomics and build quality of the Defense Lux, I find it very worth the cost. This is a case that will protect your phone from more than the average daily hazards most people encounter. When you put that together with a front facing speaker cutout for the bottom speaker and the tactility of the buttons, you have yourself a winner. I find it very hard to find anything to dislike about the Defense Lux, so I can fully recommend it to anyone. Had I known about the leather variant, I definitely would have gone with that. While I bought mine at a store, you can buy the Defense Lux directly from X-Doria for $35 right here.
I had an X-Doria case for my iPhone 7 Plus last year and at first, I didn't care for it, but it grew on me. It wasn't the best case out there and there were definitely things I thought could be improved. It also wasn't a Defense or Defense Lux. Now, the Defense Lux I have my for iPhone X, that is definitely a fantastic case. I had seen a number of people fervently praising the case so while I was out to buy a new screen protector I noticed there was Defense Lux's on the shelf. I just couldn't help myself. The store I was at had the Ballistic Nylon and Carbon Fiber options and I opted for the Carbon Fiber. I noticed today that there are also Leather and Rosewood options, which I kind of wish I had known about earlier. I digress though, the Carbon Fiber Defense Lux is still much better than other carbon fiber cases I've used. So what makes the Defense Lux such a great case? I'm glad you asked.
Let's start with that carbon fiber, which they call black carbon. This leads me to believe that it is not real carbon fiber and the fact that it is rubbery. This is fine though as it really aids in how the case feels overall. The design portion of the case covers a lot of the back of the case, but not all of it. It would appear to be stitched to the back of the case and the stitching is very well done. I wish it covered an even amount of the back, however, it leaves the lower right corner exposed for a rather large embossing of the word defense. While we're on the back of the case, the camera cutout is done well and if I wanted to nitpick, it's just ever so slightly off-center. Not enough to matter, many other case manufacturers get it a lot worse. All around the side of the case, and under the design on the back, is a rubber shell that is there to help absorb impacts. It's a softer rubber so it's still quite comfortable. Then around the back edge of the phone, angled from the side to the back, you have a border of military grade aluminum which helps with the rigidity and solid feel of the Defense Lux. As far as the mute switch cutout goes, this is something that's difficult for a lot of manufacturers to get right as well, but X-Doria made their cutout extra wide. It's twice the length of the mute switch making it almost too easy to use your mute switch.
Let's move on to the sides of the case. The top and bottom are very well covered from drops with added thickness and texture. There are three lines through the extra thickness giving it four bumps for the length of it. I would have liked to see this design run all around the edge of the case, however, it drops off right after each of the four corners. Then the case falls back to the rubber shell. As I said before the rubber shell is soft and grippy so it's comfortable to hold. On the left bottom side of the case, you have the X-Doria logo and it blends into the case so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. I appreciate that a lot, some manufacturers would rather advertise than make a good looking case. X-Doria found a way to make it look good. Now on the bottom edge of the case, you have a microphone cutout in the normal spot, but the speaker cutout is on top. There is an acoustic vent in the case that pushes the sound up and out of the front of the case. This speaker cutout works great and I wish more cases had this, or that more phone manufacturers made front firing speakers. There is a lip on the case to protect your screen, however, it's not as large as I would like. I have a tempered glass screen protector on my phone and it doesn't stick up much past that. Now my favorite feature of the Defense Lux is another thing so many manufacturers get wrong. The buttons. The buttons on the Defense Lux are some of the most tactile and pleasing buttons I've ever used on a case. Not just in tactility, but they have that satisfying click with them as well.
The Good
- Great construction
- Forward facing bottom speaker cutout
- Tactile buttons
The Bad
- Limited color options
- Not a lot of screen protection
- Extra protection only on top and bottom
Conclusion
While the X-Doria Defense Lux is more expensive than I've seen X-Doria cases before, I don't think that's a bad thing. Due to ergonomics and build quality of the Defense Lux, I find it very worth the cost. This is a case that will protect your phone from more than the average daily hazards most people encounter. When you put that together with a front facing speaker cutout for the bottom speaker and the tactility of the buttons, you have yourself a winner. I find it very hard to find anything to dislike about the Defense Lux, so I can fully recommend it to anyone. Had I known about the leather variant, I definitely would have gone with that. While I bought mine at a store, you can buy the Defense Lux directly from X-Doria for $35 right here.
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