Woolnut Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case REVIEW

A premium Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case for a premium phone.

Cases have become an essential accessory for smartphone users. They help protect our investments and add a little bit of style and flair to our phones. There are literally hundreds of different designs out there and sifting through the menagerie of cases can get mind-numbing. That’s why I like providing reviews on some of the more unique options available. I am typically not a case person. My smartphone of choice is the iPhone and I feel that the device’s designers created it to be used with or without a case. That said, I do appreciate cases when they offer more than just surface protection. I recently had the opportunity to test out a leather case from Woolnut, a Swedish company that focuses on creating premium leather products that accentuate other products. Since they work primarily with Apple products, I was immediately drawn to them and that’s how I found their Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case.   

DETAILS

The Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case is made with full-grain leather from Scandinavia. The interior is lined with soft microfiber and the case is MagSafe compatible (it has a built-in Neodymium magnet array). The case is also wireless charging compatible and it has raised edges to protect the camera and the screen. The frame of the case is built with polycarbonate so it is a strong base for the phone. The cases are designed in Sweden but made in China. The packaging is printed on 100% recyclable paper. The case is available in two colors – black and cognac. The version I was testing out was for the iPhone 13 Pro, but the Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case is available for all iPhone 11, 12, and 13 models as well as X Series iPhones.

The Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case was created to have a slim profile and have the added benefit of being MagSafe compatible with all chargers and accessories. Its magnetic array is assembled within the frame of the case through precisely tooled pockets. Woolnut takes great care with the craftsmanship of each of its products. In this case, the buttons are covered with leather to help provide added ergonomic comfort when it rests in a user’s hand. Leather also ensures a warm, soft grip in a person’s hand. The Scandinavian leather that is used is considered Woolnut’s signature leather. It is known for its quality and has beautiful, natural characteristics that age over time. The Leather iPhone case is also designed to complement the MacBook and iPad sleeves by Woolnut. 

USER EXPERIENCE

The Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case from Woolnut comes in a very nice retail box. It is mainly black, and looks as though the package was designed to be in ‘dark mode.’ I rather like this as a design choice because it feels like a premium product right from the shelf. The front of the box does have a subtle image of the product on the bottom half of the box. The Woolnut brand name is included in large, bold print and the color, material, and phone compatibility are also called out on the front. The back of the box simply includes some background information on the case. 

The front of the box opens up from the side – it has a magnet closure – to reveal the case. There is no other packaging included with the case. While I do prefer this, I found it interesting that there wasn’t a small preservative packet or leather case instructions included. I was very impressed with the build quality of the case and I really like that the buttons are covered with the top grain leather – just like the rest of the case. The raised camera cutout is outlined in black. This appears to be the polycarbonate shell that is the base for the case. It’s just not covered with the same leather that wraps the rest of the case. I think this was a smart design choice because if the case were dropped, that raised edge would get worn quickly and would leave the case looking haggard. 

One of the features I’ve been keen on testing out with newer cases is their MagSafe compatibility. I really love this built-in feature of the iPhone and when a case claims to be MagSafe compatible, there are many times that it really is not. A lot of cases will charge on a MagSafe charger, but not have a built-in magnet array. That is what really causes a case – or any other iPhone accessory – to be 100% MagSafe compatible. If they don’t have their own magnet, then the case is just thin enough to be able to use the magnet that is built into the iPhone through the case. That’s not MagSafe compatible in my opinion. So, I was eager to test this feature out with the Woolnut Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case. First, I placed the case on a MagSafe charger. This particular charger does hold the iPhone off of a desktop as if it were floating. So, I would know right away if the case were MagSafe compatible. Because it if wasn’t, the case would fall off the charger. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. When I set the Woolnut case on the charger, it stuck to it just fine. 

After I installed the phone into the Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case, I placed it on the charger again and was happy to see the phone and case still stuck to the charger and that the phone immediately started charging. After I confirmed the MagSafe compatibility, I placed the phone onto a wireless charging pad where it started charging through the case, too. The case hugs the phone really well. It’s easy to install the phone in the case and remove it if you choose to. I felt that the buttons were very responsive through the leather case coverings and that everything lined up really well. 

CONCLUSION

When Apple first released the MagSafe phones (with iPhone series 12), I didn’t really trust any cases other than what Apple was releasing. I knew those cases would be 100% MagSafe compatible and that they would be engineered to fit the phones precisely. I think this Woolnut Leather iPhone 13 Pro Case gives Apple’s case a run for its money. It is made with premium materials and care was taken with the craftsmanship. The MagSafe feature works beautifully and the price point of the case is just below that of the Apple Leather MagSafe Cases. I’m a fan of this case and I’m eager to see how well it holds up over time. 

For more information, visit woolnut.com, Facebook, and Twitter.