Tom's Guide Tests 4 Printed Phone Cases, Finds TPU Beats PLA for iPhone 17 Pro Max
Updated
Updated · Tom's Guide · Jul 29
Tom's Guide Tests 4 Printed Phone Cases, Finds TPU Beats PLA for iPhone 17 Pro Max
3 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Jul 29
Summary
Four test prints across an iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy Z Fold 7 showed TPU worked best for a wraparound iPhone case, while PLA was too rigid to fit the phone and made unusable buttons.
PLA still suited the Z Fold 7’s thin clip-on half-case better than TPU, which was too floppy to stay attached, though the PLA foldable case cracked when removed and offered limited drop protection.
4 hours 37 minutes were needed for the final TPU iPhone case, versus under 2.5 hours for the PLA version, making TPU slower but cleaner and more functional once print settings were corrected.
Filament costs were tiny—about £0.025 for the Z Fold 7 case and £0.065 for the iPhone case—far below retail options such as Apple’s $59 TechWoven case, though printer and electricity costs still matter.
The takeaway was that home-printed cases can be cheap and practical if you already own a 3D printer, but design quality, material choice and print complexity make them a niche alternative to store-bought cases.