Does anyone have solid recommendations for a protective case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max that isnt a total brick? Im currently rocking an iPhone 13 Pro Max and honestly the thing is falling apart, the charging port is barely hanging on by a thread and the battery health is at like 74% so charging it is basically a full time job at this point. Im upgrading to the 17 Pro Max specifically because I need that camera bump to actually be usable for my side hustle photography, but I know if I dont get a case on it day one I will 100% drop it on the pavement.

I was looking at the Otterbox Defender series because everyone says its the gold standard for protection, but then I read a few reviews saying it makes the phone feel like a literal heavy cinderblock and I dont think my pockets or my wrists can handle that much extra weight tbh. I also checked out some of the Mous cases since they look cool with the wood finishes and stuff, but Im super confused because some people say the magsafe strength is amazing while others claim it stops working after a few months and honestly I dont want to deal with that kind of headache for how much they cost.

My budget is around $60-80, I just want something that has a decent lip to protect the camera lens since I baby my gear but I need it to be slim enough to slide into my jeans without having to fight it every time. Im worried that if I go too slim I wont get enough drop protection, but the bulky ones just ruin the whole experience of using the phone. Has anyone found a sweet spot for this specific model or am I just gonna have to choose between protection and not having a giant lump in my pocket...