There are different pros and cons for both. Obviously, the hard case protects the phone from falls and such, but adds on bulk. The soft case is thinner, but doesn't protect as much during falls. Overall, I want to think about functionality as well as design. Just to note, I'm using the LG Dare. Another option I've been looking into are the full body skins/shields such as the InvisibleSHIELD by ZAGG. Any experiences with those?