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RHINOSHIELD AirX Achieves Distinction with Dual Design Awards

In a remarkable showcase of innovation and sustainability, RHINOSHIELD, a leading player in the realm of technological protection accessories, has announced its latest achievement: the AirX phone case has been honored with both the iF Design Award 2026 and the Red Dot Design Award. This dual recognition not only highlights RHINOSHIELD's commitment to top-notch engineering and design but also sets a new benchmark for safety and sustainability in the mobile accessory sector.

A Testament to Excellence

The iF Design Award stands as one of the most prestigious accolades in the global design landscape, assessing submissions based on product concept, user experience, structural design, material application, and sustainability. Out of nearly 10,000 entries from 68 countries, the AirX’s victory transcends aesthetic excellence; it embodies triumph in structural thought and execution quality, validated by an international jury comprising 129 independent design experts.

In addition, the AirX was awarded the Red Dot Award for Product Design 2026, one of the world’s most recognized design competitions. The Red Dot designation signifies exceptional design quality, refined through a rigorous evaluation process by an independent international jury. This acknowledgment not only reinforces RHINOSHIELD's commitment to precision engineering and craftsmanship but also emphasizes its dedication to promoting design excellence on a global scale. Today, the “Red Dot” symbol is regarded as one of the most distinguished marks of quality in product design, further establishing the AirX as a benchmark in design integrity and performance.

Redefining Protection and Sustainability

Guided by the fundamental principle of 'Mono-Material Design', the AirX challenges the traditional dichotomy between performance and sustainability. It demonstrates that circular design is not a compromise but rather a higher form of innovation. With its unique Internal Damage Protection System acting like an airbag for the phone, it isolates up to 81% of impact forces, significantly lowering the risk of internal hardware damage. Featuring 360° air cushions and integrated buttons, the AirX ensures comprehensive protection against side impacts. Its overall durability has been enhanced by up to thirty times, enabling it to withstand repeated impacts without degradation of protection. With an ergonomic design that integrates pressure-relief air chambers on both sides and an aerodynamic grip, the AirX embodies the philosophy of 'Material Fidelity, Form Follows Function', showcasing a futuristic and functional aesthetic. This showcases that protection, design, and sustainability can achieve their maximum potential simultaneously.

A Proactive Approach to Circularity

As global circularity policies and sustainability regulations evolve, plastic is increasingly seen not just as a material concern but as a challenge for systemic governance. Regulators worldwide are increasingly implementing “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR), urging manufacturers to prioritize lifecycle management. This shift promotes the adoption of mono-material designs, ease of disassembly, and the use of recycled content to drastically reduce reliance on virgin resources.

Most consumer plastic products remain challenging to recycle due to complex composite materials that are nearly impossible to separate. RHINOSHIELD, aware of this challenge, proactively adopted a mono-material design strategy in 2017, removing recycling barriers at the source to ensure that its entire range of phone cases is 100% recyclable. Following the launch of its extensive recycling ecosystem in 2022 and the debut of SolidX Circular (made from recycled phone case waste) in 2024, the AirX 2025/26 continues to set new industry standards, proving that high-performance protection and circular innovation can coexist on a global scale.

Building a Sustainable Future

“The circularity must be a verifiable and scalable system,” stated Eric Wang, co-founder and CEO of RHINOSHIELD. “We don’t want to merely 'passively comply' with regulations; we choose a proactive design.” Through material engineering, RHINOSHIELD creates a closed-loop cycle between usage, recycling, and regeneration, showcasing that circular design can be a competitive advantage, proving that business models can thrive alongside sustainability.

Health and Environmental Safety

RHINOSHIELD emphasizes that true protection goes beyond drop tests, safeguarding human health and the environment. As everyday items in constant contact with the skin, the safety of phone cases is paramount. All of their phone case offerings are formulated without PFAS and have been independently tested by SGS, showing no detectable traces of BPA, BPS, or BPF.

An Expanding Circular Ecosystem

Beyond product design, RHINOSHIELD continues to expand its RHINO LOOP circular ecosystem, leveraging reverse logistics and international mail-in recycling programs in the U.S., France, Germany, and the U.K. to minimize participation barriers and make circularity a more accessible part of everyday life.

About RHINOSHIELD

Founded by materials scientists, RHINOSHIELD leads the world in protection solutions based on advanced material engineering. Established in 2012 in a lab at the University of Cambridge, the brand has solidified a broad global presence, reaching users in multilingual markets across more than nine languages and protecting over 20 million devices worldwide. With R&D and manufacturing integrated in Taiwan, RHINOSHIELD drives materials innovation through circular design and plastic management solutions, creating high-performance products designed for a more sustainable future. For more information about RHINOSHIELD's history and commitment to sustainability, visit their official website.