Google has announced this year’s crop of Pixel phones, the Pixel 11 line, and they’re more powerful, more expensive, and of course, your old Pixel 10 or earlier cases may not fit them. Even if they do, the buttons might not line up or your old case might be a little worse for the wear these days. So, it’s time to hunt for a new outer shell for your phone.
Right after a phone launches is usually the hardest time to get a case that you can count on – most third-party case makers haven’t gotten their hands on the phones, and even if they kept an eye on leaks, there’s the chance that what they make won’t really fit right.
It’s different with Google, which seems to be a little looser with its phones’ designs. The company has partnered with some of the most well-known third-party manufacturers and is already selling their cases on the Google Store. As such, all of my preferred cases come straight from there, this time.
The Best Pixel 11 Phone Cases Right Now
Best Google Pixel 11 Case
Google Pixelsnap Case
PROS
Guaranteed fit
Supports Qi2 magnetic wireless charging
CONS
Silicone isn’t everyone’s favorite material
Google’s first-party offering is its Pixelsnap Case. The company sells these for all three of the mainline Pixel 11 phones, and in several colors to boot. There is, of course, a black option for all phones, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can find these cases in a salmony pink, an olive green, and light blue for the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL, as well as a light purple, a very in-your-face pink, and a pistachio green.
These cases feature a built-in magnet for those who want to take advantage of the phones’ upgrade to 25W wireless charging. Being made by Google, you can assume these cases will fit your phone just fine. The only drawbacks are that silicone can be a little too grippy, and at $50, they’re not the cheapest case you can find.
Most Fashionable Pixel 11 Case
Dbrand Pixelsnap Grip Case
PROS
Lots of the usual Dbrand design options
Supports magnetic wireless charging
CONS
Pricey
Dbrand has been the best option for designer cases for some time now. The company has a ton of fun options that range from simple colors to trippy designs to printed photos and scans of the internals of the very phones they protect. They also feature a grippy, textured outer edge to help you keep your handset, well, in hand. And, each one has a magnetic ring for Qi2 wireless charging.
Dbrand claims they’re “the most precise fit on earth.” I don’t always take the company at its word when it makes hyperbolic statements like that, but in its favor is that you can buy the Grip case straight from Google. Unfortunately, these cases don’t come cheap – they’re either $55 or $60, depending on which design you choose. Interestingly, the fancier cases are ever so slightly cheaper when you buy from the Google Store, where they’re available for $59. But you’d have to really like the “Sketch” or “Ultramatte Teardown” designs, because those are the only ones Google is selling.
Most Rugged Pixel 11 Case
OtterBox Commuter Series Case
PROS
Beefy protection
Supports magnetic wireless charging
CONS
OtterBox cases can feel chunky in the hand
OtterBox is my longtime go-to for a beefy, smartphone-protecting case, and the company is quick on the draw with its cases for the Pixel 11 series. I’ve always found its Commuter cases to be a nice compromise versus its Defender ones, which feature a dual-layer design but add a huge amount of bulk to the equation. The Commuter series won’t feel thin in hand, but they tend to still fit in your pants pockets (as long as your pockets aren’t tiny).
The Pixel 11 cases feature a magnetic ring for wireless charging, which is nice, and, at least according to the options on the Google Store, the one for the standard 11 fits the 11 Pro as well. Odd, considering they have slightly different dimensions – the Pixel 11 Pro is 0.1 – 0.2mm smaller in each direction – but OtterBox cases have never done me wrong in the past.
Best Leather Pixel 11 Case
Bellroy Leather Case
PROS
Real leather means real leather patina with age
Supports magnetic wireless charging
CONS
No tan option for Pixel 11
My favorite leather phone case maker, Bullstrap, doesn’t do Pixel phones, and neither does my usual second choice, Ryan London. But Bellroy has received solid reviews for years for its Pixel cases, and it features aluminum buttons and a magnet for Qi2 wireless charging. It helps that at $60 (or $55 on the Google Store), they’re more affordable than the ones typically made by either of those companies.
There are things to note about Bellroy, though – I’ve seen complaints that its leather, while good, doesn’t feel quite as premium as those by the companies I mentioned above. A reviewer at 9to5Toys noted their Pixel 9 Bellroy leather case almost feels rubbery, rather than fine-grained. Also, there’s no tan option for the base Pixel 11. That said, they were created in partnership with Google, so they should give a guaranteed fit.
Best Clear Pixel 11 Case
Dbrand Ghost Case
PROS
Anti-yellowing design
Supports magnetic wireless charging
CONS
No Pixel 11 option, yet
Dbrand makes this list again because its clear Ghost case lets you show off your Pixel phone without the yellow-prone clear TPU that most clear cases are made of. Yes, that means you won’t be able to totally pretend you’ve become one of the bold caseless phone users out there, but at least you won’t have to buy a new case in six months when it starts looking like an aging Super Nintendo.
Plus, Dbrand’s case is $60. That’s a lot, yes, but it’s also cheaper than Mous’s clear case option, which features a similar design but costs $70, instead. If you need to go cheaper, you could take a chance on Gorilla Cases, which makes a $40 one with what looks like the same approach, and it features a kickstand. (Gorilla doesn’t make the official list because I have no direct experience with its cases, and there are alternatives with which I have.)
Best Case for Pixel 11 Pro Fold
Google Pixelsnap Case for Pixel 11 Pro Fold
PROS
Guaranteed fit
Supports magnetic wireless charging
CONS
Only two color options
With folding phones, you need to be a little choosier about the case you stick on them. You can imagine how a bad fit can mean a weirdly floppy front screen bumper or an annoying hinge. So for that, I recommend going with Google’s first-party Pixelsnap case.
This year’s case features an integrated hinge cover, unlike last year’s. It also has a magnetic ring so you can wirelessly charge your phone using a magnetic puck or mount-style charger. The case is made of soft-touch material like the other Pixelsnap cases, too. It’s pricey, though, at $80, and it only comes in two colors: black and green.
How to Choose a Pixel 11 Case
My opinion, generally, is that the best case is the one you can afford in the moment that has the features you want. Do you use magnetic accessories or wireless charging? Make sure the case has a magnetic ring. Do you like to watch content and don’t always want to be holding your phone while you do it? Get one with a kickstand. Care about button feel? Maybe avoid the ones without metal buttons.
Normally, right out of the gate, I would say go with the first-party case option if you can swing it. It’s usually the one most likely to have a good fit and offer solid protection, after all. But those can be pricey. Plus, as I wrote at the top of this page and as my list shows, Google has partnered with a number of case makers for the Pixel 11 series. As such, there’s a good number of third-party options available to you in the Google Store. I picked the ones I like for this list, but realistically, you could go with anything available in the Google Store that appeals to you and be fine.
If you’re patient and you really care about buying the best case the first time, the right thing to do is familiarize yourself with case reviewers. Find the ones who prioritize as many of the same things as you do, and see what they recommend. Barring that, I say again: go with something made by a company you know and trust.
Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.