For the past several years I've had a borderline obsession finding the thinnest case possible for my phones. What I look for is something that adds a little grip, protects against scratches and may offer some protection against small drops. Many cases which advertise themselves as thin/slim/etc are actually not, in my opinion. These ones here are <. 5mm thick and fit the bill. Phone is 13 Pro.
TOZO World's Thinnest Protect Shell Semi Transparent Light Weight Thin Cover with Matte Finish Black (their description, not mine!)
Caudabe Veil (shown next to TOZO case)
Not really ultra-thin but still good bonus pick: DiMiK Thin Slim Fit Matte Finish Soft TPU Minimalist Silicone Phone Case Cover (again, their words)
I'm not declaring a winner here, just sharing some thoughts. First, approximate pricing (USD):
TOZO: $12
Caudabe: $25
DiMik: $9
I'll start with the DiMik, which I only ordered to have something to protect the iPhone until the other two shipped. As mentioned, while it's not as thin as the competition it's still very lithe, especially for a TPU case. Thanks to that TPU it's also grippier and provides more drop protection than the others. Bonus points for being less than ten bucks and having availability at the same time the phone launched. For a cheap, temporary case, it's actually very good. If you want a thin case that offers some more security than the others here, check it out.
Moving on to the TOZO, it's what I used on my 12 Pro and really liked. The corner on that one broke off after a nasty fall, but it saved the phone. (And again, these aren't made for the ultimate in gravity deterrence.) It fits incredibly well and is slightly transparent, just showing the Apple logo. So far this one is just as good as my last and I'm very happy. They also age very well--assuming you don't drop and break them--which can't be said of all plastic cases. (I've never seen a 'Patina Plastic Proud!' thread on here.)
Last up is Caudabe. Between myself and my wife we've had several of these, so I know them pretty well. This one is very similar to the TOZO, but is completely opaque. It's been fine in the brief time I've had it, and appears to be made the same as their other Veil cases. As such, I can tell you a couple things to be aware of: The material will show marks/scratches (it actually came out of the box with a small one; not enough to go through a return, and it will be soon be joined by many more), and prior cases have had a tendency to 'warp' over time. I've replaced a couple within the 12 month warranty due to this issue. It's possible they've fixed this defect, but again, the material seems identical.
A couple random points to mention. First, they all work fine with my wireless charger as well my MagSafe Belkin car mount. Second, it's not uncommon to see super thin cases rated somewhat poorly. While I'm sure some are just generally not good and deserve their rating, I've found that many get dinged due to incorrect expectations. "I dropped my phone on concrete and it broke, this thing offers no protection!" is a common complaint. I can't speak for other cases, but when it comes to these, if you have reasonable expectations you should be satisfied.
I'm not declaring a winner here, but the TOZO case for 12 bucks (or less, with promotions) is hard to beat. I actually prefer it to the Caudabe so far, and it's half the price. And while it's not as minimal as I like, I can see many folks preferring the extra protection of the DiMik at a price that can't be beat. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
TOZO World's Thinnest Protect Shell Semi Transparent Light Weight Thin Cover with Matte Finish Black (their description, not mine!)
Caudabe Veil (shown next to TOZO case)
Not really ultra-thin but still good bonus pick: DiMiK Thin Slim Fit Matte Finish Soft TPU Minimalist Silicone Phone Case Cover (again, their words)
I'm not declaring a winner here, just sharing some thoughts. First, approximate pricing (USD):
TOZO: $12
Caudabe: $25
DiMik: $9
I'll start with the DiMik, which I only ordered to have something to protect the iPhone until the other two shipped. As mentioned, while it's not as thin as the competition it's still very lithe, especially for a TPU case. Thanks to that TPU it's also grippier and provides more drop protection than the others. Bonus points for being less than ten bucks and having availability at the same time the phone launched. For a cheap, temporary case, it's actually very good. If you want a thin case that offers some more security than the others here, check it out.
Moving on to the TOZO, it's what I used on my 12 Pro and really liked. The corner on that one broke off after a nasty fall, but it saved the phone. (And again, these aren't made for the ultimate in gravity deterrence.) It fits incredibly well and is slightly transparent, just showing the Apple logo. So far this one is just as good as my last and I'm very happy. They also age very well--assuming you don't drop and break them--which can't be said of all plastic cases. (I've never seen a 'Patina Plastic Proud!' thread on here.)
Last up is Caudabe. Between myself and my wife we've had several of these, so I know them pretty well. This one is very similar to the TOZO, but is completely opaque. It's been fine in the brief time I've had it, and appears to be made the same as their other Veil cases. As such, I can tell you a couple things to be aware of: The material will show marks/scratches (it actually came out of the box with a small one; not enough to go through a return, and it will be soon be joined by many more), and prior cases have had a tendency to 'warp' over time. I've replaced a couple within the 12 month warranty due to this issue. It's possible they've fixed this defect, but again, the material seems identical.
A couple random points to mention. First, they all work fine with my wireless charger as well my MagSafe Belkin car mount. Second, it's not uncommon to see super thin cases rated somewhat poorly. While I'm sure some are just generally not good and deserve their rating, I've found that many get dinged due to incorrect expectations. "I dropped my phone on concrete and it broke, this thing offers no protection!" is a common complaint. I can't speak for other cases, but when it comes to these, if you have reasonable expectations you should be satisfied.
I'm not declaring a winner here, but the TOZO case for 12 bucks (or less, with promotions) is hard to beat. I actually prefer it to the Caudabe so far, and it's half the price. And while it's not as minimal as I like, I can see many folks preferring the extra protection of the DiMik at a price that can't be beat. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
