Best iPhone 13 cases of the year 2021 Edition

Welcome to our roundup of the best iPhone 13 cases of 2021. After going hands-on with a massive collection of iPhone 13 cases this year, it’s time to crown the best. This is no small feat, but some clear standouts have emerged in the most important categories. These cases have designs and materials that just look and feel better in person than they ought to, along with some interesting new tech advancements. These aren’t just the most cost-effective products brands can come up with to meet Apple’s latest spec sheet. Head below for a look at our picks for the best iPhone 13 cases of the year.

Update 9/15/2022: All of the best iPhone 14 cases have now been collected in our new roundup right there for everyone moving over to Apple’s latest models.

Best budget-friendly coverage out there – Spigen Mag Armor

You’ll be hard-pressed to pick which of the Spigen iPhone 13 covers are the best punch for punch – just about all of them hit above the roughly $20 price range they sit in on Amazon. It’s really just a matter of personal preference, but the 2021 lineup has the best options in the price range. The Mag Armor was a real standout this year that really feels, looks, and protects your device well above its pay grade. The air cushion-equipped protection comes in a pliable, gummy frame that has no business feeling that soft while still providing military-grade protection for your most precious piece of EDC. A classy embossed striping along the backside wraps around to meet a nice matte black outer edge with Spigen’s best-in-class button covers – the additive clicky feel here was my personal favorite of any case that landed at the office for review this year. 

Spigen Mag Armor iPhone 13 case

Learn more in our hands-on Tested review

Best specialty cover in the game – Twelve South BookBook

When it comes to the specialty category, the Twelve South BookBook is an obvious choice. The folks over at Twelve South really stepped the game up this year for one of the best folio-style covers out there that’s not just form over function. The top shelf book design is as gorgeous as ever with a high-end magnetic clasp, a pretty vintage, already worn-in design, and a wonderful almost suede leather touch.

But now, with a magnetic inner sheath, it is truly a two for the price of one purchase – the interior case could have made our best-of list on its own sans the novel BookBook folio. It too is wrapped in Twelve South’s gorgeous suede-like leather and truly feels like a high-end textile. Some of these leather cases out here look much better in pictures and the product description than they do in hand but that’s not the case here. This unique inner case also makes for a seamless user experience when it comes to wireless charging and MagSage integrations – something that has and will plague many of the more intricate specialty cases out there simply due to the logistics of getting the wireless power transmission to pass through the thicker outer folios. 

Twelve South BookBook iPhone 13 case

Learn more in our hands-on Tested review

Best leather iPhone 13 cases – Nomad

Nomad has long since been the best leather out there, a sumptuous Horween treatment that again, actually feels like a nice piece of hide in your hand. While certainly not the thinnest option in the game, the iPhone 13 models are much of the same delivering a sheath that actually feels like it’s worth the price tag.

A beautiful leather treatment sourced from the Horween Leather Company of Chicago that looks better and better the more you use it (the way Nomad’s cases develop an aged patina is just gorgeous), a soft interior to rest your phone against, 360-degree 10-foot drop protection, and the free, optional built-in NFC-based digital business card tech easily make this the best leather iPhone 13 cover of the year. You can simply just tap your phone against another one to share contact info, social media details, and more. 

Nomad Modern Leather iPhone 13 Case

Learn more in our hands-on Tested review

Best clear iPhone 13 cover – Totallee

When I think of a clear iPhone 13 case, I immediately gravitate to the models that add zero bulk to the experience and favor the barely-there category – some folks might prefer a chunky hard cover option that shows off the iPhone design while still offering up some serious drop protection, but not I. For these reasons and more Totallee’s best-in-class, ultra-thin iPhone 13 transparent case is the not-so-clear winner this year. Both Speck and Spigen make wonderful options with the ever-popular MagSafe logo on the back that could have easily taken this spot, but Totallee’s branding-free design allows the world-class designers at Apple and the latest handset to really shine.

Anyone who has read some of my Tested pieces on this year’s smattering of new iPhone cases will know how much I hate a poorly placed or obtrusive logo, and there’s no one better at getting out of the way than Totallee. The Totallee clear iPhone 13 cases offer logo-free and near-weightless minimalism at its best with a non-yellowing design (in my experience) that might feel slightly overpriced to some if we didn’t have a regular string of discount codes for you here at 9to5Toys. 

Totallee Transparent Case

iPhone 13 Mini / iPhone 13 / iPhone 13 Pro / iPhone 13 Pro Max

Learn more in our hands-on Tested review

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