$99.95 for both cases

Two battery cases for iPhone 6, one offering better protection and the other with greater battery capacity.

I have always been a fan of phone cases, and every iPhone I have ever had—from the 4 to the 6—has been protected by one type of case or another. Almost from the start, I gravitated toward battery cases that pull double duty—protecting my phone and offering extended battery life.

Ever since I got my iPhone 6 last fall, I have been eagerly anticipating the new crop of battery cases. When I was at CES in January, I was disappointed that not many companies had iPhone 6 cases that were ready for prime time. Finally, that time has arrived. In this installment of Gadget Corner I take a head-to-head look at the ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus and OtterBox’s Resurgence Power Case, both of which I review for iPhone 6. I have had favorable experiences with both companies over the years, having reviewed multiple cases from both. However, this was the first time I have tried a battery case from OtterBox, which is known for its rugged cases.

Out of the Box

Both cases require some patience, and a bit of brute force, when fitting them to your iPhone. The ibattz Invictus requires a bit of disassembly before you can actually marry it to the phone. In all, the case is made up of four pieces—a back cover, a two-piece cradle and the 3,200 mAh battery itself. Ibattz sets itself apart from other companies in that it offers a replaceable battery. This is very handy if you know you are not going to be able to charge your phone for a while, because you can carry spare batteries with you.

ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus

You begin by unsnapping the back cover from the cradle piece and then removing the top portion of the cradle. Slide the iPhone 6 into the cradle until the charging/sync port connects with the Lightning connector at the bottom of the cradle. You then slide the top portion of the cradle back and place so that the two pieces interlock. Next, insert the battery back into the case and re-attach the back cover, making sure it is snugly secure all around the phone. It is important to note that you have to remove the back cover in order to remove or replace the battery. It is virtually impossible to remove the battery from the opposite side, unless you resort to a screwdriver or some other prying device.

The OtterBox Resurgence case is much easier to install, but once your phone is encased, removing it can be a bit of a struggle. You begin by prying the two pieces of the case apart. There is a lip at the top of the case that you use to pull the two pieces apart. The next step is to slide the phone into the cradle piece so that the charging/sync port plugs into the Lightning connector on the bottom. Lastly, reconnect the top piece, snapping the two pieces together again. The case’s 2,600 mAh battery is not removable, along with having roughly 19% less capacity than the ibattz Invictus’ 3,200 mAh battery.

The Resurgence case measures 7.5 inches by 4.29 inches by 1.31 inches and weighs in at 9.12 ounces. The case more than doubles the surface area of the phone from 14.36 square inches to 32.18 square inches. Married to the iPhone, the complete package weighs 13.7 ounces, more than doubling the weight of the 4.55-ounce iPhone 6.

The case itself has a matte finish that I found to be a bit slick. Previous OtterBox models I have reviewed had a stickier back that would hold the case and phone firmly on a dashboard. That feature is missing from the Resurgence.

The Resurgence case has a lip around the front, which keeps the iPhone’s screen elevated if you were to set it on a flat surface such as a desk or table. The mute switch on the left side of the iPhone is completely covered by a lever switch that you slide down to mute the phone and slide up to unmute it. The action is stiff enough that it is difficult to accidentally mute or unmute your phone if you’re carrying it in your pocket or in a bag or purse. Below the mute switch are integrated buttons for the up and down volume. The case also routes the iPhone’s bottom-facing speakers forward instead of downward, which I found actually improves the sound quality when listening to music or calls over the speakers. On the other side of the case, there is an integrated button for the power/awake button of the iPhone 6. On the right side of the case, there is a plug that covers the micro-USB charging/sync port. At the bottom of the case, the iPhone’s headphone jack is exposed, but depending on the headphones you use, you may need to use the included adapter.

On the back of the case, there is an angled cutaway around the camera, flash and secondary microphone; the case did not seem to affect the quality of pictures I took with my iPhone. At the lower back of the case is the power button surrounded by four LED lights. To start or stop charging, hold down the button for a few seconds. To see the power status of the case’s battery, tap the power button and the four LED lights will light up in 25% increments.

Otterbox Resurgence Power Case

Compared to the ibattz Invictus, the Resurgence Power Case feels much more solid. This is not surprising, given OtterBox’s history of designing rugged cases. The case is military-rated for drop protection (MIL STD 810G-516.6) and given my past experience with OtterBox, I feel rather confident that the case would protect my phone if I dropped it. However, it does not have a built-in screen protector like some other OtterBox cases. The Resurgence is the first battery case from OtterBox I have tested and its design is significantly different from some of its predecessors. It is a relatively low-profile case compared to other OtterBox models that effectively turn your phone into an indestructible brick.

The ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus case measures 5.91 inches by 2.76 inches by 0.55 inches. Its surface area is roughly half that of the Resurgence, 16.3 square inches compared to 32.2 square inches. With the battery, the Invictus brings the total weight of the case and iPhone to 8.8 ounces, making it about 35% lighter than the Resurgence case and iPhone combined. Like the OtterBox case, the ibattz Invictus has a matte rubber surface. However, I found it a bit “grippier” than that of the Resurgence. An interesting design quirk is that the Invictus only has three “lips” on the front of the cover. There are two at the top corners and one around the headphone jack, but not one on the bottom right corner.

The Mojo case has integrated buttons for the up/down volume buttons on the left side and the power/awake button on the right. The mute switch is exposed, but since the case makes it inset it is somewhat difficult to turn on and off. Like the Resurgence, the headphone jack is exposed on the bottom, but the case does not extend as far from the iPhone, so I imagine you are less likely to require the extender plug that comes with the case. Also at the bottom of the case is the micro-USB charging port and the (disappointingly small) power button to start and end charging of the iPhone. You hold the button for a few seconds to start or end charging and you tap it to turn on the LED indicator light bar on the back of the case. Four lights indicate the case’s battery status. There is also a cutaway on the back of the case for the camera, flash and microphone.

Both ibattz and OtterBox provide micro-USB charging cables that you can plug into your computer to charge your phone and case, along with 3.5mm extender adapters. These adapters are vital if you use headphones with an elbow-shaped jack or that have a plug bigger than the cases’ holes over the audio jack on the bottom of the iPhone. Without these adapters, you may not be able to use wired headphones.

Performance

The ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus has a battery size of 3,200 mAh compared to 2,600 for the OtterBox Resurgence Power case. That means the cases offer 77% and 44% additional power, respectively, than the 1,810 mAh battery of the iPhone 6. However, this does not mean that the cases will charge a fully drained iPhone 6 back to those levels. Ibattz claims the Invictus will provide up to an extra 120% power to an iPhone with at least 15% remaining battery life. In my experience, the case definitely more than doubled the battery life of my iPhone.

With the smaller battery, the Resurgence Power delivered about 95% charge to a fully drained iPhone 6. However, if you are charging a partially drained iPhone, the case has an auto stop feature that will automatically turn off the battery once the iPhone reaches 100%. This preserves the battery of the case until you really need it.

If you are more concerned about protecting your iPhone 6, the cases also perform differently. The OtterBox Resurgence comes from a company with a strong pedigree of building rugged cases. The military-spec protection rating bears that out. In comparison, the ibattz Invictus is obviously thinner and slimmer. The company’s website says the case offers “medium stress absorbing protection,” so I have little doubt that the Resurgence case would fare better in protecting my iPhone from a significant fall.

Overall

I do not like writing reviews that leave me sitting on the fence, but sadly, this is one of those reviews. Both the OtterBox Resurgence Power Case and ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus have their strong points, but neither one is able to completely separate itself from the other.

If you are more concerned with extra battery life, the Invictus edges out the Resurgence. That being said, the OtterBox case still nearly doubles the capacity of the iPhone 6. The ibattz case also has the upper hand by allowing you to swap out the battery. Extra batteries cost $30 from ibattz but the case uses a standard battery module, so you can find compatible batteries for less.

When it comes to protection, the Resurgence wins out by offering military-spec shock protection. This is evident by its look and feel relative to the Invictus case. It is for this reason that the Resurgence case will stay on my iPhone even after this review has been published.

That extra protection comes at a price, however, in terms of added size and weight. If you are looking for a sleeker, lower-profile battery case, we have to put a tick mark in the ibattz column.

Both cases have a suggested price of $99, so there is no clear-cut winner there.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. For what I paid for my iPhone 6, I want a case that offers solid protection. While I was not about to tempt fate with my own drop test, the military specs of the Resurgence are proof enough for me.

Whichever way your preferences lean, however, these are two very good cases.

Pros

Ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus

• Replaceable battery
• Larger battery capacity
• Smaller surface area, lighter

OtterBox Resurgence Power Case

• Military spec shock protection
• Auto stop feature stops charging when iPhone battery reaches 100%

Cons

Ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus

• Does not offer same level of protection

OtterBox Resurgence Power Case

• Heavier and bigger
• Smaller battery capacity
• Matte finish gets slippery

ibattz Mojo Refuel Invictus & OtterBox Resurgence Power Case

$99.95 for both cases (Invictus currently $87.27 from Amazon.com and Resurgence currently $90.85)