Survivor Endurance Case Review: Protect your iPhone 12 against drops AND microbes

Survivor is a part of Incipio Group, the same leading tech solutions provider that makes high-quality products like Incipio, Incase, and Griffin Technology. Like all Incipio Group brands, Survivor products are made with high-quality, reliable materials that are both protective and easy on the eyes. The Endurance Case lives up to the brand's reputation with a full 14 feet of drop protection and high-tech features like antimicrobial protection that kills harmful bacteria and viruses on contact. Since I got this case in 2020, that attribute sounded pretty good!

After using the case for several weeks, I can attest to its protective value and a few aspects that could use improvement. Here's a rundown of the pros and cons I found while using the Survivor Endurance Case:

Parametric patterns and complimentary colors

Survivor Endurance Case: What I like

If you're like me and you've broken a few iPhones in your day, then you probably look at drop protection first when considering which phone case to buy. That's the first thing I noticed about the Survivor Endurance Case — 14 feet! That's more than double the standard for military-grade protection. This is evident in the high raised edges that extend over the screen and camera. As always, I ended up dropping the phone within days of installing the case on my iPhone 12 Pro Max, and it certainly does keep the iPhone safe and sound, even for significant cringe-worthy drops. I've dropped it from about four feet with no damage whatsoever to my iPhone, but the case is not unmarked. I'll go more into that in the next section.

Design-wise, this is a good-looking case with bezels and angles that give it an industrial feel. There are several colorways available; mine is pink with interesting blue details around the edges. Buttons and details in a soft complementary color are incorporated into all four colorways, and I think this is a nice touch. The parametric pattern around the edges has a cool look to it, but it's a lot more than decoration. This pattern enhances your grip on the phone and contributes to the shock-proof technology that makes the case so protective.

Antimicrobial technology is also an important factor for iPhone cases in today's world. This is an antibacterial coating that prevents bacteria from living or growing on the surface of the case. Since iPhones are prone to pick up a ton of bacteria as we carry them everywhere we go, this is important to prevent the spread of bacteria and harmful microbes to our hands and homes. It's definitely a big plus for me.

Drop protection with a cost

Survivor Endurance Case: What I don't like

I've tested many protective cases, and I've seen a wide range of results, from total fails to virtual indestructibility. This one falls somewhere in the middle. Don't get me wrong, it will protect your phone, but it might not hold up perfectly in the process. After a few significant drops, I'm noticing a few dents and abrasions around the edges of this case. For someone like me, who constantly drops and abuses their iPhone, I'm not sure that this case will hold up and look decent for more than a few months. With that being said, the brand does offer a lifetime guarantee, so I suppose I could trade it in for a new one if the dents and scratches really started to bother me. At this price point, that seems like a pretty good deal.

Another slight annoyance are the tiny stains on the corners where the phone has been dropped against concrete. It seems to discolor or stain easily when dropped. This is only noticeable because I have the light pink case, so if you're going to buy this case, I would suggest choosing a darker shade or a gray colorway, so the slight stains don't show if you drop it.

The competition

The competition is pretty fierce in this category, but most cases in this price range do not provide the antimicrobial coating. Protective TPU cases with anti-shock technology and grippy textures are pretty easy to find, but most of them don't offer antibacterial properties. The Metropolis Lt Case by Urban Armor Gear is a good example. It's highly shock-absorbent with drop protection up to 12 feet and a grippy texture, but it is not antimicrobial. If this feature is important to you, the Survivor Endurance Case is an excellent choice.

Survivor Endurance Case: Should you buy

You're a germaphobe.

You gotta love that antimicrobial coating. No matter where your iPhone goes with you, this case will prevent your iPhone from collecting tons of bacteria and microbes on its surface.

You tend to drop your iPhone.

A combination of grippy parametric edges and 14-foot drop protection will keep your iPhone safe and protected in this case, no matter how often you drop it.

You use a wireless iPhone charger.

Although it's not MagSafe compatible, this case works perfectly well with a standard wireless charger, a unique feature among heavy-duty protective cases.

You can't abide a scratch or two.

Those who drop their phones daily may quickly notice a few dents or abrasions on this case. It will protect the iPhone but may take a little damage in the process.

You prefer light-colored cases.

Because of its tendency to become discolored when dropped, I wouldn't suggest buying this case in a light color.

Overall, the Survivor Endurance is a good protective case for the price. No matter how often or how hard you drop the iPhone, this case will keep every surface protected. Its raised edges protect the camera and screen while a grippy texture helps you keep ahold of the iPhone. What's more, the antimicrobial coating prevents 99.9% of surface bacteria, so you don't have to worry about bringing dirty germs into your house.

Although the case does tend to dent and scratch slightly if you mistreat it, it also offers a lifetime warranty, so you can replace it if necessary. I also suggest choosing one of the darker or gray colors since the pink shade discolors slightly if you drop it too much. Again, you can always cash in that lifetime warranty if this happens, but with a darker color, it wouldn't be a problem.