15 Protective Cases for iPhone 14 that Show off Your Style

Additional reporting by Andrea Smith

Apple annually introduces new iPhones, meticulously designed to merge form, function, and fun in a gleaming glass and metal package chicly sheathed in shiny yet muted pastel hues. And what do we do almost as soon as we take this beautiful object out of its box? We slap a case on it. Of course, we want to protect our investment, but seriously? If you're going to cover up Apple's iPhone aesthetic efforts, why not do it with something nearly as stylish? We combed through today's options for the iPhone 14 models and went hands with 15 that do the phone justice (many are available for earlier models of iPhone too).

When picking cases, we ruled out models that didn't have a drop test rating. All of the following cases are rated to withstand falls of eight or more feet.

And since many people will want to take advantage of the many MagSafe accessories, all but one of the cases we picked are MagSafe-compatible case. MagSafe cases, many with the loop-and-line metal ring visible inside, are equipped with magnets that line up with the magnets inside the iPhone back glass. Hence, your wireless charging pad or other MagSafe accessory always snaps firmly into the correct position. We've noted  MagSafe compatibility below.

Re/Casetify Customizable Cases

We were particularly struck by the cornucopia of stylishly original designs from Casetify, which features works from a number of fascinating artists and studios. Once you choose a design, you can select a background color and protection level. Impact (and MagSafe Impact) offer 8.2-foot drop protection and are the lightest cases. Ultra Impact (and MagSafe Ultra Impact) cases are a little heavier and have slightly thicker and have thicker corners for 11.5-foot drop protection. Bounce cases are all MagSafe and enjoy 21.3-foot drop protection due to their giant knobby corners. There's a wide selection, but the following four caught our eye.  

Re/Casetify Crown Sticker

One of several Re/Casetify Jean-Michel Basquiat designs, this limited-edition cover features the artist's iconic graffiti crown motif. Unfortunately, Crown is available only as an Impact Case for the iPhone 14 – no MagSafe compatibility, probably to preserve the artist's vision – and only in clear or black.

Price: starting at $72.00

Re/Casetify Vivian Ho Home Garden

Casetify offers several cases spotlighting art by Vivian Ho, an up-and-coming Hong Kong-born painter, and illustrator whose drawings conjure comparisons to Winsor McCay.

Re/Casetify Great Sushi Dragon

This fearsome dragon surfing atop a version of Kanagawa's Great Wave is sliced and diced for easy consumption and is just one of several anime-like food-inspired art cases from the Brazilian Illustrata Studios.

Price: starting at $68.00, available for iPhone 13 models starting at $60.00

Re/Casetify Peekaboo Cat

Even if you're not a kitty lover, everyone we've shown this shocked tabby case to has either smiled or burst out laughing. While you can get them in one of the Casetify colors, our favorite is clear. Not only can you see your iPhone's natural tone, but it seems like the kitten is 3D, jumping out at you in front of the Apple logo.

Price: starting at $72.00, available for iPhone 13 models starting at $60.00

Nomad Horween Leather Cases

Nothing screams stylish master of the universe than rich, smooth, luxurious Horween leather – and this rustic brown case is some rich, smooth, luxurious leather for a shockingly low price. (And, yes, it's my everyday iPhone 14 Pro Max case and already well lived in). The Horween refers to Chicago's Horween Leather Company, which tans by hand. These cases smell luxuriously leathery, and the surface will develop a rugged patina over time.

Heritage Modern Leather Folio

This folio is my everyday iPhone 14 Pro Max case and already has that lived-in look. Inside, there are a billfold sleeve and three credit card slots. The case protects your iPhone from up to 10-foot drops and is MagSafe wireless charging compatible. Nomad even includes an optional magnetic closure strap. Available only for the iPhone 14 Pro models, the folio also comes in black and, for $20 less, in Nomad's "new" leather – but spring for the extra $20 for the Horween and thank me each time you hold up to your face to take a call and smell the leather.

Price: $79.95

Nomad Modern Leather Case

If Nomad's brown Horween leather folio seems infused with too much macho testosterone, there's a simpler case that comes in Horween leather or regular leather. The regular Modern Leather case (shown here) with its softer, stylish natural leather coloring and feel. Its sustainably sourced leather develops a slightly darker tone over time (i.e., not as yellow as it appears in this photo) and is $20 less than the Horween version. Like Nomad's folio, this case is MagSafe wireless charging compatible, protects your iPhone from drops of up to 10 feet, and is available in black, brown, or English tan.

Price: $69.99

Mujjo Full Leather Wallet Case

If you like leather but want a wallet option without the folio cover, Mujjo's got your iPhone 14 covered. You can get a more traditional tan or black, but we're partial to this deep, rich Monaco Blue. It has a slim design, but the external sleeve stretches to accommodate up to three cards. There's a protective microfiber inner lining to prevent scratches, metal button covers, and a raised bezel that shields the iPhone 14's protruding camera array. 

Price: $54.00

Incipio Designer Cases

Incipio offers a range of cases from well-known designers as well as their own stylish designs. All of the following cases are MagSafe compatible, they incorporate an antimicrobial technology that protects you against 99.9 percent of surface bacteria, and they are drop-test rated to withstand falls up to 10 feet.

