UAG iPhone 8 Plus Trooper case: Go ahead and ditch your wallet (review)

Many people hate on the iPhone 8 Plus because the design hasn’t changed much in the past couple of years. Personally, I still think it’s a good-looking phone. The glass back definitely makes the iPhone feel and look premium. The catch is that it doesn’t inspire much confidence when it comes to durability. I don’t think it would take much for the iPhone 8 Plus to completely shatter the first time you dropped it.

The unfortunate reality is the expensive nature of replacing an iPhone. The out-of-warranty fee for replacing the iPhone 8 Plus is a hefty $399. The iPhone X is a staggering $549 to replace. When you think about it, you have an extremely fragile phone along with a huge cost to replace accidental damages. The moral of the story is to get a durable case. When it comes to rugged durability, you can’t go wrong with Urban Armor Gear (UAG). I got my hands on the UAG Trooper Series and I think it is definitely worth checking out.

Build

I got my hands on the black version of the UAG Trooper Series case for the iPhone 8 Plus. The exterior of the case is made of a hard plastic outer shell. The corners which are the most likely to make impact when dropped are reinforced with extra layers of hard plastic. The inside is a honeycomb webbing of a softer impact core. This adds a cushion for your phone that reduces the force from impact, while still keeping the phone case light-weight. You’ll find a clasp on the back of the case that opens up a compartment to store some cards. This inside compartment is also lined with the same honeycomb webbing.

The cutouts on the bottom of the iPhone 8 Plus fit perfectly and doesn’t obstruct the speakers or Lightning port. The cutout for the Lightning port is tailored to accommodate charging cables with a thicker end. The volume rockers are easy to locate and give a nice, satisfying click when adjusting the volume. The power button is textured with diagonal grooves making it to find the power button when you aren’t looking at your phone.

The Trooper case has a slightly raised outer lip to protect your iPhone even when it is face down. The outer lip wraps around the entire phone so that there are no vulnerabilities when laying your phone face down on a table. The 360-degree protection prevents damage to your phone no matter what orientation you place your iPhone.

Usage

The UAG Trooper Series is a great all-around rugged case that can handle everyday life or weather tough even the toughest elements. The UAG Trooper case adds a considerable amount of bulk to the phone. The main reason for the extra bulk is that the case doubles as a wallet to hold up to four cards. I usually carry a drivers license and three credit/debit cards at all times. This case holds four cards perfectly. There is no way to try and smash in another card. The cards I carry are of standard thickness, so if you have cards that are extra thick (key cards), it will only hold around three cards. The back cover is like a vault and is locked in with two clasps that secures your valuables so that nothing will fall out. There is an additional lip as that keeps the cards in a neat, secure fashion The extra bulk is a worthwhile sacrifice because now I don’t have to carry my wallet, which reduces the overall bulk I carry in my pockets.

Despite the extra bulk, I was pleasantly surprised at how light the case is. The case adds around 10 millimeters of thickness, but is still light enough to use my phone with one hand. Other rugged cases that I’ve tested are so heavy that I can only use my phone with two hands. Unfortunately, the Trooper case is not compatible with wireless charging because of the extra bulk. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me because I primarily charge my iPhone with a Lightning cable and iPad adapter because it is faster. However, the release of iOS 11.2 allows for faster wireless charging, which is a bummer if you’re using this Trooper case.

The UAG Trooper case is a beast when it comes to protecting your iPhone. I’m pretty careless with my iPhone. There are several times I’ve attempted to throw my iPhone onto my bed and have had it bounce irregularly and land on the floor. Other times, I’ve flat out dropped it while pulling my phone out of my pocket. The Trooper case has held up extremely well and there is no indication of damage on my case or iPhone. The reinforced corners are usually where most of the impact is taken.

The Trooper case fits the iPhone 8 Plus like a glove. The downside is that it can be pretty difficult to take the case off to clean or change to another case. A trick I learned is to push the corner where the camera bump is located first and then try to pop out the other top corner. Another minor complaint is that you’ll hear your cards sliding up and down if you have anything less than 4 cards. It’s not a big deal if you’re carrying four cards on you at all times because the tight fit will prevent card movement.

Overall

The UAG Trooper case sets the bar if you’re looking for a durable, everyday case. The back compartment lets you store up to four cards so go ahead and ditch your wallet. The UAG Trooper case meets military drop-test standards so you can be confident that your glass iPhone 8 Plus won’t shatter into a billion piece if you drop it. The UAG Trooper case is $44.95 for the iPhone 8 Plus at UAG or Amazon. If you’ve got the smaller iPhone 8, you can find it on sale at UAG or Amazon for $39.95.