The Best Samsung Galaxy S22 Cases and Accessories

Want something straight from Samsung? This is my favorite. The silicone is pleasant to touch, the ports and holes are exposed perfectly, and the camera module is covered up completely so you only see the lens (don't worry, the lenses won't make contact with surfaces). The edges around the screen are raised just enough to prevent the screen from touching a desk when face down too. What makes it fun is the giant strap on the back. It's bold, and you can swap it out for different styles, but it acts as a grip, making it easier to hold the phone. 

On the inside of the case, you can adjust the length of the strap if your hand is too big to comfortably slip through. I wouldn't have minded a little more slack, but I still really like how it feels to hold with my hand passing through. 

If you’ve ever heard a reviewer disappointingly say, “this phone looks great, the new design is great, but you’re going to put a case on it anyway,” then Nudient might be the case for you. Nudient’s cases are super thin—just 1 mm—and aim to keep the shape of the original device. They are soft to the touch, but the polycarbonate material should keep your phone free of scratches. There’s a stunningly wide range of color options too.

★ Another Alternative: Spigen's Thin Fit series ($16) isn't as slim as the Nudient, but it's still fairly thin. It's a blend of thermoplastic polyurethane and polycarbonate, which helps it feel rigid and protective yet soft to the touch. There's good screen protection with the raised edges, and the buttons are snappy.

This UAG Outback comes in 100 percent recycled packaging with soy-based ink, and better yet, the case itself is 100 percent compostable as it's made of bio-based plastics. (It's rated to the ASTM D6400-04 standard.) It has a nice speckled look that also feels nice. The buttons are a bit tough to press, but not unreasonably or annoyingly so. 

★ Another Alternative: LifeProof's Wake case is made of up to 85 percent ocean-based recycled plastic, but I just don't like it as much as its See case ($50), which feels more durable, has clicky buttons, and is made from 50 percent recycled plastic. The sides are opaque, with colorful buttons, but the rear is clear so you can let the S22's design shine through. Unfortunately, it tends to attract a fair amount of dust. 

Style, protection, or features? When it comes to phone cases, you often have to settle for one without the other. This case from Mous manages all three just fine. The polycarbonate and thermoplastic polyurethane blend feel tough and you get a sleek look with a nice pop of color on the buttons, plus access to the company’s MagSafe-like AutoAlignPlus range of accessories. That's right: You can stick certain magnetic accessories to the back. You can also choose from a few different materials, like black leather, bamboo, or walnut.

Like the Mous case above, this Peak Design Everyday Case has a magnetic system that lets you attach various accessories to the back of the Galaxy S22 series. That includes the Mobile Tripod ($80) and Mobile Stand Wallet ($60), among others, but my favorite reason to buy it is the Universal Bar Mount ($50). You can attach the mount to any rod, like the handlebar of a bike or electric scooter, and the case will just click into place via the combination of magnets and a proprietary connection system. I've used this on various bikes and scooters for months, and the phone has never fallen off. It's dead simple and quick to take the phone off the mount too. 

The case itself isn’t much to look at, but it's slim and offers strong protection thanks to the rubberized bumper. There is one caveat if you have the Galaxy S22 Ultra though. Due to the embedded magnetic array, the S-Pen stylus doesn't entirely work when the phone is in the case.\

I was initially a bit skeptical about this Smartish wallet case—until I saw the different styles you can choose from. Skip the plain black and go for the “Freshly Baked” color or the “Flavor of the Month.” (I have no idea what these color names mean.) 

I thought my credit cards would just fall out of the slot on the back, but there's a little mechanism that keeps them in place. I shook the phone vigorously to see if they would fly out, and they didn't! You can fit around three cards (maybe some cash too), and slide them out by using the gap on the other side. Overall, it's not as thick as some other wallet cases I've tried. The buttons are solid, and there's a really nice chalkboard-esque grippy texture around the edges. 

The Otterbox Defender is far from the best-looking case around but it fulfills its name. There's a synthetic rubber slipcover that goes over the phone first, then a polycarbonate shell for additional protection. You can add the polycarbonate holster if you'd like to dangle the phone from your belt as well, but it's completely optional (the holster also doubles as a kickstand). It's supremely grippy and the buttons are clicky. Otterbox says it uses up to 50 percent recycled plastic in the materials. 

This Galaxy S22 Ultra-exclusive case has one goal in mind: protect the cameras at all costs. The key component is a sliding door that can cover your lenses when not in use. You spent all that cash on a phone with some of the best cameras on the market, so it's worth protecting those tiny, protruding lenses. The case itself is fairly thin and comfortable to hold, and the mechanism that allows the door to cover and uncover the cameras operates smoothly yet stays in place. 

Casetify is always a sure bet if you want a case that looks different. The company has tons of unique styles and designs, and its cases are well made. However, it also has a number of cases you can design yourself with patterns or text (in different fonts and colors). It's an easy way to get a case that feels uniquely yours. I tried the custom leather case, and it has a durable bumper, decently raised lips around the edges, and very clicky buttons.

The Ultra Hybrid S is yet another clear case—it's available only for the S22 Ultra and the S22+—but it uniquely comes with a kickstand. It's a very sturdy kickstand too, allowing you to prop your big phone up in vertical or landscape orientation. The polycarbonate material feels protective, with good screen protection around the edges, but it tends to smudge up and attract some dust. 

If you have the smaller Galaxy S22 but also want a kickstand, take a look at Spigen's Tough Armor series ($20). The kickstand is flimsier and only works in landscape orientation, but it feels more protective.

Want a clear case with a bit of pizzaz? I like these flowery cases from Cyrill (a sister brand of Caseology and Spigen). You have a few different flower designs to choose from, but they're printed on a clear back, so it's almost like the flowers are imprinted on the back of the S22 itself. It's a nice look (I particularly like Blooming Daisy and Flower Garden.) The thermoplastic polyurethane bumper is grippy and the polycarbonate rear feels quite durable. There's an additional bumper over the lens module for extra protection. 

You'll want to keep a keen eye out when you're aligning this screen protector to your S22's display, but the installation kit makes it a fairly easy process. It comes with stickers to remove dust, a wet wipe, and a microfiber cloth to make sure your screen is free of blemishes before application. The protector itself is tempered glass, which works better than plastic screen protectors, and you get two in the box in case you mess up your first one (make sure to save that installation kit!). Sliding my finger on the screen feels just as smooth as it did without the protector on. Some customer reviews say that the fingerprint sensor doesn't work after installing the protector, but we have not had any issues.