Best Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cases - hands on with our favorites

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is one of the best smartphones that you can buy right now. When you take in all the great features of the Galaxy S9 and add a bigger battery and a dual camera setup, it’s hard to compete on any level. But the all glass construction of the phone is its one major weak point. Fortunately, there are plenty of great Galaxy S9 Plus cases out there you can use to protect your phone.

Read more: Best Samsung Galaxy Note 8 cases | Best S9 Plus Accessories

We went hands on with over 60 cases for this phone and here are our 10 favorites.

TL;DR:

• Clear case recommendation: Speck is one of the leading names in cases, and it has a great one for the Galaxy S9 Plus
• Slim shell case recommendation: Samsung Hyperknit case – it’s not just for your shoes any more!
• Rugged case recommendation: Wave hello to the Ringke Wave!
• Wallet case recommendation: The best wallet case on the list is the best case on the list – the CoverOn SecureCard!

Speck Gemshield (clear case)

One of our favorite ways to protect a phone is with a clear case. This allows you to enjoy the design of the phone while keeping it safe from harm. This Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus case will do exactly that. The back and side of the case are all made from a hard polycarbonate which give the phone case extra durability, but also make it a little tough to put on and take off. When you do put it on, it will snap on with a pretty satisfying sound to let you know that it’s solidly in place. The case itself does love fingerprints though and is a bit expensive.

But, when it comes to good solid protection, you can’t go wrong with clear polycarbonate, and once it’s on there, it won’t be coming off accidentally. 

Tudia Arch (slim bumper)

Tudia is a company we really like when it comes to nice-looking, conservative designs. These cases fit just about anyone and any phone because the minimal design doesn’t detract from the design of the phone. It does its job admirably and doesn’t try to overshadow an already impressively designed phone. In the case of the Arch S, no pun intended, that’s exactly what you get. There is a single decorative line across the bottom of the TPU case and the button covers are nice and responsive. It’s all you can ask for in a phone case.

This is the true definition of a bumper case. It adds a little bit of bulk, but doesn’t detract from the overall design of the phone. That makes it solid in our camp, and one of the best Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cases you can buy. 

Poetic Guardian (slim bumper – kinda)

The Poetic Guardian is a difficult case to categorize. Its slim profile puts it in the bumper camp, but it protects front and back (including the screen) so it’s rugged, but it’s also largely clear. But, that’s why it’s on our list of ten favorites, because it does all those things. Our biggest gripe on the phone is that the holes drilled in the front of the case for the sensors but into the bezel and make it look unattractive. If you can get past that, this case will cover your screen and the back glass of the phone, protecting them from drops and scratches, keeping your phone pristine.

Getting all around protection like that for a pretty low price is quite often. But give yourself 20 minutes to put this case on – and clean, clean, clean. If you can get past some of the issues, this is easily one of the best Galaxy S9 Plus cases. 

Samsung Hyperknit case (slim shell)

In addition to making a great phone, Samsung made some great cases to put on those phones, and hyperknit is one of our favorites. It’s basically the same hyperknit material you’ll find in gym shoes to make them breathable. But on a case, it feels really great. You’ll tell people to touch your phone at parties, it feels so nice. It’s a little hard to keep clean and I would trim any shaggy fingernails before handling it too much, but it’s got such a nice feel, you won’t mind.

This case will easily make your phone stand out in a crowd, which is not easy for a Samsung in a world full of Samsungs.

Ringke Wave (rugged)

The Ringke Wave is our favorite rugged case that we took a look at. One of the best things about the Ringke Wave is the wave on the back of the case. The Wave is both a design and serves a protective purpose as the dual-layers of TPU and polycarbonate serve to provide shock absorption and impact resistance. It’s always nice when the form and function of a case can be interwoven so nicely together and protect your phone at the some time.

We so rarely see this perfect combination of form and function that is simply delightful. If not for the wallet case and is sheer utility, this is our favorite.

CoverOn Arc (rugged)

The CoverOn Arc is one of the bigger, beefier cases we reviewed. It has dual-layered protection on the back with a soft TPU sleeve and a hard polycarbonate shell. The main reason it lost points was because the cutouts for the camera/flash/fingerprint sensor cut out of the design on the back. There is a design between the TPU and the polycarbonate that simply didn’t work with where the cutouts had to be and rather than change the design, CoverOn just made the cutouts anyway. It wasn’t our favorite, but from a protection standpoint, this case is a beast, so it made our top 10.

Cutouts on a phone case are an inconvenient necessity. If they interfere with the design, the design needs to be changed. Simple as that.

CoverOn Securecard (wallet) 

This was our favorite case that we tested, and the one we often went back to. This wallet case has a nice brushed metal design on the back, which also sports a card holder. In the world of wallet cases, if you can’t take an ID and a credit card, you’re still taking a wallet, so two cards is a good size. As an added bonus, the card slot cover also doubles as a kickstand for movie watching which is awesome. It’s our top case on the list, no doubt about it.

We love this case. It’s a home run all around and we like leaving our wallets at home.

Samsung LED case (wallet)

Samsung created a neat concept with the LED wallet case. When closed, the time is shown on the cover. You can customize different 8-bit notification icons, and even answer the phone by swiping on the cover. However, the LED was less useful than we anticipated. It’s neat to see when you close the case, but when pulling it front a pocket it stayed off. Plus, the single card holder doesn’t replace your wallet.There’s no kickstand and no magnetic closure, resulting in a case that flops open randomly. The LED trick is pretty neat, but the novelty wears off quickly.

We love what Samsung was trying to do here. It’s just a shame that it couldn’t be cooler and frankly more useful than it actually is.

Coveron Ringcase (specialty)

We only tested one specialty case here – the Coveron Ringcase. This is basically a Coveron Arc case (above) but with a ring holder built into the back of it. The ring holder adds a sure grip and even adds a kickstand for media viewing. If you’re tired of your Pop Socket and want to try something else, this is a good option – it’s nice and secure. Add to that a rugged build, and this is a solid buy.

The ring adds a really secure hold on your phone, and a kickstand when you need one. Those are really nice options to add to a case.

That’s it for our best Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cases roundup. Any great cases you’d like us to check out? Let us know down in the comments.

Next: Best Galaxy S10 Plus cases