12th Day of Construction Gifts: A rugged smartphone case

Updated Dec 23, 2016

If someone on your list works in construction or the trades, chances are their smartphone is at risk just about every day. Which makes a rugged case to protect their investment a no-brainer gift.

We recently published our 2017 guide to the best smartphone cases for construction. If you want a comprehensive look at what’s available, check that out. But for the purposes of a quick recommendation for this gift guide, we’ll recommend you go with either one of these two cases:

Dog and Bone Wetsuit Impact

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The Wetsuit Impact is one of the thinnest cases you can buy that provides both waterproof and drop protection. And at around $50, it’s much cheaper than comparable cases from LifeProof. Plus it comes recommended from the trustworthy folks over at the Wirecutter.

i-Blason ArmorBox

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If you don’t need waterproof protection but want a case that will guard your phone against drops, dirt and dust, i-Blason’s ArmorBox comes in a wide range of colors for a variety of phones and can be had for between $15 and $20 on Amazon. This dual-layer case features a hard shell exterior, a shock-absorbing TPU inner core and plenty of extra padding around the corners for all around protection against drops. It also features a built-in screen protector and a mount for a belt clip.