To case or not to case, that is my question

The slimmer the case, the less protection it will offer. The one exception may be the Tech21 cases that use a non-Newtonian liquid to provide drop protection. I haven't used them myself, so I can't speak to their effectiveness, or how much bulk they add to the phone. But in theory they should be a good combination of slimness and protection. I don't think they have a 6+ version out yet.

If drop protection is your main concern, you're going to want something like a Speck Candyshell. I think Otterbox would drive you insane for how aesthetically distressing they are, but Speck offers good protection and reasonably good looks, but the look will definitely be "phone in case". Again I think Speck may not yet have released their 6+ cases.

If aesthetics are your main concern, the Apple silicone cases will give you some drop protection and maintain the slimline factor of the phone. After that I'd recommend a solid TPU case like one from Diztronic. TPU is a good combination of protection and slimness, and since it's plastic can be had in a variety of colors that complement your phone, or you can get many of them clear if you want to show off the original styling (but beware of yellowing over time).

Hope that helps!

 

Honestly Speck Candyshell is amazing. I had it on my 5S and I honestly dropped it out of my lap when getting out of the car into parking lots/driveway.. hundreds of times haha. No dings or scratches to my 5S ever.

They aren't out yet for the 6+.. I'm waiting patiently for them! Debating on getting apple leather/silicone but they don't protect the bottom portion of the phone..

Right now I am using a spigen clear case I think it is called air cushion or something, but it actually works pretty well. Almost like a slimmer Candyshell type case (less padding inside obv. though)

 

I have AC+ and ghost armor on mine and haven't looked back since. I may get the external battery case by morphie and waterproof by LifeProof but that's it.

Some ghost armor pics..

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1792402

 

The Candyshells are really thick. The 6 Plus is already sort of tough to hold as is. Won't a Candyshell make it unbearably thick?

 

Not that thick. Much slimmer than otter box/life proof and still give very good protection to drops.

 

Holy smoke, I emptied my wallet the minute you mentioned non-Newtonian liquid.

 

I know, sounds awesome, right? But a little less cool when you realize ketchup is also a non-Newtonian fluid.

I like the idea behind the Tech21 cases, but I find them to be quite ugly.

 

Is there an Apple Store near you? They have test leather and silicone cases that you can put on your phone to see if they're useful to you. And they will have cases in stock as well. You can also see if your local Best Buy has gotten them in stock yet, as some have.

 

I didn't see any test cases at my Apple Store yesterday? Maybe I missed it but I doubt it, I was there staring for 10 minutes deciding what color I wanted.

 

Did you ask an employee? They were out on a table, not next to the case rack at the store I went to.