The best Samsung Galaxy S20 cases you can buy right now

You’re probably here because you Googled ‘best Samsung Galaxy S20 cases’. If so, feel free to skip the intro and scroll down – that’s what you’re after. If you stumbled across this page with a fortuitous misclick we have a story to share.

It’s March 2007. You’ve just picked up the Nokia N95, and you feel like a dark wizard. Wi-Fi? GPS? A headphone jack? This is humanity’s single greatest achievement to date.

Your euphoria is sadly cut short when, by some malignant twist of fate, the N95 dives from your pocket, and skitters painfully across the pavement. The screen’s fine – this is a Nokia after all – but there are noticeable scratches and dents on the soft plastic back. Your soul feels every millimetre of the concrete’s malice.

Fast forward to today, and chances are you’d get a smashed screen, a near-unusable phone and a hefty repair bill were your top-specced smartphone to tumble. Yes, we’ve lost the headphone jack, and gained powerful handsets that tend to shatter at the slightest of knocks. What cruel timeline is this? Anyway, cases.

What’s the best Samsung Galaxy S20 case in 2020?

What an excellent question. The best Samsung Galaxy S20 case you can buy right now, is the Mous Limitless 3.0 (£40). It’s the most stylish case we’ve seen, and works with magnetic car mounts – not to mention a snazzy magnetically-attachable card wallet.

View the Mous Limitless 3.0 for £40 on Mous

The best budget Galaxy S20 case has a quite sophisticated look that belies its paltry price tag. The Caseology Parallax (£13) has an attractive geometric pattern adorning the slim case, offering decent protection in a frame that’ll slip into the skinniest of pockets.

View the Caseology Parallax for £13 on Amazon

The Otterbox Defender Series Pro (£50) is the best tough case for the Galaxy S20. It’s an absolute beast, with a bulky body and belt harness clip. It’s huge, it’s ugly, and it’ll fare better than you in any unfortunate scenario life may throw your way.

View the Otterbox Defender Series Pro for £50 on Otterbox

Mous Limitless 3.0 case

WIRED Recommends: The Mous Limitless offers style, protection, and additional accessories

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

Mous’ Limitless 3.0 case (£40) combines head-turning looks with robust protection. Its real walnut and bamboo finishes provide a smart, warm aesthetic, while those looking for more traditional boardroom chic may prefer the black leather finish.

An extra £5 will nab you one clad in aramid fibre – a synthetic heat-resistant and ultra-strong material used in aerospace and military applications, ballistic-rated body armour, and marine hull reinforcement, to name a few choice applications. The ideal option for adventurous gadgeteers looking to survive live-fire grounds during adrenaline-fueled wingsuit chases.

In the hands, the Mous case feels as solid and as premium as its appearance suggests, with a tactile finish you’ll find yourself idly caressing. Granted, it adds noticeable bulk, (though nowhere near as much as the larger Otterbox case), but its impact-absorbing AiroShock material makes up for it.

Mous is famous for flinging cases from cranes and helicopters, so a little bulk is a fair tradeoff. We haven’t tried out the optional magnetic car mounts (from £25) or card wallet attachment (from £25) – that latter of which lets you go wallet-free with a snap – but the extra flexibility is an added bonus.

Pros: Premium materials; solid protection; flexible accessories
Cons: Fairly bulky

Price: £40 | Check price on Mous

Caseology Parallax

This good-looking budget S20 case is runner-friendly

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

Looking for something a little slimmer that won’t break the bank? The Caseology Parallax case (£13) has you covered. A soft TPU shell combined with a harder PC bumper make for flexible shock protection, in a package that adds just 59g to the Galaxy S20’s svelte frame. As with the other cases, it also has a raised lip around the screen, to reduce the chance of scratches.

Our favourite feature though is its rear geometric patterned design, which, according to the copious amounts of lockdown-mandated home design TV shows we’ve watched, is very ‘on trend’. Its attractive rump provides more than just fashion credentials – it’s incredibly grippy too. This, combined with its slim frame, makes it an ideal choice for people who run with their phones. Available in a selection of smart colours (including a rather smart burgundy), it looks and feels more premium than its sub-£15 price tag suggests.

