“Military Grade” on Phone Cases Doesn’t Mean What You Think

Even though some people might argue that phone cases are no longer necessary, most of us still tend to purchase this accessory for a number of benefits, ranging from extra protection to extra grip on the sides. But when you’re looking for a case, you’ve probably noticed that some of these products offer protection such as “military grade” drop protection.

At first glance, such a description seems like a surefire way to ensure that you’re getting one of the most durable phone cases on the market. After all, the military needs items that can withstand harsh conditions in the field. And since the manufacturer claims it offers military-grade protection, then surely it would make sense that the item had undergone some sort of military-regulated test, right?

However, the military-grade protection that many phone case manufacturers claim to offer isn’t as vital as you might initially think. In fact, there are some important caveats to keep in mind when examining claims of “military-grade” protection. Actual testing to verify this information can be wildly inconsistent and is not conducted by a military-regulated group at all.

Most military claims for fall protection are based on a standard known as MIL-STD-810G. To find out what this actually means, you need to go through a lengthy document on testing procedures, available from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The section on shock (drop) testing alone is over 40 pages long and, among other things, specifies that objects less than 36 inches must pass a test in which they are dropped on the face, edge and corner of the item for a total of 26 drops. For items smaller in size and weight than smartphone cases, these drops are supposed to be made on a two-inch-thick piece of plywood laid over concrete. Seems effective, right? But there is a catch.

You see, manufacturers performing these tests are technically allowed to use up to five different samples while testing these 26 drops. This means that a case can only be dropped a handful of times in total before it is changed. Ultimately, this means the same case probably isn’t dropped as many times as the claims might lead you to believe they are, so there’s no complete test for potential cumulative damages. Additionally, because there are no restrictions on who can perform these tests, manufacturers are not required to submit them to third-party testing agencies. They can simply perform the test in-house and interpret the results however they see fit.

The reason these claims aren’t as important as you might think when looking for a durable smartphone case is because they can be made by anyone, and companies can claim that something has been tested for military-grade protection without even performing the test at all. Because each manufacturer will have their own approach to setting the standard and what determines whether their cases fail or pass the test, since it wasn’t designed for smartphones. There is also a fairly common joke among the military that the lowest bidder often wins, and for this reason the bar for something that is considered “military grade” is overall quite low.

Without any blanket regulations, the claim of military-grade drop protection on a phone case isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. This is why you should always look at the fine print of how the test was performed. Next time you’re trying to decide whether a rugged case is worth the extra bulk, do a little research on how the manufacturer tests its products – Otterbox has a whole page on how it handles its drop protection testing – and that should give you everything you need to make sure you understand what you’re paying for.