Your shiny new superphone needs the ultimate in protection and practicality

Iterative though this version might feel on the surface, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is still going to rule the Android market for most of 2023 — so long as you can get a good deal on one through your carrier. A phone as large as the Ultra offers little margin for a case before "big but manageable" turns into "tacky, torrid tank," but walking around without a Galaxy S23 Ultra case seems ill-advised. Though the curve of the phone has been markedly improved, it's still a slab of glass and Armor Aluminum, and neither of those materials is textured for proper grip. Of course, once you get into cases, you have to consider how best to use the larger footprint of the case for things like kickstands, wallets, or other add-ons. From the simplest of clear cases to the cutting edge, we're rounding up the best Galaxy S23 Ultra cases to ensure your Ultra is well-dressed and just the right amount of clingy.

Clear cases are usually super glossy and super-dup smudge prone. Grabbing a matte clear case can help keep things a little more tidy looking, and the Ringke Fusion swings both ways. You can go traditional with the Clear Fusion and just keep a shirt hem handy to wipe things down, opt for the Matte version with its frosted backplate, or even go to the dark side with the Smoke Black and its more translucent grey hue.

Spigen has over a dozen Galaxy S23 Ultra cases for you to choose from, but if you're a power user, the only one to look at is the Cryo Armor. Its multi-layer design and ArticFlow technology help pull heat away from the phone and dissipate it so that you can game hard and longer before that clocked-up Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy gets throttled. Just remember, that even this will eventually get warm, too, if you play long enough.

While the open magnetic wireless charging protocol announced at CES in January paves the way for MagSafe-type charging on Android phones, too, why wait? UAG's Metropolis LT Pro hides a hexagonal magnetic ring for using third-party magnetic chargers and magnetic wallets/grips/power banks. Despite its less burly design, this Galaxy S23 Ultra case is still drop-tested to 18 feet and costs far less than the Monarch Pro.

While folio wallet cases will forever be more popular, I'm partial to VRS Design's Damda Glide Series because they fit more cards and cash while still closing perfectly each and every time, thanks to its semi-automatic sliding mechanism. While it inevitably bulks up the S23 Ultra a bit, that wider bottom makes it easier to grip when taking photos and keeps those floating cameras far, far away from anything that might scratch them.

The mosaic of swirled marble that the Cosmo Series became known for is iconic, but all trends must shift and evolve to stay alive. This year, i-Blason is beefing up its Cosmo collection with new styles. From the contrasting appeal of the Blue Swirl and silver against your Galaxy S23 Ultra's colorway to doodled hearts, there's some new flair here for you that won't completely cover up your Galaxy S23 Ultra's beauty the way the Marble versions might. And if you're mad for marble, those colors are still available, too.

The Revolution might be a couple of dollars cheaper, but if you ask me, it's 120% worth the upgrade. The Poetic Spartan has a more metallic finish as opposed to the glossier Revolution, it features polyurethane leather accents to break up the otherwise monotonous backplate, and you get better color options. And like i-Blason, Poetic includes two front frames, one with and one without a built-in screen protector, as the built-in screen protector can interfere with the S Pen.

Casetify's got hundreds of styles available for the Galaxy S23 Ultra right now, but the real fun with Casetify is going to start in a few weeks as it starts getting added to new Co-Labs — and hopefully added to some existing collections. Until then, there are still a wide variety of designs to choose from in four case colors: Solid Black, Clear with Black bumpers, translucent Lilac, and translucent Midnight Green. If you need pattern suggestions, I dig Inky Night Sky and Tiny Watercolor Dinos.

The Supcase UB Pro would normally be a shoo-in for collections like these as an ultra-durable heavy-duty case, but when your phone is already as big and heavy as the S23 Ultra, slimming down can be preferable. This case is single-layer rather than two-piece, but you still get that stocky kickstand to use vertically for video calls or horizontally for late-night, in-bed YouTube binges. We only get one color option here, but hey, it's rare to see the OG Unicorn Beetle case available at all.

Torro makes cases for the smaller S23 models, but it pulled out all the stops for the Galaxy S23 Ultra's leather wallet case. While the brown and black leather versions are fairly standard among the brand, we also get a wonderful Navy Blue, which helps the iconic Torro Red accents pop even more. Inside this genuine leather case, you'll find three card slots along with a cash flap, and the magnetic clasps on the sides of the case are placed well to avoid any possible overlap with that lowered power button.

