DURO® vs DURO® Special Edition vs DURO® Ring Master: Which Kevlar Case Is Right for You?

We make three DURO® cases, and they look similar enough that we get asked about this a lot: which one should I buy? Fair question. They're all matte black, all woven from real DuPont™ Kevlar® fiber, and from across the room you'd struggle to tell them apart. But they're built for different people, so here's the plain version.

We use DuPont™ Kevlar® because it's the same aramid fiber that goes into body armour and aircraft parts, and weight for weight it's about five times stronger than steel. That's what lets us make a case this thin without it feeling flimsy. Kevlar® also doesn't conduct electricity, unlike carbon fiber, so none of the three will get in the way of your signal, GPS or wireless charging.

DURO® — the original

This is the one for people who don't really like cases. It's 1500D Kevlar®, 0.65 mm thick (thinner than a credit card) and 11 to 15 grams depending on the phone, which is less than a AA battery. The finish is matte with a faint carbon-style weave, and it's noticeably less slippery than bare glass or aluminium. Wireless charging works as normal, and there's no signal interference.

• Grip: the matte coating gives you a lot more purchase than the naked phone, which stops a good number of drops before they start.
• One thing to know: it charges wirelessly but has no magnets inside, so MagSafe accessories won't snap onto it. If you want MagSafe, look at the DURO® Special Edition.

DURO® Special Edition

Same Kevlar®, more armour. It's a bit thicker at 1.2 mm and 19 to 23 grams, and that extra material goes into a raised guard around the camera and a set of MagSafe-compatible magnets. It's also drop-tested to MIL-STD-810H, the US military standard.

• Camera protection: the reinforced rim around the lenses takes the hit when the phone lands on a corner, which is usually where the expensive damage happens.
• Still slim: for a case with a military drop rating it's remarkably thin. You get the protection of a rugged case without the rugged-case bulk.

DURO® Ring Master

This one's for people who watch a lot of video or use the phone one-handed. It's a hybrid of Kevlar® and TPU, with a magnetic ring set flush into the back. The ring rotates 360° and works as a finger grip or a kickstand, and the case is MagSafe-compatible and MIL-STD-810H rated, same as the Special Edition.

• Stand or grip: flip the ring out to prop the phone in landscape for video, portrait for calls, or fold it flat and forget it's there.
• Built in, not stuck on: stick-on rings peel off and block wireless charging. This one is part of the case, so there's nothing to lose and charging still works.

The quick way to decide

• Want the lightest, most pocketable case? Original DURO®.
• Want the best protection you can get without going bulky, plus MagSafe? DURO® Special Edition.
• Want a stand and a grip that are part of the case? DURO® Ring Master.

Worth repeating: the original DURO® charges wirelessly but has no MagSafe magnets; DURO® Special Edition and DURO® Ring Master both do. Whichever you pick, it's the same DuPont™ Kevlar® underneath, and all three come for iPhone and other flagship phones.

Keep reading

• Are Kevlar phone cases worth it?
• Kevlar vs TPU vs silicone phone cases

Shop the full DURO® Kevlar® case lineup for iPhone, Galaxy, Xperia and Pixel.