Another TUAW iPhone 6 case giveaway extravaganza!
Help me, I'm drowning in iPhone 6 cases! We're still not seeing a lot of iPhone 6 Plus cases - I think the larger iPhone caught a lot of manufacturers off guard - but the iPhone 6 case market seems to be very healthy, thank you. So once again, we're going to show you what's available and then give you the opportunity to win one of these many cases. Here we go!
Tech21 Classic Shell with Cover (US$39.99)
Tech21's "Impactology" design features a sturdy Thermoplastic Urethane (TPU) exterior with a shock absorbing material called D3O that lines the inside of the case. It also has a flip-over screen cover to add extra protection. The Classic Shell comes in black, blue, smokey, and pink. It offers protection all the way around your device and is reasonably priced, but the design is rather blasé.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
Alto Collective Floating Tree Wood case (CDN$45.00)
This is probably the nicest iPhone 6 case I've seen so far. Made of a high-impact rubberized bumper and a thin, beautiful wood case with a laser engraved figure on the back in a fading color gradient, this case weighs only 15 grams and adds only 1.08mm to the thickness of the iPhone 6. Hats off to the Alto brothers in Calgary for this amazingly cool design.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Pelican ProGear Voyager Case and Holster (US$50.00)
Pelican ProGear builds some rugged cases, and the Voyager has three layers to protect your iPhone 6 - a shell of hard polycarbonate with thermoplastic rubber and polyurethante rubber layers inside. There's a holster with a swiveling belt clip that also works as a kickstand for viewing media, and it comes in a variety of colors. Unfortunately, some of the reviews say that the included screen protector shows bubbles when installed, which is not what we'd expect from Pelican ProGear. At ths time, the Pelican ProGear Voyager is only available through AT&T.
Rating: 2-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Trident Perseus Gel Case (US$19.95)
Trident Case has come up with an impressive lineup of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases, and we'll be looking at four of them today. The first up is the most minimal of the bunch, the Perseus Series. Made of a thin gel material, these cases provide a good grip, protection from repeated drops from up to four feet, and even provide a screen protector. They come in black, blue, pink, purple, gray, green, and clear colors. The price is definitely right, as well.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
Trident Aegis Case ($34.95)
So, you want a bit more protection, huh? Well, the Aegis case is the next step up for keeping your iPhone 6 safe. It's anti-skid, features pass-throughs for all of the controls and ports, has dust filters to keep the dust out of your device, has a lanyard loop (alas, no lanyard), and meets or exceeds MIL-STD-810F. The cases come in black, white, blue, gray, pink, red and green. It uses a two-part design, and also adds a self-installed screen protector.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
Trident Cyclops Case ($39.95)
The Cyclops case series is quite similar to the Aegis series, but the five buck price difference adds rain resistance - you can stand out in a rainstorm that's dumping 7.9 inches per hour of rain on you in 40 mph winds for an hour, and it should remain dry. That rain protection comes from a buit-in screen protector. The Cyclops comes in the same colors as the Aegis.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Trident Kraken AMS Series ($49.95)
Release the Kraken AMS! AMS stands for Adaptive Modular System, and this is an amazingly tough case. It meets MIL-STD-810F for drop, vibration, dust, sand and rain, so it's going to stand up to whatever you can expose your iPhone to. There are optional accessories available, including a windshield mount, bike mount, tripod mount, clamp, universal clip, and a cord management system. The device comes with a removable belt-clip and holster, and also has a built-in media stand. While it's not totally waterproof, the rain resistance makes the Kraken AMS a helpful companion in the field.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
SwitchEasy 0.35 ($14.99)
What's with the name of the SwitchEasy 0.35? That's how thick this case is - just 0.35mm, and it weighs only 4 grams. It offers that thin, light protection at a bargain price, and comes in red, blue, yellow, white and black. It's a surprisingly attractive case, and the translucent nature of the PP thermoplastic polymer even lets you see the Apple logo underneath...
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
SwitchEasy Odyssey ($19.99)
Don't ask me why, but I really like the design of the Odyssey. It has six polycarbonate panels on the back to make it easy to grip and features a dual-material construction that keeps your iPhone 6 protected from drops. It only comes in gray/black and pink/red finishes. Once again, the price is absolutely right for this protective case.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
Bumpies ($24.00)
Our next case isn't really a case; it's a set of bumpers that go on the four corners of your iPhone 6. Bumpies are actually very protective considering that they just touch the corners of your phone. They use an advanced removable adhesive to stick to your iPhone 6, they stick out just far enough to prevent scratching of the surfaces, and you have clear, unfettered access to every port and button on the phone.
You might think that since this isn't a case, it's not providing as much protection - you'd be wrong. The company uses what it calls ProDyn protection, using an exoskeleton-like shell with a soft membrane inside. The drop protection in many cases exceeds that of traditional cases. And to install the Bumpies precisely, the company even includes an alignment sleeve. These are the ultimate in lightweight protection that shows off the design of your iPhone 6.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Griffin Survivor Slim ($39.99)
Griffin Technology designed a case that's going to take a 6-foot drop in stride but not weigh you down. The Survivor Slim meets or exceeds the MIL-STD-801G standards for drop protection, and with a non-slip exterior you're not likely to drop it anyway. It comes with a screen protection film that even works with Touch ID, and rubber covers protect your volume and power controls. It's available in black, gray, and turquoise, as well as a mineral blue translucent shade.
Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible
Griffin Survivor All-Terrain ($49.99)
Take the Survivor Slim, add a bit of bulk, and add a holster clip to it, and you've got the Survivor All-Terrain. It looks a bit more like a rugged case than the Slim, and it features four layers of protection. There's a built-in screen protector in front of the foam-lined shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame that's covered in silicone. All ports are sealed, so you'll be able to feel comfortable about having your iPhone 6 out in dust, sand, and rain. It comes in five different color combos: black/black, black/blue, black/citron, olive/lime or pink/black. The Survivor All-Terrain may cost a bit more, but it's giving you some impressive protection.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
CM4 Q Card Case for iPhone 6 ($39.99)
The Q Card Case from CM4 is the only wallet case we're looking at this week, and it's actually pretty impressive. The back of the case uses a leather-like fabric to hold up to 3 credit cards plus cash, and a quick access slot makes it easy to slide those cards out in a jiffy. The entire iPhone is protected in a full frame made of soft-touch rubber, and pass-through buttons keep your iPhone 6 buttons away from bumps. What's really amazing? The Q Card Case is incredibly thin, making it possible for you to do away with your wallet and just carry your iPhone.
It's available in three finishes - Black Onyx, Champagne Gold, and Pacific Green (actually kind of a light turquoise) - and the case is a steal at $40.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
Giveaway
And with that, we've come to the end of another long roundup of iPhone 6 cases! If you've read the roundups before, you know that means that it is time for a giveaway. Here are the rules for the giveaway:
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
The entry must be made before October 6, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
Eighteen winners will be selected in a random drawing and will receive one of the cases listed in this post.
Can't see the form below? Click here to enter!
