I hate iPhone cases… but unfortunately, there’s really no choice with the iPhone 6. I’m not sure how Apple managed to make the aluminum on its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus so incredibly slippery, but these two phones really are accidents waiting to happen.
They’re both beautiful handsets though, so it’s a shame to cover them up with cases. But with Apple’s latest iPhones, there just isn’t much of a choice. You can either use a case or you can be angry when your phone slips out of your hand and breaks.
Since I am a big fan of design, I’ve spent a lot of time finding the best-looking iPhone 6 cases out there so as to not ruin the look of my iPhone. I’ve shared some great case options in the past but as great as they look, they still hide most of Apple’s iPhones when you put them on.
So now, I’ve come up with three great case options that cover up the least possible amount of Apple’s design, so they’re perfect for people who hate iPhone cases.
DON'T MISS: 10 cases that will protect your iPhone 6 without ruining Apple’s gorgeous design
For this particular post, I’ve come up with three great case options that offer varying degrees of protection, but that leave as much of your iPhone exposed as possible. The first offers the best protection — in fact, it’s shockingly good — and the second offers some protection.
The third offers almost no protection from impacts, but bear with me; it looks great and it helps prevent drops by adding some much-needed grip to your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
RhinoShield Crash Guard
RhinoShield’s Crash Guard is a bumper-style case, so it only covers the edges of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Since the display and back of the phone is left completely exposed, the handset still feels just as thin as it does when you use it without a case.
It also provides a shocking amount of protection, as you'll see in RhinoShield’s demo video:
The video features an iPhone 5s, but the protection on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models is just as good. And best of all, perhaps, the Crash Guard is just $24.99 for either model in any of eight available colors.
RhinoShield Crash Guard for iPhone 6 – $24.99
RhinoShield Crash Guard for iPhone 6 Plus – $24.99
Grovemade iPhone Bumper
Grovemade is a company that we always enjoy showcasing on the site, because all of its products are carefully hand-crafted out of gorgeous woods sourced locally in Portland, Oregon. This time around, we’re focusing on the company’s iPhone Bumper, which is available for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in both walnut (dark) and maple (light).
These bumpers are beautiful, and the real wood with natural finishes makes them very unique. Just like the Crash Guard, these bumpers only cover the edges of your iPhone so the front and back of the device is left exposed.
Grovemade’s bumpers do provide some protection, but not quite to the extent of the Crash Guard. They'll certainly keep your iPhone safe in the event of a short fall though, which the most common drop scenario for smartphones.
The bumper for the iPhone 6 costs $59 and the iPhone 6 Plus model runs $69. Early orders are now shipping but the bad news is that new orders placed on Grovemade’s website won’t ship for quite some time, as they’re still listed as “pre-orders.” I asked a Grovemade spokesperson when new orders might ship, but she couldn’t give me a firm answer since the company is still working on filling earlier pre-orders.
This page on Grovemade’s site is your best bet as far as timing updates go.
Grovemade iPhone Bumper in Walnut – $59-$69
Grovemade iPhone Bumper in Maple – $59-$69
Vaja Leather Back
Like Grovemade, Vaja is also known for its premium handmade goods. Vaja, however, focuses on leather.
Discerning smartphone users are likely already familiar with Vaja’s various leather smartphone cases, but you might not be aware that the company also has a unique option for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that provides an interesting alternative to a smartphone case.
Appropriately called the “Leather Back,” it’s little more than a stylized piece of high-quality leather that adheres to the back of your iPhone. The adhesive Vaja uses is removable and it leaves no residue on your iPhone.
The Leather Back is available in nine different colors for either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, and it offers almost no protection whatsoever. It does serve two key non-cosmetic purposes, though.
First, it provides some much-needed grip to your iPhone, so you don’t have to worry quite as much about dropping it. Second, it allows you to place your iPhone down on a table or any other flat surface without having to worry that some dirt or debris will scratch the phone’s finish or its raised camera lens.
Also of note, Vaja’s Leather Back fits on the phone at the same time as either of the two aforementioned bumper cases.
Here’s a shot of an iPhone 6 with Vaja’s Leather Back in a Grovemade iPhone Bumper:
And here’s another shot of the same phone in a Crash Guard:
The Leather Back is made to order so there are no returns. The iPhone 6 version costs $40 and the iPhone 6 Plus version is $45.
Vaja Leather Back for iPhone 6 – $40
