Quick Review: Ballistic Tungsten Tough iPhone 5s Case

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I’ve reviewed more phone cases than I can count. Each one of them has had their own attributes and flaws and they’re all geared towards different types of users. Part of doing reviews on this site is trying to place yourself into someone else’s shoes and understand how others might use their devices in ways you wouldn’t. It’s not always easy but we try our very best to deliver the best thoughts and opinions on each and every product we review.

Ballistic Cases contacted me to let me know about a new line of cases they’re releasing as a Best Buy exclusive. You can order these cases on Best Buy’s website or get them in store. Now part of the reason I opened up this review with the above paragraph is because I’m not a user of heavy duty cases like the Ballistic Tungsten Tough. My job doesn’t require that level of protection and I tend to baby my devices to the point of bottle feeding them. So testing this case had to involve me going out of my normal usage parameters.

Packaging and Design

First let’s talk packaging. There’s nothing outstanding involved in this packaging, it’s your standard blister pack with outer graphics and marketing. I will give Ballistic props for letting us actually see the case through the packaging instead of covering it up.

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Ballistic sent me the Gray/Blue version of the Tungsten Tough. The back and outer shell of the case is made of high grade aluminum, with the back being a light blue and sides a light gray. The inner shell is a soft TPU type material that is malleable and flexible but seems to do well in going back to shape. This case isn’t much different from others in that it consists of an inner and outer shell. Snapping them together is simple and quick, no issues with installation. The actual design of the case is handsome and attractive; really well done for this type of case.

Tungsten Tough Features

  • Pocketable rugged design – enhanced protection without sacrificing easy access from pockets and purses;
  • “No-slip grip” suited perfectly for the adventure-seeker;
  • Six feet of certified high-impact drop protection;
  • HexTec™ Six-Sided Drop Protection, securing devices from the front, back and corners;
  • Ballistic Corners™ protect against cracked screens;
  • Raised lips and corners protect screen against scratches;
  •  Multiple layers provide maximum protection from cracks and scrapes;
  • Precision-cut edges enhance a sophisticated design mix of brushed aluminum and durable, pliable, yet protective materials;
  • Available for $39.99 in ice blue/battleship gray or black/black.

Practical Use and Testing

So on to what really matters to people who are looking at these types of cases: protection and everyday use. As I stated before, I don’t work in an extreme environment and I tend to baby all my devices. So for the Tungsten Tough I took a different approach. I purposely put my phone in places I usually wouldn’t. I left it in the hands of my children and threw it in the back seat of my car. I also dropped it (with phone inside) from waist height, table height and chest height to test if this case could take care of my valuable phone (remember, this is my only phone).

All of the things I did with this case on I would never normally do. After a day or two I felt strangely comfortable letting go of my protective nature of my phone. The raised front edge of the Tungsten Tough provides awesome protection to the front of the phone and the back aluminium plate is awesome. The corner protection on this case is great.  We all know most phone drops end up hitting the corner causing screens to break. This case gives some serious protection to that scenario using what Ballistic calls, “HEXTEC 6-sided drop protection technology for rugged defense.” There was nothing I threw at this case that it couldn’t handle. I especially liked that dust didn’t seem to collect along the screen edges like some other TPU liner cases. 

The Verdict

While I don’t often use these types of cases I’m in love with the Ballistic Tungsten Tough. It combines a handsome design with real world rugged protection that you can trust. I give it a firm 4.5 out of 5 stars. The Tungsten Tough is a Best Buy exclusive so you can hit the link below to pick yours up for $39.99 and check out the rest of the Best Buy Ballistic case line (Ballistic Tungsten Sport). I would recommend this case to anyone looking for great protection against head height drops and such, a good case for moms and students I would think.

Ballistic Tungsten Tough Best Buy

Ballistic Tungsten Line

4_5starsmall

 

Last Updated on November 27, 2018.

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