This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Quick take
I bought four ultra-thin MagSafe cases for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and tried them on the same phone. Weights ranged from 13.4 g to 42.8 g. If you want the lightest possible case, memumi wins but wears out quickly; PITAKA is the best balance of looks and magnet strength; NIMASO is the safe, cheap stopgap; and TORRAS turned out to have no MagSafe magnets at all.
What I tested
- NIMASO clear case (Seisui series) for iPhone 17 Pro Max
- PITAKA Ultra-Slim aramid fiber case (Sunset pattern)
- memumi 0.3 mm ultra-thin case with built-in magnets
- TORRAS OriginFit matte black case
- Apple’s own case as a reference (34.7 g on my scale)
I picked all four as “ultra-thin with MagSafe”, but when they arrived, the NIMASO turned out to be a regular lightweight soft case and the TORRAS had no magnets. So only PITAKA and memumi really matched what I was looking for.
What I found
| Case | Weight (measured) | MagSafe hold | Price at the time of recording |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 42.8 g | About the same as Apple’s case, maybe slightly stronger | ¥1,257 (sale) |
 | 20.5 g | Clearly stronger than Apple’s case* | ¥8,999* |
 | 13.4 g | Weaker than Apple’s case | ¥1,869 (sale) |
 | 22.8 g | No magnets (wireless charging still works) | ¥2,329 (sale) |
*From my separate single review of the PITAKA case, recorded a few days earlier.
NIMASO is the heaviest, but the raised camera surround protects the lens edges so well that I wouldn’t bother with a lens guard. You can’t fit one under this case anyway. It’s soft, so the edges move slightly, and dust inside a clear case can show.
PITAKA feels great, with a slightly rubbery, grippy coating. My complaints are the large cut-outs on the sides (around the volume buttons) and the woven pattern that shows around the screen edge from the front.
memumi is astonishingly light and fits precisely, covers the whole camera area and still works with a lens guard. The catch is durability: the memumi case I used on my iPhone 16 Pro Max became loose and deformed after about two to two-and-a-half months, even though I almost never took it off.
TORRAS has a nice matte, fingerprint-resistant finish, but without magnets a MagSafe ring barely holds. It’s also very plain on a phone this large.
Who it’s for
- Lightest possible, rarely drop your phone, happy to replace the case often: memumi
- Uses MagSafe rings and stands every day: PITAKA
- Worried about scratches, or need something cheap until your favorite case is released: NIMASO
- Like a plain matte case and don’t use MagSafe accessories: TORRAS
At the end of the video I put the memumi on to try it for a while. If you drop your phone often, I wouldn’t recommend any of these: some Amazon reviews mention ultra-thin cases failing after one drop.
Watch the review
The video is in Japanese. YouTube’s auto-translated captions may help. Useful timestamps: 5:00 weights, 11:00 memumi, 15:40 TORRAS, 19:40 my conclusion.
Limitations
These are first impressions over a short period, except for the memumi durability note, which comes from a previous model I used for about three months. Magnet strength was judged by hand with rings and stands, not measured. Prices were Amazon Japan’s at the time of recording.
Products
NIMASO clear case for iPhone 17 Pro Max: on Amazon Japan
PITAKA ultra-slim case for iPhone 17 Pro Max (Sunset): on Amazon Japan
memumi 0.3 mm ultra-thin case for iPhone 17 Pro Max: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
More reviews in English
All Cases (56) →Browse all English reviews →
This review is also available in Japanese.