The greatest cellphone grips and stands for individuals who hate cellphone circumstances

There are a ton of excellent causes to place a case in your cellphone, beginning with the truth that a flagship cellphone will simply run you $1,000.

A case protects your cellphone, provides grip to an in any other case slick exterior, and provides, if you’d like, slightly bit of favor in a world of same-looking black rectangles. But however, circumstances add bulk, they have a tendency to get dirty, and hey, this cellphone value me a small fortune. Why would I cowl it up with a $12 case?

So what are cellphone case haters to do once we need among the advantages of a case however not the entire downsides? Look no additional. If placing a conventional case in your cellphone makes you cringe, you then’ll be thrilled to know there’s a wholesome assortment of case alternate options on the market.

These grips, skins, kickstands, and wallets are designed to stick to your cellphone, including utility with out the entire bulk of a case. And we’re speaking much more than PopSockets, which you’re in all probability effectively conscious of and already know when you’d like or not. We examined a variety of equipment and picked some favorites for the cellphone case averse amongst us.

Moft Adhesive Phone Stand and Wallet

If an adjunct goes to dwell semi-permanently on the again of your cellphone, it’d as effectively do a couple of job. Moft’s $19.99 Invisible Phone Stand and Wallet does three: it holds as much as three playing cards, folds right into a kickstand, and affords a loop grip for one-handed cellphone use. Moft sells a magnetic version that works with MagSafe and any cellphone with a metallic physique, but it surely slides round slightly on non-MagSafe telephones. The adhesive model affords a really sturdy grip and is suitable with an enormous vary of telephones. 

It’s not the very best cellphone pockets if you wish to carry various playing cards. With three (probably the most Moft recommends), it’s a cosy match. It’ll additionally make wi-fi charging not possible because it’s fastened semi-permanently on the again of your cellphone. But in case your cellphone doesn’t assist wi-fi charging otherwise you’re positive surrendering this characteristic, then Moft’s adhesive pockets is a simple decide.

The pockets has an adhesive again, however when you’re placing it on a cellphone with a glass again, you’ll additionally want to make use of the included adhesive movie. There’s no information included to put it, so it’s good to simply eyeball it, and Moft recommends letting the movie set for 12 hours earlier than sticking the pockets on prime of it.

Once hooked up, it feels safe, and the hourglass-shaped panel pops in and misplaced with magnets for a satisfying snap. Even with some chip-enabled playing cards within the pockets, I used to be ready to make use of Apple Pay and not using a downside — neither its placement nor its contents confused the point-of-sale system at my native espresso store.

As a grip, it’s considerably free — ok to make your cellphone a bit extra comfy to carry in a single hand for a very long time, but it surely doesn’t really feel tremendous safe. The stand places it at a snug viewing angle in portrait orientation. It works in panorama configuration, too, however as a result of the pockets is positioned to at least one finish of the gadget, it wobbles slightly after I press the quantity buttons.

Overall, although, it delivers on its promise of three features, seems to be nice, and it’s suitable with every kind of telephones. When it’s time to take away the pockets, it comes off with out leaving a hint of residue. That’s 20 bucks effectively spent.

If you’re much less within the pockets operate and also you’d relatively add slightly grip and magnificence to your cellphone, a Dbrand skin is an apparent decide. These skins are kind of fancy stickers that adhere to the again of your cellphone — some are designed to cowl the edges, too, however the type I examined simply covers the again plate.

Sure, the advertising and marketing is slightly obnoxious, however the product is top of the range. The leather-based particularly is a favourite — it’s $34.95, and it’s the true deal (Dbrand is raring to remind you that cows died to provide it, which is a glance). Putting the pores and skin in place isn’t exhausting, but it surely takes slightly little bit of time and focus, in addition to entry to a hair dryer. Being affected person with placement pays off; it seems to be and feels nice.

The leather-based grain provides slightly little bit of textured grip to the cellphone, although that’s kind of a secondary characteristic to wanting very nice. When you wish to take the pores and skin off, it pulls up with out leaving any residue.

A pockets or a pores and skin isn’t going to supply a lot safety while you drop your cellphone. If you need slightly extra peace of thoughts however you don’t wish to decide to a full case, the Arc Pulse is a glossy bumper case possibility. It’s expensive at $59, and it’s not even actually a case, simply two separate items of aluminum that cowl the highest and backside of your cellphone. It covers the cellphone’s corners whereas solely taking on slightly house on the again of your cellphone. By the seems to be of my un-cased iPhone 11, the corners are the place scuffs are likely to accumulate while you drop your cellphone, so it looks like an excellent tradeoff — comparatively unobtrusive however providing some useful safety.