Incipio Coach Punk Rose Pink

The pictures of this case do NOT do this gorgeous and affordable Coach case justice. Not only do the pinks and lavenders of the flowers seem to jump out its translucent surface, but they gracefully glitter in the reflection of shifting ambient light. Since the case is otherwise clear, the flowers accentuate the iPhone's own pastel complexion. 

Price: $54.99

Incipio Kate Spade City Leopard Black

There are 11 Kate Spade iPhone 14 case styles to choose from, but this bold leopard print edition is easily the most striking. The leopard spots glamorously shimmer against both the clear case and the iPhone's own coloring behind it. Plus, you know you have a matching leopard print blouse, skirt, or bag in your closet.

Price: $44.99, available for iPhone 13 models starting at $37.95

Incipio Forme Topographic Multi

This Forme Topographic Multi translucent swirly smokey psychedelic case could trigger a flashback for baby boomers. While neither the room nor the case design moves, its wavy, smokey design will send you rushing for your worn copies of Sgt. Pepper, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, or Sunshine Superman (you had to be there). It's got raised edge screen protection since you'll keep your iPhone 14 Pro face down to preserve its always-on-screen battery life. 

Price: $49.99

Burga Morning Commute

We love the whimsical conversation-starting pattern adorning this case, and it's just one of the chic designs from this Lithuanian company. Burga's elegant cases are available in five different hard-shell editions: Snap ($29.95), Tough (pictured, $44.95), Tough MagSafe ($49.90), Elite ($79.95), and Elite MagSafe ($84.90). Each edition features a glossy scratch-resistant surface and a raised bezel to protect the iPhone's bulging camera and screen; all but the Snap version include inner secondary layers of protective silicone.

Price: $44.95

Speck Presidio Perfect-Clear Glitter MagSafe

If you want to add a bit of sparkle to your iPhone 14's already stylish aesthetic, snap on this golden glittery transparent MagSafe case. In the right light, it's like seeing a starlit sky in the middle of the day. The dual-layer sparkly case is rated to protect your phone from drops of up to 13 feet, and it's got a raised front and camera array bezel for added screen and lens protection. Microban antimicrobial protection reduces 99 percent of bacterial growth. And the case is guaranteed not to yellow for the lifetime of your phone, as some clear plastic cases are prone to do.

Price: $49.95

Case-Mate Karat Marble

Case-Mate has leaned into Apple's loop-and-line magnetic wireless charging array with this Klimpt-like sprinkled golden flake design. This semi-opaque case accentuates the iPhone 14's natural coloring and exudes golden elegance. But that doesn't mean the case isn't tough; it's built to withstand drops up to 10 feet and provide antimicrobial protection.

Price: $50.00

Gear4 Brooklyn Snap 

This classy, sustainable MagSafe case has a textured recycled-plastic bottom that makes it easy to grip and a vegan leather top. We like the Sand (shown), but it also comes in all black. The case is constructed with the plant-based D3O Bio, one of the most shock-absorptive substances, so your new iPhone can withstand drops of up to 13 feet. 

Price: $59.99

OtterBox Figura with MagSafe

If you purchase one of the colorfully smokey Figura series cases, you'll receive a one-of-a-kind case. That's because OtterBox uses a process called hydro dipping to print the graphic on the cases. With hydro dipping, the rate and angle at which each piece is dipped varies slightly and causes slight differences in the end product. As the artist explained the process to Techlicious, “I did about 30 pours and we narrowed down the selection to five alcohol ink paintings. Then, I photographed them in high rez and we printed them on the cases with hydro dipping. So there are five mass produced graphics in total, but because of the hydro dipping process, they are all a bit different from each other.” The designs come in Argent (black), Birdwing (blue), Agrias (purple), Morpho (blue), or Io (orange).

OtterBox is known for its rugged cases, and the Figura cases meet OtterBox's Drop+ level of protection. With Drop+, the case is built to withstand three times as many drops as military standard 810G 516.6, which makes it plenty drop proof. 

Price: $49.95

Smartish Case Clinger

Technically, this is not a case but an adapter that lets you add a braided 27.5-inch chain to tote your iPhone 14 stylishly. It's available in "stiletto black-gold," "stiletto black-silver," and "rose all day" – perfect for the rose gold iPhone 14 – so you can match any evening wear for any occasion from dinner with your in-laws to the Met Gala. Once chained, you can sling your phone over your shoulder or cross-body to make it readily accessible to check your IG feed to see what your followers are saying about your outfit. Or, add it to a wallet case, and you will have a cute purse for your night out.

Price: $24.99

[Image credit:  Stewart Wolpin/Techlicious, Andrea Smith/Techlicious]

Stewart Wolpin has been writing about consumer electronics for more than 35 years, including news, reviews, analysis and history, and has attended and covered nearly 50 Consumer Electronic Shows and around a dozen IFA shows in Berlin. For the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), he is an elector for and writes the official biographies of the annual CT Hall of Fame inductees, and is the keeper of the industry’s official history.

Andrea Smith is an award-winning technology broadcast journalist, reporter, and producer. Andrea was the Technology Producer and an on-air Technology contributor at ABC News for over two decades before becoming the Lifestyle Channel Editor at Mashable, where she explored the ways in which real people, not just geeks, began using technology in their everyday lives.