When I first checked out the Otterbox Resurgence battery case for my iPhone 5/5S to see if it would make my list of portable charging must-haves, I had high hopes. We love the protection, function and customer service of Otterbox and their products are now even getting more stylish too.
Unfortunately though, there were a few design flaws with the Resurgence that made it fall a little short for me. So when I checked back with them at CES earlier this year, I was thrilled (and a little amazed) to learn that the very improvements they made when they announced the Otterbox iPhone 6 Resurgence Power Case were the very improvements I had asked for.
(Not that they were taking my advice specifically; it just seems clear that I wasn’t the only one struggling with the first model a bit.)
Related: Our 5 essential portable chargers. Don’t leave home without one. Or more.
If you need a battery case for an iPhone 6 with the best protection you can get, I’m so glad Otterbox now has such a terrific option. It’s now far easier to take the case on and off — something important to me not just for trying out other cases for this site, but when I want to pop off a case to charge my phone directly, or dock it into a speaker. it’s not as easy as a Mophie, and there are still a few complaints about it from some users, but it’s a huge improvement from the original version, and it’s not like you need screwdriver to pry it off either.
That also may be a benefit to parents by the way, because your kids are not likely to fuss around with the case. And kids are probably the main reason you’d consider an Otterbox anyway.
Otterbox has also eliminated the need for an additional extension cord to use the headphone jack if you’ve got standard Apple earbuds or similar, an annoyance that was a total deal-killer for me.
Just know that headphones with wider cords will still need the extender to be able to fit in that narrow well at the bottom of the case. This could be an issue for you if you use your headphones all the time for calls; less of an issue if you just keep your headphones together with the extender for runs or workouts at the gym.
As for the battery — arguably the most important part of a battery charging case — it’s pretty impressive without being super weighty, and should double the life of your iPhone 6, if not a bit more. That gives me so much peace of mind on the go, especially considering how fast data still tends to eat up my battery. Especially for iPhone 6 users who might be taking advantage of that bigger screen for more House of Cards bingewatching on the go.
A note for iPhone 5/5S users: My understanding from the Otterbox team is that these changes were made specifically for the introduction of the iPhone 6 case at the beginning of 2015. If you’re toting a 5/5S, you may struggle with some of the original design challenges that I did.
Order the Otterbox iPhone 6 resurgence Power Case in four colors from their site and get free US shipping through 3/31/15. You can also order the Otterbox iPhone 6 Resurgence Case on Amazon through our affiliate for as low as $59.99; keep in mind all reviews before 2015 are for earlier models.
