Hands-on: Thinborne’s Aramid case is still our favorite option for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 suffer from being bulky by nature. Finding a case that offers minimal added bulk is worth its weight in gold – or at least aramid fiber.

I really like the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s design. It takes on a much nicer boxy silhouette compared to the version before it. The same goes for the Flip 6, just on a smaller scale. Both designs are already minimal, and adding a case has the potential to take away from that.

You could go with two case options. The first is max protection, which offers the best chance of drop survival with some added bulk. Another route you could go is minimal, which offers less protection from heavy drops but sufficient scratch protection and a good feel in the hand.

For those who like the minimal feel, we’ve found that the Thiborne Aramid Fiber Case is one of the best minimal cases on the market for a couple of reasons. Though not much has changed in terms of the overall design of the case over the past couple of years, Thinborne has done a tremendous job of maintaining a tight fit on Samsung’s foldables as they’ve evolved designs.

The sentiment rings true for both the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 versions.

In overall design, Thinborne does a fine job of developing a case that’s sturdy and fits well. On top of that, the case cutouts for things like microphone holes, USB-C ports, and cameras are done very well. This year, it looks like the case takes on a lip that overlaps the camera lenses just a bit. I appreciate the move, as it’s stopped the new metal rings around the cameras from getting scratched up when I set the Fold 6 down on tables or other rough surfaces.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 Thinborne case takes on the same design to a much lesser extent. The reason behind that is likely because the Flip 6 user isn’t going to set their phone down with the cameras facing downwards as often.

One downside to the minimal case is the hinge protection element. As in, there is none. Both the Fold 6 and Flip 6 using this case are susceptible to scratches where the hinge is. Somehow, I have not scratched my hinge on the Fold 6 at all, but it could happen rather easily if I wasn’t careful. Of course, leaving out the hinge protection cuts bulk.

I’ve found that to be so important because the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is such a bulky device by design. It’s essentially two phones stacked on top of each other half of the time, and that means any case is going to amplify that thickness. The Thinborne aramid case really doesn’t add enough bulk for me to notice. The phone still has that boxy feel, which I love, and it doesn’t take away from the design choices Samsung made. That goes for the Fold and Flip both when open and closed.

Another massive reason we love this case, in particular, is the MagSafe compatibility it brings. The magnets on the back are pretty strong. They have to be to counteract the weight of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. I use a MagSafe car mount for driving, and this case has never been the cause of a dropped phone. The fact that the case is so thin, yet it houses some seriously strong MagSafe magnets is impressive.

The Thinborne Aramid Fiber Case for the Fold 6 and Flip 6 does not come super cheap. That’s likely a testament to the materials used. For the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the minimal case comes in at $109 at full price, though at the time of writing, it’s on sale for $99 through Amazon. The Z Flip 6 aramid case retails at $99, though it’s also on sale for $89.