NuGuard KX for iPhone 5: New Rugged Case by OWC

OWC has introduced a new rugged case for the iPhone 5 at CES 2013. While there are already many rugged cases on the market, the OWC NuGuard KX offers good protection at a reasonable price.

As a rugged case, the main focus of the NuGuard KX is protecting the iPhone from damage. The case is a one piece design with an exterior that is made up of an X-Orbing gel to absorb shock from extreme drops. This case meets the requirements for basic military drop test standards. The company claims to have even dropped the phone from up to 20 feet, which is up to five times the 4 foot requirement of basic military standard for being a rugged case.

The NuGuard KX allows full access to all of the buttons and the camera of the iPhone 5. The back of the case is very minimilast and does not have a seemingly excessive amount of padding, like the cases offered by LifeProof or Otterbox.

One major drawback of this case is that while it can sustain drops it is not suited for water protection. This may be a big deal for those who work out in the elements or are also clumsy with their devices. Another thing that the NuGuard KX lacks is a cover over the front of the device, like on the Otterbox. For some users this may not be as big of a deal as they already have a screen protector on their iPhone 5.

OWC is very confident in this case, so confident, in fact, that they back the case itself with a lifetime warranty. So if the case for any reason breaks on you they will replace it. It is important to note that if the case is damaged from a drop but your phone also is broken the company may only replace your case and not the phone.

Overall this case looks very promising and with the eight different colors to choose from, making a decision on which one to get may be the hardest decision about buying this case.