An Apple iPhone 11 Pro Case Roundup

[Updated September 2020]

As usual for my case roundups, I'll cover a variety of styles, with many samples supplied by MobileFun, kind people that they are. See their complete range of iPhone 11 Pro cases and covers.

See also Totallee, with one sample below. Ditto Mous, two samples below. Ditto Noreve, two samples below. Thanks to each company for sending over review samples. Any other cases were bought with my own cash from Amazon UK.

The 11 Pro is one of the very top specced phones in the world right now, see here for my full video review.

But on with the cases, each link goes to the relevant product page, of course.

Olixar FlexiCover Full Body Gel Case, £10

Oh dear. This is a tacky way to start a case round-up, but this is also the weakest design here, one which I can't really understand the point of. The closest I can come is that it's like putting your iPhone into a condom! You're effectively sheathing it in plastic, front and back.

Which I guess is good protection from sticky fingerprints (maybe in a family environment), but that's about it. There's almost no drop protection, since the plastic is very soft, plus it obviously massively impedes day to day use of the smartphone, since you're swiping over tacky plastic rather than oleophobic glass.

I'd also have to take issue with installation, since you have to figure out which half to put on first and then try to get the other half to wrap around it without any unsightly bulges.

Just avoid unless you have a very, very specific use case, like being able to hand your £1000 phone to your five year old to play games on!

Score: 5/10

VRS Design Genuine Leather Diary, Wine colour, £50

From flimsy and cheap to premium and expensive, this VRS Design case is terrific, with only one big caveat. Finished immaculately in genuine leather, this feels (and smells) a million dollars. 

It's a classic folio design, but VRS has done a good job of keeping the layers as thin as possible, so that the final cased phone/wallet  isn't unmanageable.

The phone sits in a clear plastic tray - this could be thicker and sturdier, but in VRS's defense it hasn't really got to take any strain, it simply has to keep the phone in place while the front and back leather do the actual protection.

Most of all though, this case is about raw functionality and premium looks. The former because of the well made three card slots in the front flap (one tastefully decorated in crocodile effect leather), plus no less than two cash (or ID) bays. The latter because of the super-luxurious 'wine' leather.

The big caveat I have to level is that there's no 'closure', no way of fastening the case closed. In your pocket it'll be OK because pressure will keep it closed, but away from your pocket, once you've got cards and money installed the case sits partly open when on the desk, for example.

On the other hand, putting on a closure would have added thickness. It's a compromise.

Still, a top notch case and an appropriate price.

Score: 9/10

VRS Design Damda High Pro Shield Case - Sand Stone, £17

Another VRS case, with sumptuous finish but again something of a caveat, which I'll illustrate.

The sand stone finish is top notch and the fit perfect, though I'd quibble with the fractional corner protection, both for corner drops and face drops. 

The puzzling thing is why the case is so thick in its back shell... and then you find out why when taking the 'Damda' design off. The back panel, which looks removeable, actually IS. It popped off for me as part of the bending needed to get this case off the iPhone!

Now the idea is, I'm sure, that VRS get to use this same basic back cover as the base for other designs, which might have a card holder or similar - or even just for cosmetic inserts. But it's a step too far here and adds thickness that isn't needed and a potentially cheap-feeling click-out insert that serves no purpose.

It's a compromise that's simply not needed.

Score: 7/10

Olixar Genuine Leather Case - Black, £15

Reminding me very much of the design of the premium Apple cases for the iPhone Pro, but at well under half the price, this Olixar design is superb.

Just thick enough, just grippy enough, just protective enough - the bottom of the iPhone always looks as if it's going to pop out of the case and yet it never does.

For day to day use in an office, this is ideal - you don't get top notch corner or face drop protection, but you do get a case that looks great. Regarding the title, this may be 'genuine leather' but it's thin and glues to a plastic substrate, so don't expect the full majesty of (for example) the VRS 'Diary' design above.

Good value and a case you can't go wrong with.

Score: 8/10

Olixar Carbon Fibre Case - Black, £13

This is more the style of case I'm used to - and Olixar have mastered making these and at a genuinely cheap price.

It's tough TPU all round, strong enough that there's reasonable drop protection from all sides and giving the impression that it'll last a lifetime. Being black, it won't show scuffs and dirt and it's hard to go wrong recommending this.

It's not sexy, it's not striking, it's not really premium in any way, yet it'll make sure that your £1000 iPhone stays pristine inside - even if you only get a glimpse of your phone's original colour around the camera lenses!

A top buy in my opinion, at £13.

Score: 9/10

UAG Plasma Case - Ice, £30

This is - without a shadow of a doubt - the most protective case in the round-up (at least from MobileFun) - and, surprisingly, doesn't look terrible. Super-rugged cases often look like monstrosities, but this isn't the case here (pun intended)!

The 'rugged' basics of ridged tough grippy TPU and assorted textures are here in spades, at least on the back, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the steam-punk back design goes rather well with the equally 'functional' three lens camera island of the iPhone 11 Pro.

So you get a sleek front, highlighting the massive corner protection, and then an err..... 'interesting' back, demonstrating that you're using this case in order to get more from your iPhone in all weathers and up and down all hills and mountains. 

So not quite an office phone, but it's very solid, there's a genuine smug 'I'm never going to break my phone' feeling, and I'd recommend it to anyone prizing protection over value.

Score: 8/10

Olixar NovaShield Bumper Case - Black, £13

There's a trade-off in going from simple, squishy TPU to tougher, matt plastics - the goal is to look better and, in theory, offer even more protection, but the downside is that you then can't see the colour scheme and logo from your iPhone. The NovaShield series fixes that by fusing a clear back with a matt finish tough plastic outer frame.

And it works, superbly. There's the Apple logo that you just know you want to show off, and yet you're protected from drops from just about any angle.

The button covers are styled to be flush and maybe aren't quite as easy to find as I'd like, but they do work well and in this case (pun intended) style comes first, I think.

Score: 8/10

Olixar Canvas Wallet Case - Grey, £13

Never mind faux leather (which Olixar often uses), they've gone down a different path here - and I like it a lot. The cover material is quoted as canvas, but it's clearly rubberised, and ends up being both grippy and supremely comfortable in the hand.

The folio design is quite traditional, with a fold in the back section to allow use as a media 'stand' (not shown). The canvas is (happily) thin enough not to add significant bulk, plus the phone tray itself is thinner than usual (though still serves its function). The upshot of all of this is that the cased phone isn't crazily thick, yet looks a million dollars.

Plus you get a card slot, though only one - I do wonder whether any of us could get down to just one these days? Maybe a driving license/ID card and everything else in the phone itself?

I loved this design and the only reason I'm not using it myself is that the closed folio flap also stops me seeing notifications as they come in. Which I kind of like. But for someone in meetings and more formal work then the closed folio equally means 'I'm focussed and I'm not going to get disturbed'!

Score: 9/10

Totallee Thin Transparent Clear Soft, $30

Not much of a catchy name then, but This, this is how you do a minimalist case that's also protective. Stunningly well made, the Totallee design is like a top brand, premium suit for your phone. Yes, the idea of clear TPU is done by a hundred eBay sellers, but this is the one to get, albeit at a (relatively) premium price - the fit is perfect.

In place, it's as if Apple had made the iPhone 11 Pro in plastic - it's that snug and feels as if the phone and case are one, and yet with just an extra millimetre added to the overall phone thickness. Plus an extra protective border around the camera cluster, which seems like a very good idea.

Being clear, you get to enjoy the colour and design of your new flagship iPhone, but it's protected from day to day knocks and dirty surfaces. There's a tiny - and I mean tiny - lip over and above the phone's display, giving nominal face down protection, again on a dirty counter top or similar.



Drop protection is obviously not massive here, but my feeling is that with grippy plastic all over it's far less likely that you'd drop the iPhone in the first place.

A top notch TPU implementation.

Score: 10/10

Olixar X-Ranger Tactical, £15

Something a little different here. At first sight, this is a standard TPU 'tough case', in two parts - one for protection and one for shock absorption, and as such it does a cracking job, there's even protection against face down drops. Ultimate protection, etc.

There's extra thickness on the back, of which more in a moment - I loves the textured brushed metal effect on the back - just masses of grip however you hold your iPhone, all top notch.

You'll have gathered from the 'Tactical' bit in the title, and from the flap in the bottom/rear, that there's more to the X-Ranger case though, and you'd be right. Fold open the flap and out slides a beautifully machined credit card multi-tool, with spanners, knives, bottle openers, and more...

This is a huge deal for a 'must have tools' person like me - I hate being caught short unable to open a bottle or can, being unable to unscrew a toy, being unable to cut something up, etc. The Olixar tool is very well made and it's somewhat astonishing to have it included at the price.

However... there are a couple of catches, one minor and one major. Firstly, the plastic flap rattles when you move the phone around. I'm sure this could be fixed with a small piece of rubber or blu-tac or paper, but it would have been nice if Olixar had dampened this at the design stage.

Secondly, and more seriously, the metal tool gets in the way of the iPhone 11 Pro (Qi) wirelessly charging. I've got so used to putting the iPhone on one of the many Qi pads around the house and office and with this case on it can't charge. A bit of a shame. But if you only charge via the Lightning connector then this won't be a problem for you!

Score: 8/10

Mous Clarity, £40

Yes, yes, that price point! This is where you pay to have great manufacturing quality and also a brand name. 'Mous' is all over the net in 2019! I can't quite justify the price here, but I can report that the case fits like the proverbial glove and is amazingly protective.

See the raised and reinforced sides and corners, for example, plus the mix of plastics and rubbers. Drop your iPhone from any height at and any angle and it'll be fine inside this.

The clear back does have an inlaid dimple pattern, which helps distract the eye slightly from the fingerprints that inevitably collect.

Top notch, but I have to deduct a point for the price in this case, for a 'simple' cover. And also for the 'gloss' finish on the sides, which I felt 'tackier' than the matt finish on the next case in this round-up!

