If you work in a more physically-intensive job, where utility trumps everything else, then use whatever case meets your requirements for the week and then grab one of my choices below for the off-hours or weekend. Because there’s nothing worse than seeing a guy with a big phone bulge in his front pocket, or worse-yet, a big ass phone clipped to his belt – yuck.
The goal with anything you carry, and especially your phone case, is to provide protection, while still looking sharp and being as small/minimal as possible. Believe me, I’ve tested a few hundred cases over the years and these are by far the best that my clients and I all agree about.
Quick note: Even though I’m demonstrating cases and showing pictures of cases for iPhones, I do my best to provide Android options wherever possible.
The Veil XT by Caudabe
Buy it for iPhone | Similar for Samsung phones
This case is so awesome that not only do I recommend it to my clients, but I use it myself.
It protects the back and sides with the slimmest profile I’ve ever seen. Also, here’s a point I especially love – It doesn’t have some gaudy logo all over it.
It’s made of a flexible but hard plastic that has a rubbery matte texture, so it isn’t slippery like other cases. There’s lot of similar cases out there, but I like this one because it covers the bottom and top parts – which most others don’t. In my tests, if this type of case doesn’t cover all sides, the edges will catch on your pockets or fingers and the corners will chip off easily and become jagged, which is very annoying to hold.
The only downside to this case is it doesn’t provide any screen protection, so it’ll be sitting on the screen if you lay your phone face down. If you need screen protection, see the next two cases.
I also like that the case is still a little pliable. Most similar cases are very brittle and my clients broke a few of them trying them out for me. This one has come off and on numerous times and looks good as new and hasn’t warped yet.
Frost and Wisp are my two favorite colors.
Ringke Air & Slim Cases
Buy Ringke Air (A.K.A Fusion Air) | Buy Ringke Slim (both are available for Android phones)
Before I discovered the Veil, I recommended and used Ringke cases for years.
The Air case is made of a polyurethane material so it’s soft and flexible. The main advantage of this case is it has a little bit of a lip around the screen, so the screen is protected if you lay your phone face down or drop it. I also like the dust and lint flaps for the headphone and power plugs. They can be annoying if you use these plugs often, so definitely grab the Slim case instead, as it doesn’t have them.
The Slim case is the hard plastic version of the Air case, but, as I said above, without the dust and lint flaps.
I like the crystal clear as well as the smoke black colors for both because they show off the beauty of your phone without looking gaudy.
Bellroy Phone Case – 3 Card
If you’re looking for a relatively small leather case that can hold 3 cards as well, then grab the Bellroy 3 Card Phone case.
It’s made of the same leather as their wallets and feels really nice in the hand. It’s definitely the smallest phone/card case I’ve seen. They also make a version for 1 card, but what’s the point of that? And their similar case that holds no cards is just too bulky for such a single purpose item.
The major downside to this case, aside from the somewhat bigger size, is the price. It’s quite expensive at about $65, but again, it’s the best leather style case I’ve tested.
I holding one in Blue Steel in the video above, but I also like their Charcoal, Black and Java colors.
So those are the phone cases I recommend to my clients and personally use. Have any cases that you love and you’re not trying to hawk your own product? Leave a comment so myself and others can see. I’m always on the hunt for awesome products!