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Weʼve been reviewing Spigen cases for years now and we have to say that Spigen with their newest cases have turned it up a notch. The Spigen regular lineup has always been solid and not that fancy. However, the Spigen Reventon and Spigen ProGuard are slightly more evolved cases and we’re quite pleased with them.
Spigen Proguard REview
Design
Spigen ProGuard is one of the Spigenʼs bulkier cases. It has an eerie resemblance to the Otterbox Defender. The iPhone sits in a PC frame that is wrapped in a large piece of TPU. However, the TPU on the Spigen ProGuard is a little slicker than the Otterbox Defender. This is a nice feature since it wonʼt pull your pocket out. However, it does reduces the handling of the iPhone a bit.
Personally, we think the Spigen ProGuard looks like a beefed up Hybrid Armor as it has several similar design cues.
With all the similarities out of the way, we will note that Spigen ProGuard’s sensor area on the front of the iPhone X complies with Appleʼs case guidelines due to nothing is being covered. If you get an older Otterbox Defender, youʼll notice that the sensor area is covered. This design cue ensures that nothing is going to get in the way of your FaceID.
One of the odd things that we notice is the fact that the Apple cutout is actually covered unlike Spigenʼs other cases. Now this adds a bit more dust protection. However, it just seemed odd that Spigen added that small feature.
handling
Spigen ProGuard’s handling of the iPhone isnʼt too bad because there are a lot of texture on the case. However, we would personally rate Spigen ProGuard lower than the average Spigen case. This is because Spigen ProGuard doesnʼt have the glossy grip of the clear cases and/or the soft-rubber coated PC parts of the Spigen Tough Armors, Hybrid Armor and Reventon.
The edges of the Spigen ProGuard are also a little higher than the average case. This means youʼll notice it when using gestures on the iPhone X even with a screen protector on. On the flip side, the added edge does help with the one-handed usage of the case.
Protection
The Spigen ProGuard is drop-rated to Mil-Std 810g at 4 ft. However from our experience with iPhone cases, the extra bulk of the TPU on the Spigen ProGuard means it can handle slightly higher drops. Weʼd be comfortable dropping the Spigen ProGuard from 6 ft.
Screen Protection
Spigen offers two tempered glass 9H screen protectors which are technically Glass TR screen protectors. However, from our understanding, theyʼre just normal screen protectors. They arenʼt as strong as treated glass like Gorilla glass. But thereʼs a good chance that you wonʼt know the difference once you put it on. At the very least, keys, coins, knives and other normal day to day things arenʼt going to leave a scratch on the screen protector.
The fit of the screen protector and the case is tight. Spigen instructs you to install the screen protector after installing the case which means there is no guesswork during the install. It just fits incredibly well. There is a tiny gap between the case and screen protector but its so small that we’re not bothered by it.
Spigen Reventon REview
Design
First things first, we love the design of the Spigen Reventon. Most cases are either a TPU cover over a PC frame, full TPU case or PC frame over TPU. Basically Spigen Reventon has all the combinations of cases but the Spigen Reventon is a PC frame wrapped in TPU which is wrapped in PC. Thatʼs a first for us out of the 100ʼs of cases weʼve seen over the last few years.
From our perspective, the Spigen Reventon is an evolution of the Spigen Thin Fit 360. Spigen Thin Fit 360 is one of the best cases we had used for the iPhone 7ʼs and 8ʼs. Itʼs thin no-nonsense that handled well, and came with two glass screen protectors at a reasonable price.
The Spigen Reventon has a unique look. We can totally see some people being turned off by the design as it adds a bit of flare to the simplicity of the iPhone. We think Spigen is trying to make the iPhone look luxurious with the Spigen Reventon as thereʼs a lot of angles and different textures and colors on the case.
The Spigen Reventon is much thinner than the Spigen ProGuard and by itself, is quite flexible. Bending iPhoneʼs havenʼt really been an issue over the last few years. Apple has made the devices stronger after all. Maybe, just maybe, people realized that things made of glass and metal bend so they stopped sitting on them. This makes the thinness of the Spigen Reventon shouldnʼt be a bother to most people. The reduced bulk of the case also allows you to use the iPhone easily with one hand and the soft rubber coating of the back TPU sits nicely in your palm.
The front of the Spigen Reventon is different as the iPhone sits in a PC frame and then a TPU cover. This means you will notice the edge of the case which is something we noted for the Spigen ProGuard as well. The PC frame itself is quite thin though the Red/Gold case had a weird bend in it. The bend didnʼt occur in any of the other cases. When it comes to handling, we did find ourselves having to pay attention to the installation instructions due to the PC-TPU sandwich design.
handling and accessiblity
The Spigen Reventon is decent when it comes to handling. The soft-rubber coated PC back sits well in your hand. Like the Spigen ProGuard, the edge on the front of the case does help a bit with the one-handed usage. There is also a lot of texture on the case. This will prevent your iPhone from slipping out of your hand easily.
