Go walletless with your iPhone 6 and the CandyShell Card

One of the iPhone 6's key features is Apple Pay, which lets you effortlessly buy things using nothing more than Touch ID. But there are still times you might need a physical credit card, your ID or insurance card. To get the best of both worlds, pick up Speck's CandyShell Card case for iPhone 6 (also available for iPhone 6 Plus).

Speck sells a lot of different CandyShell cases for iPhone 6 — ones with grippy material, bold graphic prints, and ones with integrated faceplates and more. But the CandyShell Card sports a unique adaptation on the back that enables you to hold up to three credit card-sized cards (or folded paper money), keeping you from having to drag your wallet or a purse out for a night on the town.

The CandyShell Card comes in four colors: Black with grey accents, white with gray accents, blue and purple, and purple and blue (different and fewer color combinations than the iPhone 5 CandyShell Card. I have a black case for my iPhone 6, which is Space Grey (black is always in fashion).

If you're already familiar with that case, you'll find the same dual-layer protection here: A shock-absorbent lining that protects the edges and back of the iPhone, covering volume and power buttons.

The glossy outer shell is a hard, impact-resistant material that scuffs and scratches fairly easily, but better that than the iPhone 6, right? I might recommend a lighter color to help the case cover inevitable dings and scratches more easily.

Cutouts provide access to the hold switch, headphone jack and Lightning port, and a large opening over the speaker keeps your voice from getting muffled. The Lightning port opening is large enough to comfortably accommodate most third-party Lightning cables.

The patented design keeps cards securely in place. Inside the pocket on the back of the CandyShell Card is a rubberized surface that provides a little bit of traction for any cards or money contained therein. The shape of the inside of the case presses out to hold the cards in place. A cutout in the case's hard outer shell makes it easy to push out cards or money using your thumb. Its orientation favors right-handed users, unless you hold the case upside down when you're pushing cards out.

The good

  • Go walletless
  • Carry three cards or paper money
  • Dual-layer protection

The bad

  • Fewer color choices than before
  • Black case scuffs easily

The bottom line

We're still not at the point where most of us can get away with just using Apple Pay when we're out. The CandyShell Card case for iPhone 6 helps us get the rest of the way there by storing just what we need for a night out on the town right in our pocket.

Peter Cohen