Spigen offers five case designs for the Google Pixel 8a, but only the Tough Armor is designed to protect your Pixel from gnarly drops. Despite this, it maintains a relatively streamlined design and most of the other qualities that make Spigen cases great.

Starting with the design, it’s a hybrid case with a rigid polycarbonate shell around a flexible inner TPU slipcase. That makes it feel very solid and protective without making it difficult to install.

In my testing, it slipped on and off the Pixel 8a very easily. This isn’t true for most other rugged cases, so if you like to run your phone in the buff from time to time, this is a good choice.

The PC shell also has a soft-touch finish that adds extra grip. That makes it very comfortable to hold, and the lack of any protruding pieces means it slips into a pocket without catching. The same can’t always be said for the naked Pixel 8a, with a camera bar that’s prone to catching on just about anything.

The TPU slipcase fits snugly around the screen, and I never had any issues with swipe gestures. It should work with just about any tempered glass screen protector, which I’d recommend if you want to make the most out of the seven years of updates Google offers with the Pixel 8a.

While the design is very well thought out, it isn’t exactly much to look at. This is made even worse by the fact that it only comes in matte black and gray, although this is fairly standard for Spigen.

The only visual element is a small kickstand on the back. That said, it isn’t the best. The angle isn’t adjustable and it only works horizontally, but it’s better than nothing.

Still, this is one of the most affordable rugged cases you can get for the Pixel 8a, costing $20 on Amazon. At that price, you’d be hard-pressed to find better protection.

If you’re looking for a more interesting or fully-featured rugged case for the Pixel 8a, check out these alternatives:

• Otterbox Commuter ($30.91 at Amazon): Otterbox is still the name to beat when it comes to protection. The Commuter is even more rugged than the Tough Armor, but costs nearly twice as much.
• dbrand Grip Case ($49.9 at dbrand): If you want to fully customize the look of your case, the dbrand Grip Case with a skin of your choice is the way to go. It’s not cheap, but the grippy texture and rugged build are more than up to the task of keeping your Pixel 8a safe.
• Supcase UB Pro ($24.99 at Amazon): The Supcase UB Pro is similar to the Spigen Tough Armor in that it’s a relatively streamlined rugged case with a built-in kickstand, but it has a few extra features like a port cover and integrated screen protector.