When you search for “phone case” on Amazon, you’re met with a staggering figure: over 100,000 options. While filtering by color or style can help, manufacturers have another tactic to make their products stand out: labeling them as “military grade.”
This term leads consumers to believe that their phone is safeguarded against extreme conditions—whether it’s a fall onto a kitchen floor or something much more dramatic. You’ll also find “military grade” slapped on a wide range of items, from cars to LED flashlights and even baseball bats. But what does it actually signify?
The simple answer is: it can mean almost anything.
Like many loosely defined product labels, “military grade” is open to interpretation by any manufacturer for any reason. There’s no oversight from a third party, let alone the U.S. government, to verify the durability of these claims. Instead, it serves as a marketing tactic designed to instill a sense of reliability and toughness in consumers.
While the Department of Defense has established a standard known as MIL-STD-810 that outlines testing protocols for equipment meant for military use, adherence to these protocols is not a requirement for manufacturers. They can choose to implement any or none of these standards. More crucially, it’s the manufacturers themselves who conduct the testing, meaning that a product’s designation as “military grade” could simply indicate that it met one of several material or shock resistance standards—or that no testing was performed at all.
The origins of the term’s popularity are somewhat murky. For instance, a 1990 advertisement for a Sumo home audio system boasted “military-grade specifications.” More recently, Ford has promoted its F-150 truck’s “military-grade aluminum alloy” used in some military vehicles.
In a 2022 article for Task & Purpose, writer Jeff Schogol pointed out that strictly adhering to military standards might not guarantee quality. Often, contracts for basic products are awarded to the lowest bidders, leading to subpar quality. This can result in disappointing experiences, such as sleeping bags that fail to provide warmth or ineffective earplugs.
Schogol remarked, “For those who have been issued gear only to see it fall apart after the most gentle of wear and tear, something that is ‘military grade’ is ‘a piece of sh-t.’”
While this viewpoint may seem overly harsh, some companies genuinely use MIL-STD-810 as a benchmark for creating more durable products. For example, Asus subjects certain laptop models to rigorous environmental testing to ensure ruggedness, though they clarify that such testing “does not indicate a particular fitness for military use.”
When considering phone cases, it’s essential to remember that military-style testing often focuses on external damage. However, not all brands guarantee protection for internal components, meaning a case that protects your screen might still leave your phone’s microphone vulnerable.
In conclusion
Ultimately, the term “military grade” doesn’t always equate to comprehensive protection, much like phrases such as “space-age materials” or “world-famous.” It’s crucial to heed the age-old advice: “buyer beware.”
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