We didnʼt have any issues accessing the iPhone in the Spigen Reventon. The front sensors arenʼt covered though they are protected like the Spigen ProGuard. The corners of the case are also slightly larger which also helps with the handling of the iPhone.
The lightning port cutout is large enough for any cable, the mute switch is large enough for our thumbs and the buttons have a good feel to them.
If youʼre wondering if the case gets in the way of the front facing camera, in the image below would be a comparison shot. From what we can see, the case doesnʼt get in the way of photos.
Protection
The Spigen Reventon is also drop rated to Mil-Std 810 G. The Spigen Reventon isnʼt going to be as tough as the Spigen ProGuard as it isnʼt as bulky. However, it will still protect your iPhone from drops of 4ft.
The Spigen Reventon has the same screen protectors as the Spigen ProGuard. Again, the screen protectors fit the iPhone and case incredibly well. In fact, you can easily swap between the Spigen ProGuard and Spigen Reventon without changing the screen protector. If you wanted to.
Comparison to Other Spigen Cases
Against Spigen Tough Armor
We’re quite fond of the Spigen Tough Armor. In our opinion, the Spigen Tough Armor is a baseline case. If you donʼt know what case to get or couldnʼt really care about what case you have, get the Spigen Tough Armor.
When it comes to design, the Spigen Reventon looks a lot fancier than the Spigen Tough Armor. There might be some people who will not like that. The Spigen Tough Armor also has a tiny edge on the Spigen Reventon. In terms of handling, the back of the Spigen Tough Armor is covered fully with the soft-rubber coating. This beats out the textured back of the Spigen Reventon albeit slightly.
The newer Spigen Tough Armors also come with a kickstand. If you need that feature, well, youʼre going with the Spigen Tough Armor.
The Spigen ProGuard, on the other hand, has a much tougher look than the Spigen Tough Armor. However, unlike the Spigen Reventon, the Spigen ProGuard doesnʼt handle as well as the Spigen Tough Armor. The bulk of the case may reduce the ability to use the iPhone X in one hand but not by much.
In terms of overall protection, we would say the Spigen Reventon and Spigen Tough Armor are on the same level whereas the Spigen ProGuard dwarfs the Spigen Tough Armor because of the extra bulk of the case.
Against Neo Hybrid/ Neo Hybrid Herringbone
We’re a little torn when comparing the Spigen Reventon against the Spigen Neo Hybrid or the Spigen Neo Hybrid Herringbone for the iPhone 8ʼs. Since theyʼre quite similar in overall handling. The Spigen Reventon does offer more protection with the screen but both handle in the same manner. If you donʼt need the extra protection or already have a screen protector on your iPhone, go with the Spigen Neo Hybrid.
Not to mention, the Spigen Reventon is going to cost quite a bit more than the Spigen Neo Hybrid.
Against Spigen Thin Fit 360
In reality, the Spigen Thin Fit 360 is the predecessor to the Spigen Reventon and Spigen ProGuard. The design cues are quite similar among the three. The only biggest difference between the cases is the lack of TPU on the Spigen Thin Fit 360. The entire case is made from PC which keeps the iPhone incredibly slim and simple. Spigen Thin Fit 360 still comes with the same two screen protectors but the entire setup is going to cost much less than the Spigen Reventon and Spigen ProGuard.
SEE ALSO: Every Spigen iPhone X Case Reviewed and Ranked (including iPhone 8 versions!)
DealBreakers
Price is going to be an issue. On Spigenʼs website, Spigen Reventon and Spigen ProGuard are 60 USD. The cases are of higher quality and design than the average case but 60 bucks seems like a lot of money. We do have to remind ourselves that each case does come with two screen protectors which lessens the sticker shock.
With all that being said, there usually is a price difference between what is stated on Spigenʼs website and Amazon so it might be worth checking to see if Amazon has it slightly cheaper.
Our second problem is the fact that not all cases have the soft rubber coating. The blue and silver case doesnʼt have the coating on the PC portions of the case which makes it a little harder to use. The Red/Gold and Black Case has the coating but not the blue for whatever reason. If you are going to get the Spigen Revonton, maybe stay away from the Blue/Silver case.
That’s it for our Spigen Reventon and Spigen Pro Guard Review for the iPhone X! Have any questions? Leave them below! Definitely SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel to stay on top of all the new things we are review!
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Andrew
October 1, 2018 at 3:30 am
The amazon links aren’t showing me the correct search. Can you help?