Your smartphone does it all: keeps you in contact with your family and friends, contains plenty of fun apps to keep your entertained, and allows you to conduct business and shop online. With all of the power that it provides you, it is natural to desire to protect your phone from any harm. This is best done through the purchase and installation of a solid, protective case. There are so many options out there, however, that it can be difficult to weed through the cheap cases to find the quality ones. Here are three essential qualities to look for in your search for fashionable phone cases.

Strength, Durability, and Protection

First and foremost, if you’re going to the added expense of purchasing a case for your phone, then you need to make sure it will do the job the right way. Consider the strength, durability, and protective features of the case. Rubber, silicone, and leather are bound to help your phone avoid damage in a fall, but they also add a thick layer making your phone a bit bulkier. There is usually a wider selection of designs with plastic cases, but they also tend to be thin and are more cosmetic than actually protective. Online phone case sellers with a wide enough selection might also offer hybrid cases, which allow for the protection of rubber and silicone with an added layer of plastic for more varied designs.

Color and Design

The case you choose for your phone will say a lot about you. If you take your phone with you everywhere, then it is essentially an extension of your outfit. Give careful consideration to the color and design of the case that you choose for your phone. If you find it difficult to commit to just one design, then you might think about getting multiple cases for different occasions. There are online stores, like empirecase.com, that puts an emphasis on making your phone an extension of your outfit.

Fit

It is imperative that you select the right phone case for your specific model. Each model can differ not only in size, but also in location of ports, microphones, and cameras. Selecting the wrong type of case could result in covering up a camera lens, muffling the microphone, or making it nearly impossible to plug in the phone to recharge. Be sure to test the case out as soon as you receive it; if the fit is inappropriate, return it or exchange it for a better one.

It’s possible to have a lot of fun with your phone, especially if you go the route of putting a case on it. Phone cases offer protection to keep your device in good condition for as long as you have it. When searching for the perfect phone case for you, keep in mind these three essential qualities, and you should locate a great case in no time.