Pros: Sleek design; grippy; affordable
Cons: Not the most complete protection on offer

Price: £13 | Check price on Amazon | Caseology

Otterbox Defender Series Pro

For tradespeople, sporty types and the ultra clumsy

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

The Otterbox Defender Series Pro (£50) sets high expectations with its name and price. It’s easily the chonkiest case you’re likely to find, and transforms the slim Galaxy S20 into a veritable brick, reminiscent of the gargantuan mobile phones of yesteryear. It’s very imposing in the pockets, so loose clothing is definitely recommended.

The payoff for all this heft – namely, an additional 15mm of thickness and 127g of weight – of course, is total peace of mind. Otterbox has been pumping out durable, highly-protective cases for years, and the Defender Series Pro’s thick polycarbonate shell and oversized screen lip shrug off drops with ease, while providing a satisfying, grippy texture.

Construction workers and other dust-defying professionals will also appreciate the port covers and buttons which seal things off, though if you’re lazy like us, opening the flap to charge can be a pain. We weren’t adventurous enough to use the included rotating belt holster (which doubles as a stand), but it’s nice to have the option we suppose. Throw in a screen protector, and you’ll turn your Galaxy S20 into a pocketable tank.

Pros: Extreme protection; dust resistant; peace of mind
Cons: Incredibly bulky

Price: £50 | Check price on Otterbox

Spigen Slim Armor

Best for binge-watching commuters

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

If you’re a media junkie then you’ll appreciate the usefulness of a kickstand to prop up your handset while you’re binge watching Parks & Rec on the go for the 17th time. You could throw style out the window entirely and ruin the back of your Galaxy S20 with an ungodly popsocket (shudder), or you could just get the Spigen Slim Armor case (£16) which provides an elegant, unintrusive solution.

The kickstand folds perfectly flush with the already-thin case, so there’s no extra bulk, while providing a solid base on any level surface. You’ll probably want to clean the recess out from time to time, as dust and debris can accumulate in it, but that’s a reasonable price to pay for some hands-free action. The case itself is thin, and the use of two materials – soft grippy rubber and harder, smoother plastic looks attractive – though from a functionality standpoint, the grippier material would be better suited to the bottom half.

Pros: Slim, built-in kickstand; attractive two-tone design
Cons: Bottom half could offer more grip

Price: £16 | Check price on Amazon | Spigen

Samsung Silicon Cover

No-nonsense protection in a simpler package

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

Geometric patterns and ballistic material not your thing? Too fussy on the eyes? Samsung’s Original Silicon Cover case (£20) offers you the no-nonsense protective case of your vanilla dreams. Deliciously grippy in the hands thanks to its soft, matte, all-silicone construction, it’s a joy to hold. Its slim 1.4mm thickness barely adds any bulk, which also means it won’t give your handset any trouble with wireless charging either.

We’d have liked to have seen a few more vibrant colours in the lineup, but having said that, a darker one might be your best bet, as the grey one we’ve tested tends to pick up dark marks after a while; they’re easily wipeable. Those of you with skinny jeans might struggle against the friction of the silicon on your pocket insides when trying to answer a phone call in a hurry, but that’s the price you pay for the incredible grip.

Pros: Extremely grippy; soft-touch texture; compatible with wireless charging
Cons: Too plain for some; can pick up dirt

Price: £20 | Check price on Amazon | Samsung

Pela Rise

Eco warriors can upgrade their case guilt-free

Compatible with: Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra

The Pela case is famous for its biodegradable super powers. Created to help fight the negative impact of plastic’s onslaught in our daily lives, each case is crafted from plant-based biopolymer, recycled materials, and flax straw fibre – a waste byproduct from oilseed harvests. It’ll only decompose if you actively place it in a compost pile, so any fears about your case disintegrating mid-call are unfounded.

In the hands, the Pela Mellow Yellow Rise ((£35/$45) feels like regular plastic and are surprisingly flexible. The grip is decent too, especially if you go for one of the jazzier case options that have engraved patterns etched into the rear.

The slim profile makes it easily pocketable, at the cost of extra protection. Having said that, if you kit your S20 out with a Pela case and the company’s optional Canopy Zero Liquid Screen Protector (£35/$40), you’ll be covered by a guarantee if the screen still cracks. With a percentage of each sale being donated to ocean cleanup and preservation initiatives, you’ll also feel smug in the knowledge that this choice will contribute to the 336,430 pounds of plastic already saved from ever being produced.

Pros: Environmentally friendly; stand-out design; screen-cracking guarantee
Cons: Moderate protection

Price: £35/$40 | Check price on Pela