iPhone 14 Cases by NOMAD 2022 REVIEW

The iPhone 14 Collection from NOMAD has a case for everyone.

Two weeks ago, Apple announced the upcoming arrival of their newest smartphone series — the iPhone 14. Just a few days ago, many fans of the product acquired their new phones either by pre-order shipment or in-store. Naturally, with new phones come new case options. NOMAD, a company that strives to build products that ensure smartphones are available wherever, whenever you need them, released their iPhone 14 Collection and we’ve been lucky enough to try out some of the cases with our new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Modern Leather Case

The Modern Leather Case is designed to elevate the look and feel of your iPhone while offering rugged protection. It’s built with full-grain sustainably sourced leather or vegetable-tanned Horween Leather. The case will develop a natural patina over time based on daily use such as the oils from a person’s hands.

This case has 10-foot drop protection and lanyard attachment points. It is MagSafe and wireless charging compatible. The Modern Leather case comes in four different color options for the full-grain leather version — Black, Brown, English Tan, and Natural — or two color options for the Horween Leather version — Black or Rustic Brown. Both versions are available for the iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max.

The Modern Leather Case has a list price of $49.95 (full grain, leather) or $69.95 (Horween leather).

My Thoughts about the Case

One of the things that immediately caught my eye with the Modern Leather Case was that the leather covers the back of the case. The bumper is rubber TPE and the frame is polycarbonate. This is a stark difference in look from the Apple Leather cases, which has the exterior 100% wrapped in leather.

The case has a pronounced lip around the camera system for protection. Given the size of the camera system, I was grateful for this added protection. The inside of the case is lined with microfiber, which adds protection to the matte glass back of the iPhone.

The case is remarkably well made. While you can see where the materials meet, you don’t see any evidence of any element pulling away from the case. I’ve seen that with lesser-made cases in the past. Nomad brings a higher level of craftsmanship to their products than some of their competitors — and you can really see that with the Modern Leather Case.

I really like that the buttons are covered by the case and that you can still feel the buttons beneath that covering. Everything on the case lines up perfectly with the iPhone. I really LOVE the fit of this case.

When my iPhone 14 Pro arrived, I slapped it into a case immediately. It’s a reflex for me. The case I chose was protective, but it made the phone feel HUGE. My previous iPhone was the 12 Pro, which isn’t much different than the 14 Pro size-wise. But the first case I used made it feel heavy and bulky. The Modern Leather Case fits the phone so well that it feels good in my hands again.

As the specs state, the case is compatible with MagSafe accessories. When MagSafe became a charging standard for the iPhone I found there were some cases that claimed to be MagSafe compatible but they didn’t actually contain magnets. Those cases relied on the magnet inside the iPhone for the MagSafe connection.

While this isn’t exactly incorrect, I’ve found that those cases don’t have a very secure hold to MagSafe accessories. I’ve had phones pop off of mounts in cars and seen them slide off of chargers and dent desks. That said, I try to use the cases that have built-in magnets to pair with the iPhone’s magnet.

Nomad included ‘nickel-plated neodymium magnets’ in the description of the Modern Leather Case so, I know one is built into the case. However, if that wasn’t included, the easiest test to try is just to place the empty case on a MagSafe accessory and see if it sticks. If it falls right off, you can assume there is no built-in magnet. Fortunately, the Modern Leather Case passed the test.

This is a great case. It’s tough and it looks professional, but casual at the same time. It’s a great all-around case.

Modern Leather Folio

The Modern Leather Folio takes the Modern Leather Case and adds a place for users to store cards and cash along with their phone. This case has the same basic features as the Modern Leather case and is even offered in the same finishes — full grain leather or Horween Leather.

The folio is only available in black or brown (Rustic Brown for the Horween Leather version) color options and while the full grain leather option is available for all iPhone 14 models, the Horween Leather version is only available for the iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max models.

This folio-style case has a wrap-around screen cover that encloses the phone in the case like the cover of a book. There is a detachable magnetic closure included with the case, which is used to keep the cover closed securely.

The Modern Folio Case has a list price of $59.95 (full grain, leather) or $79.95 (Horween leather).

My Thoughts about the Case

Because this case is essentially the Modern Leather Case with a cover, my experience with the Leather Folio was very similar to the Leather Case. I only had the Horween version to look at and I must say that next to the standard leather option, the Horween appears much richer. The Rustic Brown (the color I had) is remarkably lovely and very exclusive-looking.

I tried to figure out how to install the magnetic clasp without viewing the installation video and I was stumped. There is a cut-out slot along the seam of the cover that you can push the magnetic closure through from inside the cash pocket. It’s a great design feature because unless you know it’s there, the slot is nearly invisible. The closure was easy to install and I never felt that it was going to fall out of its slot.

Just l like the Modern Leather Case, the Folio fits the iPhone like a glove and really suits it well. This case is also MagSafe compatible and it passed my test with flying colors. I would consider this case a step up from the Modern Leather Case as it has the added feature of the folio cover. It’s designed well and looks amazing. I would recommend this for anyone who prefers to only carry their phone instead of a wallet.

Sport Case

The Sport Case rounds out the iPhone 14 case offerings from Nomad that we were able to review hands-on. There is also a Rugged Case option, but since we did not have the opportunity to test it out in person, I’m not going to provide a detailed account of it. The Sport Case, however, is as equally remarkable as its cousin cases — the Modern Leather Case and Modern Leather Folio.

The Sport Case is very similar in design and style to the Modern Leather Case but there are some differences between the two in their feature sets. The Sport Case has unique grip bumpers that are indented to accommodate a human hand hold. This case has a 6-foot drop protection rating and a high-gloss backplate.

The Sport Case has the same polycarbonate frame as the Modern Leather Case and the Leather Folio, but it features a PET backplate as opposed to the leather covering. The buttons are anodized aluminum and are colored to match the backplate. This case has four color options — Black, Lunar Gray, Ash Green, and Marine Blue — that take their inspiration from the California coastline. It is available for all iPhone 14 models and has a list price of $39.95.

My Thoughts about the Case

The Sport Case quickly became my favorite Nomad case. The Leather cases are striking, but I am more of an ‘everyday’ case type person — and that is exactly who the Sport Case is designed for. The case fits just as well as the Modern Leather Case and I love the pale blue color of the backplate.

I typically shy away from slick cases and the high-gloss backplate is definitely slick. But, the unique grippy bumper helps provide added security when you hold the phone. It does only have 6-foot drop protection instead of the 10-foot drop protection that the leather cases provide, but for everyday use, 6-foot is typically all I need. The buttons are very tactile and the case lines up perfectly with the ports, speakers, and other openings on the phone.

If someone asked me for my recommendation, I would pick the Sport Case for everyday use.

Conclusion

Nomad has a case for everyone and for every occasion. They are premium cases that feature high-quality materials. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any of the options that NOMAD has in their iPhone 14 Case Collection.

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