Why are shockproof phone cases so tough?

We’re all on board with the idea that a phone case should offer supreme protection for your phone, and for many of us, protection is at the top of the list when deciding on a new case. There are many cases, however, that claim to offer extreme protection and substantiate those claims with the buzzword “shockproof”. Many cases are built with shockproof material, but what is shockproof material and how does it protect your phone? Is shockproof material enough to protect your phone on its own?

What Does Shockproof Mean?

When a case is advertised as ‘shockproof’, it normally means that the case can be dropped from a significant height and your device will not break. The shock, in this case, refers to the impact your device experiences upon landing. Shockproof products usually feature some sort of material built into their design, designed to absorb shock from unexpected drops.

Shockproof material, in the context of phone cases, can vary wildly. Sometimes it’s a rubberised layer on the outside of your phone case, but it’s far more effective when it’s a more sophisticated impact-absorbing material which is built into the case itself - not all shockproof materials are created equally. Shockproof material is present in the case to absorb the force that is created when your phone hits the ground - this force, in an unprotected phone, would be transferred into the device itself. Shockproof materials absorb the force instead of your phone.

What is AiroShock™?

AiroShock™ is Mous’s own shockproof material, developed in-house and present in all our most protective phone cases, including our Limitless, Clarity and Contour ranges, as well as our AirPods cases. AiroShock™, as a high-impact material, absorbs the impact from drops and shocks, protecting your phone from accidental damage if you drop it.

What makes AiroShock™ impressive is that it is ergonomically designed to slow down the rate of deceleration, which means that your device hits the ground with less force. In addition, AiroShock™ is designed to be extremely thin - this means we can create cases which are both maximally protective and slim and sleek. Protective cases can often be bulky and cumbersome, but because AiroShock™ is so effective, we need to use very little of it, so our cases add less weight to your device.

Is Shockproof Material Alone Enough to Protect Your Phone?

No. Shockproof material is extremely important in defending your phone against accidental damage, but there are some problems it can’t fix.

Torsion

One of the leading causes of damage to phones is ‘torsion’. Torsion is an engineering word that essentially means twisting - our phones may feel very sturdy, but they’re actually made out of materials which twist and turn when they hit the ground, causing them to shatter and crack.

To combat torsion, you need a phone case made with rigid materials - these keep your phone from twisting upon impact. At Mous, we build the backplate of our cases with materials like polycarbonate (which is used in riot shields!), ensuring that our cases are extremely stiff and that your phone is protected against damaging twists.

Screen Damage

In addition, shockproof material doesn’t protect your phone screen, which can easily become scratched, cracked or shattered in the event of face-down impacts. One way you can protect your phone screen is with a screen protector and at Mous, we have screen protectors in glass, hybrid glass and TPU, all designed to offer maximum protection.

We also build our cases with screen protection in mind. We’ve designed our Limitless, Clarity and Contour cases with raised top and bottom edges, which prevent your screen from touching the ground if you drop it face-down. We’ve created these raised lips to wing slightly outwards so that they don’t impede edge-to-edge swiping and you can retain all the functionality of your phone. 

Ultimately, shockproof material is extremely important in creating a truly protective case, but you should always choose a case lined with a material like AiroShock™, which is not only impact-absorbing but also slim and sleek. Moreover, you should go for a case which considers torsion as well as screen protection.

At Mous, we’ve created a range of cases which are supremely protective not just because of their shockproof material, but because of their overall construction. We consider many ways in which your phone could become damaged and guard against all of them.

About Mous

Mous was born of the realisation that aesthetic cases weren’t protective and protective cases were ugly, inspiring us to develop a range of phone cases that were both extremely protective and beautifully crafted. From dropping phones off 45ft cranes to throwing iPhones out of helicopters, our journey has been anything but traditional. We want to raise people’s expectations of what a phone case can deliver, creating stylish and practical products that can protect your most valued tools. We’ve managed to make our ideas of aesthetic, but protective phone cases into reality, alongside creating other phone accessories such as phone mounts, screen protectors, and so much more.