Incipio is better known for its Grip case, but for the Ultra, you should skip that bulkier, more expensive model and opt for a cleaner, lighter, and honestly grippier Incipio Duo. As the name implies, this is another dual-layer case with a flexible inner sleeve and a hard outer shell for stability and support. The vertical grooves along the edges feel better in the hand than the Grip's raised cross-hatching and should help you get the phone in and out of your pocket with less fuss.

It's been a hot minute since we've seen fabric cases from Samsung, yet another casualty of the pandemic. It was easier for sweat, moisture, and microorganisms to hide inside a fabric case, making it a breeding ground for bugs, but Gear4's London built-in antimicrobial agents help keep out all that nastiness. The Black colorway lacks any eye-catching details, but the Graphical Blue is just to die for. I mean, look at those 3D-printed designs on top to give it extra grip!

Off the two new cases among the first-party accessories, the Ultra Clear Gadget Case for the Galaxy S23 lets you snap a phone ring cum kickstand on and off your phone as desired while fully showing off your Galaxy S23 Ultra's exclusive colors and that "improved curve" to the backplate and frame. You'll definitely pay a bit of a brand tax buying a Samsung case, but it's a case that will be laser fitted to your phone and could be even more interesting once the swappable wallet or gimble "gadgets" arrive later this year.

As the biggest and fanciest of the S23 models, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also gets more love from case makers, with smaller companies choosing to only make Ultra cases while even more well-known brands like Spigen, UAG, and i-Blason offer twice the number of cases for the Ultra compared to the S23 and S23+. This means we get the cream of the crop, but it also means we have even more cases to sift through to find the best ones for you. Another benefit of all this extra attention is that case makers are more willing to experiment when new ideas on the Ultra, such as Spigen and UAG's first magnetic ring cases and a reinvented lineup for the i-Blason Cosmo Series.

Among this year's many, many cases, a few standouts rise to the top, including a surprisingly strong entry for the UAG Metropolis LT Pro. When UAG rolled out its magnetic Galaxy S23 Ultra cases, my mind instantly ran to the Monarch, but the Metropolis offers a more refined look for less money while still being rugged and having amazing build quality. The Poetic Spartan, Gear4 London, and Supcase Unicorn Beetle also offer up great plenty of protection as well while costing a fraction of the UAG and Casetify cases on this list, but neither holds a candle to the premium brands for style. Speaking of style, it's wonderful to see more rugged yet stylish clear cases this year between Casetify Impact Series and the i-Blason Cosmo Series, with Ringke's Fusion picking up the minimalists and more budget-minded users.

Cases are also starting to get a little weird again between the Samsung Clear Gadget Case and the Gear4 London. I'm hoping 2023 can be the comeback of the fabric case now that it's easier to make washable cases as well as imprint antimicrobial properties to keep at least some bugs out of the material, but Samsung's two gadget cases have me getting a bit of deja vu. Part of the Gadget cases' main draw is that you can swap the included gadget out for other modules, but Samsung isn't selling that yet — and if it's anything like the custom straps/inserts for last year's promised cases, I doubt they'll show up until well after the Galaxy Z Fold 5 debuts this fall.

So, are you won over by Casetify's 960 design choices, or are you sticking to the tried and true Poetic Spartan? Do you prefer the new i-Blason Cosmo styles or prefer the classic marble? Or are you function-focused with the Spigen Cryo Armor? Whichever of these cases win you over, make sure to grab a trusty screen protector next, even if the selection is a little slimmer because of that curved screen.

Ara Wagoner is Commerce Editor for Android Police and a lover of all things cases, Chromebooks, accessories, and Disney. Overseeing our buyer's guides and product selection, Ara has spent 7 years honing her product-picking instincts and reviews while previously at Android Central, bringing a unique flair to her writing (and a lot of TV/anime references). She works full-time on a Chromebook, whether it's at home or while waiting for fireworks at Walt Disney World. Ara loves Android phones so much that she wears a shoulder holster to ensure they're never out of reach, and if you see her without headphones, RUN.