Been through lots of these and now here are some opinions. Like the iPearl for MacBook, there are lots of cases, but I think some clear winners. The first a tempered glass screen protectors. Expensive, but way better than the plastic sheets.
Screen Protectors
We’ve tried the Luvvitt tempered glass ($20 from Amazon) and it really works. No weird artifacts on the screen. others just love the Tech Armor version at $16 from Amazon . They are way more expensive, but in particular the screen protector is really worth it as is the total simple Clearview case.
If you are shopping, a quick search reveals that the Luvvitt is only direct or Amazon, but the Tech Armor is also $16 at Rakuten which has a wide variety of discounts from the shopping portals, so get from there. For instance Bank of America Signature Rewards is 2 point per dollar spent (so an additional 4-15% off depending on your card value). They also have an additional 1% discount from the Rakuten if you can remember to spend them! And 10% additional off on a flash sale ending tonight!
Water Protection
Another thing to have handy is a pouch that is designed for keeping things dry. The The Joy Factory BubbleShield at $20 from Amazon for a five pack is a good investment. You get five of them for that price. And it is $17 from Rakuten. Boy they are doing well today!.
Stands
Twelve South HiRise. We’ve tried quite a few of these and this one got an A- from iLounge. The Konnect is nice, but it doesn’t seat super well with a case in it. We are just getting the Miro’s so can’t comment. But the Twelve South HiRise, even though it requires assembly is super sturdy and seems to connect well. It is $35 at Amazon, but again going through Google Shopping and then looking at portal. Rakuten seems to have the same price at $35 and also the additional discounts. Note that the review s on Amazon are polluted by incorrectly merging the review for the Macbook stand of the same name.
Looking at iLounge, I see that there are two alternatives in this (high) price range. They are the Cooler Master JAS Mini and Wave Aluminum Stand (for iPads) or the Belkin Flip Blade Adjust. Both are $30 and are aluminum and not likely to break. The nice thing about the HiRise is that it make charging easy whereas the JAS Mini is just a stand and you can’t charge while it is propped up, so HiRise still seems the best at least for the iPad Mini and iPhone’s.
Cases
One of the few cases that really lets the iPhone’s minimal design shine through, Luvvitt’s Clearview case is fully transparent with a hard, clear, scratch resistant back and flexible shock-resistant TPU sides that provide a nice thick lip to protect your screen from impact. $20 at Amazon and also $20 from Rakuten, so you can use the same discount through click through to get an extra 4-18% off as well as the 1% rebate for their club.
If you balk at blocking out your iPhone’s beautiful design with a case that covers it up, the Poetic Atmosphere is durable, yet transparent, so all that gorgeous Apple design goodness shines through. You can choose from gray, red, or yellow accents.
via The Best iPhone 5s & iPhone 5 Cases – Luvvitt Clearview – Slideshow from PCMag.com.
Speck Smartcase. This is a wallet that holds three credit cards and some money. Perfect for those of who lose things. eBags strangely is a great place to buy. They have 20% off regularly and with the various bonus malls, you can often get 4:1 on the dollars you spend.
