What these ratings mean to your customers and their phone and tablet protection needs
updated February 8, 2022
The Case for Cases
Smartphones are arguably the most pervasive, everyday piece of electronics people own. They go everywhere their owners go, usually in a pocket, purse, backpack, or anywhere users can easily stash them. And typically, they are expensive enough that most owners can’t afford to replace them very often. Enter military grade phone cases.
Even without knowing exactly what “military grade” means, when smartphone owners see or hear those words, they think “rugged.” They feel reassured a case like that will offer the best possible protection. And they assume their phone or tablet will be much safer in it than in any other kind of case.
Everyday life exposes smartphones and tablets not only to the usual wear and tear but often to significant damage if dropped. And drops are rarely onto soft pillows! They are also exposed to water and liquids—whether accidentally splashed by the pool, dropped into a puddle, or nestled next to a leaking tube of hand lotion. They are also exposed to dust and debris.
Small accidents at home or on the go happen all the time. Think how vulnerable a smartphone or tablet is in an industrial environment like a factory or construction site!
A good military grade case can help protect a phone or tablet from any or all these dangers. That’s why more and more case manufacturers are including this style of case in their product line.
What does military grade mean?
“Military grade” refers to tests developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to determine the “environmental worthiness and overall durability of material system design” of certain types of objects. These tests are specifically designed for use by contractors who make things for the military. They are not designed for civilian items, much less a cell phone case or a tablet protector.
However, since these tests and their procedures are available to the public, they are quite handy for any company that wants to highlight the durability of their products. Manufacturers can choose the tests most applicable to the products or product features they’d like to measure. And then they can use the procedures outlined in the MIL-STD and perform the tests themselves. Or they can have testing done at an independent lab. The military itself does NOT perform tests.
Military grade phone cases usually reference MIL-STD-810G, standards which were released in 2008 and revised in 2014.
However, there is a newer version.
MIL-STD-810H came out in 2019.
The base standard is MIL-STD-810 with ongoing revisions and updates noted in alphabetical order. H is the latest. Without the revision letter, which set of testing standards is in play is unknown. So, although stating “MIL-STD-810” may be reassuring to consumers, for those in the know, something very important is missing.
Phone and tablet case manufacturers usually test for water-resistance (rain and humidity), sand and dust-resistance, waterproofing (immersion), and vibration and shock (drops and impacts).
MIL-STD-810H changes things up when it comes to drop tests, more technically known as Transit Drops.
Transit drops parameter changes
Under MIL-STD-810G, drop tests should be performed onto a two-inch thick piece of plywood with concrete backing. This includes 26 drops of each face, edge, and corner from a height of 4 feet.
810H updates the parameters. The drops are now onto concrete-backed steel, not plywood. Ouch! And must be done from a height of 5 feet, not 4. Double ouch!
With these new, more stringent H standards in place, case manufacturers that are serious about meeting MIL-STD may have to go back to the drawing board.
So, it’s important to pay attention to specific military grade claims when it comes to drop tests. Are they listing a letter revision? Is it the latest? Or is the term being used more as a catchy, feel-good buzz word?
It’s best to beware of any kind of generic MIL-SPEC or MIL-STD claim. Even with a letter tacked on, a case:
- May have been designed to pass a specific test but not actually have been tested
- Or it was tested but the parameters were fudged
- Or the case passed the test, but it failed to protect the device inside
When it comes to MIL-STD claims, it ultimately comes down to a brand’s trustworthiness. And how much detail the company provides on its website and marketing language.
IP rating vs. military grade
The difference between “IP rated” and “military grade” can be tricky. That’s because even though they are sometimes listed together in a product’s description—especially phone and tablet cases—they are not issued from the same agency.
IP ratings—those ratings that look like IP57 or IP68—don’t originate with the military or government. They are “ingress protection (IP)” ratings measured according to standards developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission.
Basically, IP is how protected a device is against outside elements like sand or water getting inside. The MIL-STD tests for ingress have simply borrowed the IP scale for rating purposes. This explains why you’ll sometimes see both MIL-STD and IP ratings for phone and tablet cases, since the tests used for them are almost all for ingress.
- The first number in the IP rating tells the level of protection, 1–6, against solid objects like sand and dust particles. A rating of 6 in the first number would mean total protection against dust particles.
- The second number, 1–9, tells the level of protection against water. A rating of 8 means a device is protected in total submersion, but the exact depths and lengths of time of submersion that would get a 9 rating are determined by individual manufacturers, depending on the type of device and its intended use.
- Zero or X indicates there is no protection or the device wasn’t tested for that.
Going MIL-SPEC
Now that 5G cell service has rolled out, consumers are upgrading their cell phones and tablets to take advantage of this latest technology.
The Consumer Technology Association’s 23rd Annual U.S. Ownership and Market Potential Study, published in May 2021, took 5G into account when it looked at “household intent to purchase” in 2021.
They found:
- 37% of households plan to buy a smartphone. 96% will be repeat purchasers. 28% of households are expected to buy 5G phones.
- 23% of households plan to buy a tablet—that’s 27.8 million households. 82% will be repeat purchasers with 18% expected to be first-time buyers.
Granted, these are 2021 projections, and this is 2022. But given how COVID has upended many parameters, the overall trends should still be valid.
All those new purchases will need new cases, with a goodly number of owners seriously interested in providing rugged protection.
Grand View Research, in their 2019 market study on cell phone cases, included this chart which backs this up:
While there will always be consumers who prefer a little more style and glamor like phone skins, mobile pouches, or body gloves, the trend toward real protection provided by hybrid cases can’t be ignored. Even though some of these cases do sacrifice a bit of a phone’s slim profile or beautiful design, what they add in durability—especially if they meet true MIL-SPEC standards—make up for it.
When your customers are shopping for a new case or for a case to purchase along with their new smartphone or tablet, make sure you have a good assortment of MIL-SPEC cases from which to choose. Take a look at our great selection of phone cases and tablet cases to find all you need to stock your shelves today. And be sure to use the information we’ve covered to help them choose the right MIL-SPEC case.