Crüsta sounds like something you'd find in Ikea, but it's actually the name of a case line from smartphone and tablet accessory maker Amzer. If you're looking to armor up your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus with comprehensive front and back protection, you might want to take a look.
Crüsta combines a hard shell case with a tempered glass screen protector along with a belt clip that rotates 360 degrees. I'm rocking two cases in these photos; a space grey iPhone 6 in one, clad in patriotic red and blue, looking decidedly superhero on the hip using the optional clip. Supervillains wear purple, so the exuberant iPhone 6 Plus dazzles in this very magenta-y purple and white. There are 42 different color combinations in all, so you can surely find something to fit your personality.
The glass screen protector includes instructions which I recommend reading: Installation requires an alcohol swap to get off any fingerprint grease and other residue, a sticky "de-dusting film" that gets rid of any lingering dust, a microfiber cleaning cloth and a "scratch card" that helps you squeeze any lingering bubbles out. The tempered glass protector sports a layer of optically transparent adhesive on the side that touches your iPhone 6 Plus's glass screen. You must apply it carefully, or you'll get bubbles underneath the glass.
A polycarbonate two-piece case with a transparent glass back clips around the edge of the iPhone (no need for adhesive on that side, as it's against the metal back of the iPhone). The back sports a cutout for the iPhone's camera lens and flash. The polycarbonate bevel comes in blue, yellow, purple, green, white, black and red.
The final protective layer of the case is a rubbery gasket that goes around the edge of the iPhone, with cutouts for the iPhone's speaker/microphone, Lightning port and headphone jack. Dust plugs cover the Lightning port and headphone jack when not in use; both are large enough to accommodate third-party cables. The Lightning port cover often popped a bit loose.
The gasket snaps into place following a groove edged in the polycarbonate case, an edge that came loose in my tests on the iPhone 6. Raised buttons enable you to easily click the volume control and on/off switch. That gasket also comes in different colors: Red, black, blue, grey, pink, and purple.
The final piece is an optional belt clip holster, molded in black plastic. It easily rotates horizontally and vertically, so you should be able to find a comfortable position for it. Amzer has honeycombed the plastic to keep it lightweight, so it doesn't feel like the phone is pulling your pants down.
The Crüsta adds some bulk to the iPhone, but the trade off is advanced drop protection, with front and back glass coverage and multiple layers of impact-absorbing material between the iPhone and whatever it's going to hit. Amzer claims the case has been drop-tested from six feet.
The Crüsta isn't water-resistant, but it does offer edge-to-edge protection that should keep your iPhone 6 Plus safe barring any major calamity. And its customizable color combinations let you get as creative as you want to.
The good
- 42 color combinations
- 360-degree belt clip
- Tempered glass front and back
The bad
- Front glass installation requires careful handling
- Outermost layer separated from case easily
The bottom line
Check out the different colors you can get in the Crüsta - you'll probably find a combination that you weren't expecting. The Crüsta didn't impress me on the iPhone 6, where it felt bulky, clumsy and ill-fitting. But the iPhone 6 Plus case fit fine. The phone is so big anyway, more mass to provide this much protection is a good tradeoff.
- $34.80 - Buy now
AnnaLynne McCord
Kate Beckinsale
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