Also available for these iPhones:

• Smartish Gripmunk with MagSafe for iPhone 15 Plus
• Smartish Gripmunk with MagSafe for iPhone 15 Pro
• Smartish Gripmunk with MagSafe for iPhone 15 Pro Max

MagSafe compatible: Yes

Smartish’s Gripmunk has been our favorite basic iPhone case for nearly a decade, and it’s no surprise that case once again beat the competition when we tested it for the iPhone 15. The Gripmunk is a one-piece case made of soft, rubber-like plastic (TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane), and provides more than adequate coverage and protection.

The Gripmunk case is a great basic phone case. It has enough give to make it easy to install on your phone but not so much that it will stretch out, and the case’s corners won’t randomly pop off. Its back is smooth, and the sides have a pebbly texture that, combined with three small grooves, provide a noticeable amount of grip. The Gripmunk case covers the iPhone’s buttons but doesn’t dampen the clickiness, even with the new Action button cover. The slightly raised edges around the camera lenses provide protection while allowing your iPhone to sit flat on a table. The soft microfiber interior lining adds a nice touch as well. And though we can’t vouch for exactly how protective the air pockets in the four corners are, we can personally attest to the case’s ability to withstand more than a few drops.

The majority of the case is TPU, save for the metal ring in a sheet of soft microfiber lining, which doesn’t add noticeable bulk. In our testing, the attachment system worked exactly as we expected for both mounting and charging. Smartish does offer a non-MagSafe version of the Gripmunk for those who don’t need MagSafe compatibility.

It’s affordable but doesn’t feel cheap. In addition to its superb designs, Smartish has always kept its prices low, and that’s one of the reasons we like its cases so much. Price isn’t our main consideration, but in comparing everything out there, we’ve rarely seen cases that offer better features at the same or similar prices; oftentimes, case makers charge even higher prices for less impressive models.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Gripmunk cases are plain. These cases don’t have a lot going on, but if the available color options are too bland for you, you can always select from one of Smartish's various prints. This includes their own prints, artist prints, and featured pet cases, and you can even create your own custom design, available for a premium through the company’s website.

Other good basic cases

The Caudabe Sheath is a good alternative for an everyday phone case but made of different materials from the Gripmunk. Instead of TPU, Caudabe uses a flexible polymer the company calls ShockLite. The case offers a textured feel, a microfiber lining, and nice clicky buttons. It also offers solid coverage around the screen and rear camera bump, and precise cutouts for the phone’s speakers and USB-C port. The design is minimalist, and the logo is almost nonexistent.

Caudabe’s case is one of the few we tested that gives you the option to cover the iPhone 15 Action button or leave it exposed. Some cases with an Action button cutout make the button harder to access, but Caudabe’s is wider and more concave, so it’s easier to press when you need to.