3 STM iPhone Cases Reviewed

The build quality of these cases was as per the previous STM products we have tested and each product showed no visible signs of use after at least a month of use. I tested them in office/corporate conditions, weekend use, in a satchel travelling (including many trips through airport security screening bins) – no scratches, scuffs, cracks or fading. These are solid with the Catch and the Harbour being made of more durable material than the lighter Grip.

All cases have a raised bezel around the face of the iPhone 5 which means that if you have it facing down on a table, the glass front doesn’t actually touch the table itself. The 3 cases all provide varying levels of bulk and protection to suit the trade-off that consumers are looking for. The silent toggle switch was easiest to reach in the Grip but it was also very accessible in the Harbour and Catch. Fate decided to deny us the opportunty to ‘drop test’ these cases – whilst this means that I can’t conclusively advise how an iPhone 5 would survive a drop, it also shows that there were no issues hanging onto the cases during the testing.

Overall, I liked the Catch for its ability to also carry a couple of cards for certain situations (i.e. not all the time) and the film layers of protection that were included in the package. Having the STM RewardTag^TM is a nice bonus too because it can confirm ownership and also give any honest citizens a way of getting your phone back to you. The Harbour is also a really good offering and if it came with the screen protectors like the Catch, I would have given it the “Editor’s Choice” instead. There is nothing wrong with the Grip but it doesn’t stand out to me like the other two.

	Grip	Catch	Harbour
PROS	Makes the iPhone 5/5s easier to hold without adding much in the way of extra bulk Its very light Didn’t interfere with any of the docks that we tested it with	Dual Layer construction for decent everyday protection Ability to carry 2 cards is handy for a wide range of situations All iPhone functionality (except docking) is unimpeded The texture makes the phone easy to hold for long calls	Dual Layer construction for decent everyday protection All iPhone functionality is available without removing the case The texture makes the phone easy to hold for long calls Didn’t interfere with any of the docks that we tested it with
CONS	It doesn’t offer as much protection as the Catch or the Harbour	It wasn’t compatible with any of the iPhone docks I tried and the phone had to be removed in order to dock.	There isn’t a screen protector included in the package
AWARDS