I am not a fan of smartphone cases, really. The vendors—whether it’s Apple, Samsung, or another company (are there still other companies that make smartphones?) put a lot of emphasis on engineering a device that is slim and sleek and looks amazing. It doesn’t make any sense to me that the first thing most people do upon getting one is to stick it in a bulky, often gaudy case. That said, I also like to protect my investment so I decided to check out the Nomad Leather Case for iPhone.
Form
The Nomad Leather Case is minimalist and elegant. Unlike many cases that add significant additional size and weight to the device, the Nomad Leather Case is very thin and adds virtually no size and weight. The case for the iPhone 6 / 7 is only about 5.5 inches tall by 2.75 inches wide, and the case itself is only a little over a quarter of an inch thick. It weighs a mere 2.1 ounces.
The frame of the case is constructed of high-strength polycarbonate, but it’s the vegetable tanned Horween leather that gives it its distinctive style. One of the awesome things about the leather is that it develops a unique patina over time—becoming uniquely yours as you break it in. It comes in Horween Brown and Horween Gray, and Nomad offers a version with a slim credit card holder on the back as well.
Function
The case does an adequate job of protecting the iPhone. It’s not as rugged as some of the gargantuan tank cases out there, but for a case this slim and good looking, it gets the job done. Although it looks as if the glass is completely unprotected, there is actually a very small lip to the edges of the case that protect the iPhone if you set it—or drop it—face down.
The holes in the case are better than most, but still gave me some issues. The cut out for the Lightning port is wide, and more than adequate for every model of Lightning cable I have—and I have quite a few. The headphone and mute switch holes, however, are a little trickier. The hole for the headphones is a pretty good size, but I have a couple pairs of headphones that require me to really push hard to fully engage the headphone jack—which pinches and crushes part of the case. The hole for the mute switch is an OK size, but a little deep. My big fingers with short finger nails make it difficult to flip the switch so I generally have to use a pen or some other pointy object to do it.
Verdict
I love this case. I mean, I prefer no case at all, but I also want to protect my investment. My other favorite case is no longer sold, so the Nomad Leather Case for iPhone is my new favorite. At $40 it’s not the cheapest case you’ll find, but it’s also not the most expensive. In my opinion, it’s a very reasonable price for a case this slim and distinctive.
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Most phones, I find, are slippery in my hands as my skin is often dry. I need a case that isn’t slippery to afford a secure grip, yet sufficiently slippery that I can easily slip my phone into and out of my pocket. That means a case is a must, but there are many that are too slippery or not slippery enough.
I drop my phone too often to not protect it, but like you I dislike bulky cases. Bulky cases are a problem in one’s hand but more so in one’s pocket. I like the tech21 cases and have used them for years. They have a well raised edge on the front to protect the screen and absorb a lot of shock (and I’ve confirmed that time and again). That said, I very much like the look of this leather case. If it were made for a GS7, I’d seriously consider it, though the screen protection sounds iffy.