The aluminum Pulse could be very sturdy. I’ll admit that the polished aluminum Pulse seems to be form of goofy to me, however the matte black model I examined on a black 14 Pro doesn’t look half dangerous. You want to use an excellent quantity of stress to slip it into place, however as soon as it’s there, it’s not going anyplace. Since the again of the cellphone is uncovered, it doesn’t intrude with MagSafe charging, and you’ve got loads of house so as to add a MagSafe pockets or grip if you’d like. Unfortunately, it’s solely obtainable for a handful of iPhone fashions: the 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, and 13 Pro Max.

If you don’t have one of many above, take into account Rhinoshield’s CrashGuard NX case. It covers all 4 sides of your cellphone with a body and interchangeable rim, and you’ll combine and match colours to your coronary heart’s content material. The button covers are interchangeable, too — take that, indistinguishable black rectangles.

The body itself matches on snugly, and the colour choices are interesting. On the draw back, it provides as a lot bulk across the sides of your cellphone as a conventional case, which could defeat the aim relying on what you’re after. But it does go away the again open for wi-fi charging entry, and the colour customization choices are a plus.

Anker 610 Magnetic Phone Grip

There’s genius within the simplicity of the $15.99 Anker 610 grip. It’s principally only a donut-shaped magnet designed to connect to the MagSafe space on the again of an iPhone. In the center, there’s a metallic ring that pivots to both sit flush in opposition to the cellphone or act as a grip or kickstand. Simple however efficient.

The magnet within the grip is actually sturdy, making it the sturdiest MagSafe grip accent we examined. You’re not supposed to carry your cellphone upside by hanging onto the ring, however… you possibly can completely maintain your cellphone the wrong way up by hanging onto the ring. It’s a stable maintain when you put the grip straight on the again of your cellphone, but it surely’s additionally sturdy sufficient to supply a powerful grip with a Dbrand pores and skin. 

The interior ring strikes freely, so not like kickstands that snap into a set place, you possibly can alter it to get the viewing angle or hand-hold excellent. On the draw back, it takes a variety of power to maneuver. I want two arms to drag the ring out into place to make use of as a grip, one thing you don’t have to do with most different grips.

But the upside of the design is that with the interior ring tucked in opposition to the cellphone, the grip provides little or no thickness to your cellphone. It doesn’t catch on my pockets due to its spherical design, and I believe it seems to be higher than a PopSocket or a loop.

If you’d relatively have an elastic grip, the MagSafe Lovehandle Pro is a pleasant various. It’s slightly expensive at $49.99, and the distinguished “Lovehandle” branding on the again of the strap isn’t my model, however a minimum of on the black model I examined, it’s not all that apparent. The Lovehandle’s deal with is a loop hooked up to a kickstand, and the entire thing is mounted on a credit-card-shaped backing. The magnets aren’t fairly as sturdy because the Anker’s, so it can give when you apply sufficient power, but it surely feels safe sufficient in each day use. 

The kickstand affords two angles for portrait or panorama viewing, so that you don’t have to reposition the grip to change from one to the opposite. The elastic strip is a cosy match on my hand, making for a really safe match. It’s not as minimalist because the Anker grip, but it surely works effectively, and its two-position kickstand is useful. 

If you’re on the lookout for one thing slim and purposeful, the $19.99 SleekStrip is surprisingly good. It occupies so much much less actual property than a PopSocket or the Moft pockets decide above, dwelling as much as its identify as only a skinny strip that sticks to the again of your cellphone. It pops out while you press the facet of the strap, offering a inflexible loop for hand-holding or propping your cellphone up in panorama orientation. It makes use of adhesive and comes with a few additional bits of movie and 3M adhesive, so you possibly can take it off and put it on one other gadget.

Its greatest characteristic is that it’s out of the best way, tucked to the facet on the again of your gadget. Even although it prevents the cellphone from sitting flush on a charging stand, the strap is skinny sufficient and out of the best way sufficient that wi-fi charging nonetheless works. It’s not probably the most safe grip because it’s inflexible relatively than elastic, but it surely’s ok. 

On the draw back, the SleekStrip is slightly bit cheap-feeling. The mechanism the place the strap slides to pop up is basically simply metallic sliding throughout metallic, and it’ll possible accumulate some scratches over time. There are some innocuous shade choices, however the obtainable patterns stray into cheesy territory. And it gained’t maintain your cellphone propped up in portrait orientation, simply panorama.

Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge