The best Samsung Galaxy S8 cases

[sincity]

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is no longer the latest and greatest Galaxy phone out there now that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 are the company's leading flagships. But now that all the new phones have hit the market, this still-powerful smartphone is more affordable than ever. Even if it’s a cheaper option, it's still a good idea to put a case on your Galaxy S8.

One of the nicer features of the Galaxy S8 is its stunning edge-to-edge display that stretches over the phone's sides. Naturally, that larger display is also more vulnerable to drops since the angled screen is more likely to make contact with the ground than other devices. A bad spill could doom your pristine screen.

We’ve assembled a list of great Galaxy S8 cases to guard your phone so it will stay intact as possible, perhaps while you wait for the rumored foldable Galaxy X. 

While some of these case options are untested, they're reputed to be a cut above the rest thanks to their value and design, and are backed by positive consumer feedback.

• Upgrade recently? Here are our picks for the best Samsung Galaxy S9 cases

Spigen has spread its low-cost Tough Armor series to plenty of phones, and it's at home here for a Samsung phone that has been surpassed by newer devices. It's an affordable case with a couple layers of protection, providing basic safety for those who don't need to splurge on their older phone.

The Tough Armor has a flexible TPU body that wraps around the device along with a polycarbonate shell, which also houses the wee kickstand for propping up your phone to watch media. You can pick one up for just under $17 (£13, AU$23) on Amazon here.

Vena's vCommute is a rugged take on the wallet case, offering more protection (and a grittier look) for anyone who wants to carry cards around with their phone. It's got a typical flexible TPU and polycarbonate combo frame to handle drops and scuffs. 

Unlike other wallet cases, the vCommute's card pocket can be completely enclosed by a cover. This layer is articulated, allowing you to turn it into an impromptu stand - and it's also magnetic, and allegedly works with appropriate car mounts.

You can get the vCommute for just under $20 ( £15, AU$27) on Amazon here.

This Samsung Galaxy S8 Super Thin case is for you if you're even the least bit reluctant to cover up your new S8. Coming in a few different colors, each adds a nice touch to the S8's forward-thinking design.

Its easy application and low profile makes it an easy choice for minimalists, though at $25, it's not the cheapest case given its simple build. However, if form takes higher priority over function, Peel's case is exactly what you need. 

Check out the Super Thin case by Peel right here.

This Samsung Galaxy S8 case has a translucent cover envelopes the entire phone and provides a see-through window for the time and date, incoming calls, music controls and lock screen notifications. On top of that, it doubles as a stand so you can easily watch movies in landscape mode.

This is Samsung’s fun Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus case that shines LED lights through the translucent cover. There are 54 special icons and you can have limited control over the phone without having to open up the cover.

This is the most standard case Samsung makes. It has a smooth, rubberized feel on the outside and a microfiber interior to keep your phone scratch-free. It protects your phone and gives you several bright color options.

Samsung’s premium Alcantara case feels like suede with a soft, textured material that extends all the way around the phone. You even get a slight lip around the display in order to avoid scratching the front glass when the phone is face down.

Let your Samsung Galaxy S8 true color and slim design shine through this clear case. It's 0.8mm thin, so there’s not much extra bulk to this bumper case. It's protection without the distraction.Samsung Clear Cover

Defender to the left, Commute to the right

Otterbox makes heavy-duty Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases, so you’re getting drop protection from the incredibly rugged Defender and almost as durable Commuter series. Both have a polycarbonate shell and synthetic rubber slipcover.

Incipio already has 22 Galaxy S8 cases available (and another 22 for the Galaxy S8 Plus), so here are our favorites: The Carnaby has a soft fabric back that reminds of us Incipio’s stylish backpacks; Stowaway gives you a pocket for up to three credit cards; and Haven provides protection from six-foot drops. Not enough? Incipio also sells two different glitter cases.

There are four Caseology Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases, and they’re all fairly inexpensive. The Caseology Coastline is the company’s basic clear polycarbonate case for minimalists, the Parallax case provide stylish grooves in addition to protection, the Vault I case is meant to be ‘slim armor’ and the Legion case is all about offering rugged protection without compromise.

Speck is best at offering Samsung cases with slim designs and just enough protection to get you through your first year or two with the phone (until you trade it in). We like the new Presidio case for exactly that reason. It takes on a slim design, yet offers drop and bezel screen protection. The Speck Presidio Grip, meanwhile, it meant for more impact and, with a no-slip back, hopefully fewer drops.

You can find some fun cases among Casemate’s Galaxy S8 collection already. Skip the ‘Naked Tough Clear’ case and go for one of the three ‘Naked Tough Waterfall’ cases. They send glitter cascading through clear cases, just in case a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch phone didn’t stand out already. Also fun are Casemate’s Karat cases that stick various shiny metal accents (like gold flakes or mother of pearl and silver) inside a case – they just don’t move around.

Lifeproof’s Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus cases bring your Android phone up to army grade standards thanks to the military standard 810G-516.6. It’s ready for rough and tumble action and extends the device’s IP68 waterproof capabilities. The company even claims to give it snowproof and drop proof capabilities to boot.

There are six Samsung Galaxy S8 cases from Tech21, with the cheapest being the Pure Clear case and three Evo cases: Evo Active Edition, Evo Check, and Evo Tactical. Tech21’s two card-carrying cases are more more expensive, the Evo Wallet folio case and Evo Go case that has a trap door for your card carrying needs.

If you want your Galaxy S8 protected, the Spigen Slim Armor CS case will do the job. Soft and hard plastics combine to keep the phone safe from falls. Even though it’s a bit bulky, it can save you some pocket space by carrying two cards, so you may not need to always bring a wallet everywhere you go.

This case can fully replace most wallets, more card storage than anyone should reasonably need. It has nine card slots and three cash slots, so you can keep this case loaded with ways to pay. And if you use Samsung Pay, keeping your phone in this case will mean it’s holding one more payment method.

For anyone looking to ditch the wallet and carry just a few cards around with their Galaxy S8, the Maxboost Wallet Case is a good fit. It fits the phone into a simple holder, and closes up folio-style. The card slots are perfect for a credit card, debit card and license.

The leather flip wallet case from Ocase will offer you protection for the Galaxy S8 while also letting you store multiple credit cards and cash. It includes a magnetic clasp to help it stay closed, and has the necessary cutouts for you to use your camera and fingerprint scanner. There are a variety of color options, and even models with a detachable phone holders.

See the Ocase leather flip wallet case at Amazon here.

Enjoying Samsung's visual design and protecting it from destruction are hard to balance. The Zizo Bolt Galaxy S8 case leans heavily in favor of the latter. It features multi-layer protection and a screen protector to make sure a simple accident won't  do serious damage. Most importantly, it offers military-grade drop certification to protect your Galaxy S8 from up to 12-foot falls.

See the Zizo Bolt case on Amazon here.

We’ll continue to update this page with more cases as they become available to us.

View the full article