Just in Case: My 2018 iPhone Case Roundup

Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves

Episode #304

My name is Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and I’m an iPhone case addict. Unlike some, who find a case they like and use it until it falls apart before buying another just like it… I prefer to try at least a couple of iPhone cases a week. If I love a case, I’ll sometimes use it for longer; if I hate a case, it may not even last a day.

Note that all of the cases I tested for this column were for the iPhone X and XS, since that’s what I’m currently carrying, but most (if not all) are also available for other current iPhone models.

The Leather Collection

I love leather iPhone cases. I love their smell, how they feel, and even the patina they develop over time. Here are three leather case offerings for 2018I that I liked and recommend:

Apple’s own Leather Case ($49) comes in 8 colors and is a study in elegant simplicity. Machined aluminum buttons match the color of your case, and a plush microfiber lining helps protect your phone from scratches.

While the Apple cases are nice, Case-Mate offers a similar leather case called Barely There, which I think is just as nice as Apple’s, but costs $10 less ($40).

Finally, the Hex Leather Focus Case ($39.99) has a minimalist design with a unique pebble-grained leather that, in my humble opinion, develops a nicer patina over time than smooth leather cases.

The Hex Leather Focus is both unique and handsome.

The Folio (Wallet) Cases

Moving right along, each year I try a handful of folio (wallet) cases, and every year I’m disappointed that none of them offers enough space for the things I need to carry in my wallet—driver’s license, insurance cards, two or three credit cards, a few business cards, and some money.

This year was no exception, but I did find one case that came very close to having enough room for all my junk, as well as two that didn’t hold enough stuff for me, but may hold enough for you.

The one that came closest for me is also the least expensive. It’s called Keeper of the Things from Silk ($14.99) and while it’s made of fabric rather than leather, it has more storage than any of the others with four slots for cards plus a larger slot for currency.

Silk’s Keeper of Things comes closest to being a real wallet.

The other two are fabricated of fine leather, so they’re more elegant and more expensive. The first is Apple’s $99 Leather Folio, which has two long pockets inside and comes in five colors.

The second is Mujjo’s €41.24 (around $47) Full Leather Wallet Case, which has no cover/folio, and holds even fewer cards than the others. Its main attractions are that it is beautiful and half the price of Apple’s Leather Folio.

Mujjo’s Full Leather Wallet Case is beautiful and half the price of Apple’s Leather Folio.

The Protective Cases

Finally, for those wishing more protection from their iPhone case, two standouts this year were the Harmony ($39.95) from BodyGuardz and Slam ($49.99) from Lifeproof, both available in a variety of color schemes. Both purport to protect your iPhone from drops of up to ten feet for the Harmony, and up to two meters for the Slam. I love you, gentle reader, but not enough to test them by dropping my iPhone from two meters or ten feet. Sorry.

BodyGuardz Harmony claims to protect from up to 10-foot drops!

One last thing: While it’s not quite the holiday shopping season yet, any of these cases would make a fine gift for loved ones.

Resources:

• Leather Case. $49 – Apple, Inc.


• Barely There. $40 – Case-Mate


• Leather Focus Case. $39.99 – Hex


• Keeper of Things. $14.99 – Silk


• Leather Folio. $99 – Apple


• Full Leather Wallet Case. €41.24 (around $47) – Mujjo


• Harmony. $39.95 – BodyGuardz


• Slam. $49.99 – Lifeproof

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