If You Can’t Commit to One Phone Case, This Brand Will at Least Save You Money Swapping
In our world, phone cases are an absolute must.
Not only do they keep our treasured devices safe from the perils of everyday life, they're also the best way to make a stunning fashion statement. There's just one problem—with so many adorable options available, we can never decide on only one case.
Luckily, Kroma offered to let us try their new iPhone covers with interchangeable backplates and we were more than happy to give these inventive new cases a whirl.
The Product
A newly launched lifestyle accessories website, Kroma is all about safety—both for you and your phone. All Kroma cases are BPA, BPS and BPF-free, meaning they don't contain toxic materials that are often found in plastic phone cases. In fact, these cases are made of such pure materials that they pass the FDA's safety test for food products.
If you think that safer materials make for a less effective phone case, think again. Not only are Kroma cases created with non-toxic materials, they also pack some serious protection for your phone. These cases can absorb more than 11 feet of impact, so if you constantly find your phone slipping out of your hands, you can avoid a disastrous crack with this case.
Although the Kroma iPhone covers have awesome functionality, our favorite part of these adorable cases is definitely the ability to change out the backplates. Kroma cases come in two separate parts—the frame that wraps around the outer edge of your phone, and the back cover that often features a unique design. Two separate pieces to your phone case isn't all that abnormal, but Kroma allows you to buy each of their backplates separately. The frame and the backplate together retail for $40, but backplates alone sell for $15, meaning that you can easily and affordably create your own personal collection of backplates and totally change the look of your phone to suit the day's mood.
Kroma sent us two frames, one for an iPhone X and one for an iPhone 7/8. We also received 3 backplates for the X frame and 2 for the 7/8 frame. I have an iPhone 8, so I was able to try out a black frame and two very different backplate designs.
The Experience
The Kroma cases arrived in fairly straightforward packaging. The frames came in a plastic and cardboard box that was easy to open and showed the color of the frame inside. Thankfully, you don't have to rip the box apart to get the frame out, you simply pull forward the plastic cover and pop your frame into your hand. The backplates were also packaged in a simple cardboard envelope that showed the pattern of the case inside through a clear plastic covering.
Thanks to the ease with which I could open the packages, I wasted no time popping out the frames and backplates, but choosing which cover I wanted to try first presented a bigger challenge. All the cases have some kind of clear element that can show the back of your phone. Unfortunately for me, my phone is a very plain black, so the see-through element wasn't that exciting. However, it did have me wishing that I picked a prettier phone color (ugh, why did I ever veer away from rose gold?!).
Each backplate is unique in its own way. One featured a funky chevron pattern that is very festival-esque, while another had stripes and an adorable bow that would look absolutely perfect on the rose gold iPhone 8. After much deliberation, I finally chose the chevron-patterned case and popped it onto my phone.
Attaching the case to my phone was pretty easy, but if you're struggling at all, there are instructions available on the outside of the backplate packaging, as well as on the inside of the frame packaging. You start by aligning the backplate with the back of your phone and then snapping the frame into place over the little grooves of the backplate. Aligning them perfectly can be a bit challenging, but the frame fits the outside of your phone pretty snugly, so it definitely feels secure. Although the designs of all the cases are really cute, they definitely take on a more muted look next to the black of my phone.
The frame, however, is absolutely perfect. The only open spaces are the slots for the sound button and USB port, and both of these are roomy enough to easily access without fiddling with the frame. Plus, all of the buttons are covered by the frame, but they're designed so that they're still sensitive to the touch. That means no pounding on the buttons of your case to get your phone to turn on, which is a huge upgrade from my last case. The full coverage around the rim of my phone is by far my favorite thing about these cases because it provides all the protection I need without ruining any of my phone's functionality.
As easy as the case is to use when it's on, taking it off is a whole different story. As I said above, the frame fits very snugly, so when I wanted to pop it off to change the backplate, it took a few minutes of fiddling before I was finally able to separate it from my phone. I suppose this is pretty good evidence that your phone is safe, but you might want to account for a few extra minutes if you're planning to change out your backplate.
Bottom Line
All in all, I really love the Kroma cases. The ability to totally change the look of your phone for such a low price tag makes investing in the frame and a few interchangeable backplates more than worth it, in my opinion. If you amass a big enough collection, you can even color-coordinate with your outfit or change it up for a special occasion (um, Coachella?).
Beyond the style options, the case also feels really secure. I would totally prefer to protect my phone and struggle to remove the frame than have it pop off easily and risk ruining a very expensive device. As a highly clumsy person, affordable phone cases that also offer protection are totally my vibe, so you can catch me scouring their website for more backplates to add to my new collection.
If you want to try the products yourself, type in SWEETYHIGH at checkout on the brand's website for 10% off your order!
These phone cases are super affordable, but there are definitely some expensive options on the market. Click HERE to see what one of our editors thought of fancy Roxxlyn phone cases.