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Clear cases for iPhone let your phone’s design shine through while protecting it from drops.
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No case can truly replicate the look and feel of a naked iPhone, but clear cases come close by letting its design and colors shine through.
For the most part, clear cases aren’t all that different to their opaque counterparts when it comes to their protective qualities — thicker cases offer more protection but dilute your iPhone’s slender feel, while thinner cases offer less protection in exchange for that sleek, premium device sensation in your hands.
Our recommended cases come from brands we’ve used and trust. While our list focuses on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models, clear cases are also available for older iPhones.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
Apple’s own iPhone 14 Clear Case is a slim-to-medium thick model made with polycarbonate and flexible materials that’s not as protective as some thicker models here. In its favor, it’s the only clear case with a cutout on the bottom edge that doesn’t interfere when your thumb swipes up from the bottom of the screen to unlock your iPhone or return to the homescreen.
Apple’s Clear Case has raised edges to help protect the screen. It also has minimally raised edges for the cameras, which is standard for most cases. It doesn’t have raised bumpers on the rear, so the iPhone wobbles when you use it on a flat surface thanks to the camera bump.
Clear cases gaining a yellow tint over time is a common concern, and I can attest from experience that Apple’s clear case isn’t affected after using one for over a year.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
Like some of the cases here, Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid with MagCase is on the medium-thick side. It’s made of both flexible and harder plastics that’s softer than Apple’s case, which gives it an edge for protection. Spigen says the case is infused with blue resin to resist the case from yellowing over time.
The Ultra Hybrid also includes raised edges to help protect the screen, as well as raised edges for the camera, but they’re minimal. It also includes raised bumpers on the back around the corners to prevent wobbling.
The Ultra Hybrid is heavy with additional branding and markings. The company’s name is on the bottom left edge of the case, which is fine. However, the top right edge of the case says “air cushion technology” in capitals with an arrow pointing at the corner. There’s also a random series of numbers etched on the bottom right edge of the case.
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Otterbox has made its name for making ultra-protective cases. The Otterbox Symmetry Series+ Clear Antimicrobial with MagSafe for iPhone 14 is in the medium-thick category. It’s made of synthetic rubber and harder polycarbonate plastic to be slightly flexible and more impact-absorbent.
The case has raised edges to help protect the screen, as well as slightly raised edges for the camera. It doesn’t include bumpers on the back to prevent wobbling.
The Otterbox is among the least obnoxious for non-Apple cases with only a single Otterbox name branding on the right edge under the power button.
The Otterbox Symmetry Series+ Clear Antimicrobial with MagSafe for iPhone 14 is among the two cases here that offer antimicrobial technology, but Otterbox doesn’t claim that it actively protects you from common bacteria.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Otterbox case offered the best experience out of all the cases I tried for pushing the buttons — even surpassing Apple’s. The buttons are easy to press, but not too easy, and offer a clicky feedback sound.
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I’ve personally developed a heightened sense of trust for Incipio cases ever since I accidentally ran over a Galaxy S9 sporting an Incipio case with my car back in 2018, and the phone was unscathed.
Incipio’s Duo for MagSafe is a medium-thick two-piece case consisting of a hard exterior shell and a softer flexible interior layer for a more forgiving impact on hard surfaces. Like the Otterbox, it also comes with anti-microbial properties.
The Duo for MagSafe is the least “clear” out of all the cases here. The back has a slightly hazy look, while the sides have a hexagonal pattern. The words “Made in China” are clearly visible underneath the right speaker cutout on the bottom edge, as well as a random assortment of numbers and letters under the left speaker cutout, which cheapens not only the case’s vibe, but also your iPhone’s.
The case has raised edges for the screen, and slightly raised edges for the camera. It has minimal bumpers on the rear corners, but they don’t really help stabilize the iPhone wobble.
Totallee
Totallee is known for making slim cases without any markings, and the Transparent Case firmly sits in the slim-thickness category. It’s among the sleekest and best-looking of the bunch thanks to its lack of branding.
Slimmer cases compromise some protection for a sleeker look, but the Totallee Transparent case’s thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) build absorbs shocks better than a naked iPhone.
Only the soft version of the Transparent case has a raised lip to help protect the screen, and its softer build will better absorb impacts than the hard version. Both versions have a slight lip for the camera.
Totallee says its Transparent Case is thin enough for the iPhone’s MagSafe magnets to work, but the MagSafe’s strength is slightly weakened. Totallee also offers its MagSafe Frosted Clear case for the full MagSafe strength — it’s not fully transparent due to the frosted matte texture, but your iPhone’s color will still shine through.
Totallee’s cases for the iPhone 14 series are only available to preorder at the time of writing, and they will be shipped and fully released on October 31.
Peel
To categorize the thickness of Peel’s case, I had to make up the new “near-naked thickness” category. Peel cases go beyond Totallee’s slim cases with unrivaled thinness. That also means Peel cases are the least protective here — this is more for scratch protection and it may only add marginal supplemental drop protection compared to a naked iPhone.
Peel’s Super Thin Case has a slight lip to help protect the screen and camera. It’s so thin it doesn’t interfere too much with MagSafe connection strength, but Peel also offers a MagSafe version to ensure the strongest magnetic connection with MagSafe accessories.
Like Totallee, Peel doesn’t add branding and markings on its cases, making it the closest case option to achieve the naked iPhone look. It’s also one of the least expensive cases here.