Score: 8/10

Mous Limitless 3.0, Walnut, £30 plus Flip Wallet, £15

Something a little different here. The Mous cases are all super-protective (cue their ads dropping cased phones from cranes and helicopters!) - and correspondingly thick as a result. But a known quantity. Yet the 'Limitless 3.0' cases have something extra. No, not the real leather or wood or whatever (depending on which one you choose), but magnets.

These magnets are arranged such that they auto-align a range of accessories. A slim card wallet that hops on the back, a wall mount that lets you (literally and temporarily) attach your phone to a wall(!), plus the one shown here, and a Flip Wallet (here) that has room for four cards (one just behind the front surface, for contactless duties), and cash.

The materials used are top notch, and so is the magnet and fit system. The tough-frame around the phone is superb as it is, check out the wooden back panel - and shown below is the integral SIM removal tool and nano-SIM storage, which is pretty innovative.

But I absolutely loved the two-in-one idea, whereby you just detach the phone when needed, and re-attach in the blink of an eye when heading out etc.

In fact, my only real gripe is forced by physics - that the closed wallet, when filled out with cards and cash, is over an inch thick. So you have to start thinking about pockets and man-bags/hand bags and generally 'measuring up'.

But full marks to Mous for the concept and for the implementation. You could even have both card wallet solutions and swap things around according to season!

Score: 9/10

Noreve Tradition B, Perpetuelle Blue Ocean, 70 Euros

Arguably the most premium case I've ever reviewed in terms of quality leather and hand stitching, the padding on the front leather and the metal interior shell mean stunningly good protection as well.

And, closed, the Tradition B isn't crazy thick, though if you do start using the wallet features (two card slots, cash pouch) then the closed form starts to mount up, of course.

If you're a fan of folio (flap) cases, and/or if you need the wallet features, then this is almost a perfect product, albeit at an expected high price. The latter is partly because of the massive range of leathers, colours and finishes that Noreve offers - you essentially create your own case on their web site. Common designs and finishes are cheaper and in stock (sometimes), but usually you pay extra and have a wait of several weeks while someone - quite literally - sits down to make your case from scratch.

All very impressive.

Score: 10/10

Noreve Tradition E, Vert Séduissant, 55 Euros

Along the same lines in terms of materials to the Tradition B case above, this is another premium offering from Noreve. This time there's no folio flap though - you get the sturdy back and the textured leather feel in the hand, but the iPhone screen is exposed - for obvious convenience, though at the equally obvious risk if dropped onto something sharp(!)

I had the choice of colour for this one and picked Noreve's version of Apple's 'Midnight Green', so that the case matches the iPhone 11 Pro. A match made in heaven? Well, almost!

It's hard to criticise the case (and it gets the full score), though note that the physical nature of the tough back and the premium leather again increase overall width and thickness, as well as weight. It's just something to be aware of.

My only real criticism is that the top and bottom of the phone screen are vulnerable - they're left more open so as not to interfere with 'swipe up' gestures, but it is equally a weak point in terms of protection. So perhaps this case isn't for those heading for the rough outdoors?

Ultimately though, I used the Tradition E for a good fortnight and loved the look and feel of it - and I'm sure I'll be back to it when my other case experiments are over!

Score: 9/10

Ringke Fusion, £7

Perhaps saving the very best for last, almost by definition since I've been adding cases onto this list in the order in which I get them for review. And, after going through the lot, I fine tuned what I (Steve Litchfield) needed: a tough, grippy, clear TPU design which also offered maximum impact protection while not adding too much to thickness. 

And I found it. The Ringke Fusion may not look that different to the other clear TPU designs above, but the devil is in the details, as they say. In this case, the details that make a difference are firstly in the corners, which are subtly raised on both front and back. 

So a face drop on either front or back from head height will be no problem. The extra semi-rigid TPU, in conjunction with the tight fit, means that the phone will stay put and the plastic will absorb the impact.

What's cool is that the raising of all eight (effectively) corner sections is so subtle that you really don't notice them at all. In the hand, the Fusion feels barely thicker than the Totallee design that got 10/10 above:

On the back there's the second important detail - another subtle raise, this time around the camera island. It's so important to keep dust and grime from the iPhone's camera glass array and this raised rim keeps the glass at least 1mm off any surface you put the phone down on.

In short, the Ringke Fusion is just about perfect. Leaving me with a problem though. Given that I gave the expensive Totallee design 10/10 already, and given that this is better and three times cheaper, what score can I give this case?

Answer: 11/10. Which makes no sense. But there we go. Just buy it already!

Ringke Fusion-X, £6

The craziness continues. This Fusion variant is cheaper again. The Fusion-X is similar to the top-rated Fusion above but ruggedised - chunkier, tougher TPU, super-reinforced corners, and prominent struts on the rear.

Yet in the hand the cased iPhone 11 Pro doesn't feel any bigger and you're only adding a millimetre all round. Which is impressive for a case in which the phone is virtually indestructible.

You get the same subtle raising of the edges for top and bottom of the iPhone, giving protection against face drops, and you get the same impeccable fit.

OK, there's not the same sense of impeccable style as the vanilla Fusion, and you absolutely wouldn't want this on your iPhone at work, in the office, but the X variant is the one to slip on and take on your bike ride or hike across the hills.

Score: 10/10