Best Overall
Ghostek Covert Clear
Key details
- Finish
- Clear matte
- Weight
- 2 oz
- Hinge Cover
- Built-in, with kickstand
- Drop Protection
- 8 ft
Clear cases have a reputation: they yellow, they slick up, and they end up hiding the finish they were supposed to show. The Covert avoids most of that. The matte clear back keeps the phone's color in view without turning into a mirror, the bumper is textured enough that a wide fold does not slide out of a loose grip, and Ghostek rates the shell for 8-foot drops with shock absorbers molded into the corners.
What earns it the top spot is the hinge. A fold's hinge is the one part a slab-style case cannot cover, and the Covert wraps it in a sprung panel that moves with the phone as it opens and closes. That is the protection that actually matters on this device, and it is the reason we reach for this case over thinner, prettier ones.
The same panel folds out into a kickstand, which turned out to be the feature we used most: the Fold stands in landscape on a tray table or a kitchen counter with one thumb, no separate stand to remember. If you would rather have the slimmer profile, the hinge cover lifts off and the case carries on without it.
The front frame is the piece to understand before you buy. It is held on with adhesive rather than clipped, and Ghostek ships spare strips because it can lift after you peel the case off to clean the inner screen. Press it down evenly, leave it alone for a day, and it stays where you put it.
Pros
- Hinge cover that folds out into a kickstand
- Textured bumper with real grip for a clear case
- 8-foot drop rating with injected shock absorbers
- Clear back shows the phone's finish
Cons
- Hinge panel adds width to an already large phone
Our pick for most people: a clear shell that covers the hinge, stands the phone up and stays grippy, so the Fold you paid for still shows through.