Dear r/iphone , interested in your opinions. Now that Apple no longer makes leather cases, which manufacturer makes the best runner up in your estimation? I have owned almost every single iPhone and leather case since the 2g, but I am not a fan of encouraging the proliferation of micro plastics (latest iPhone case material). I think it’s genuinely one of the biggest problems we face today as a species. Thank you for your help!

edit: thanks everyone for your input! I opted for a bullstrap. It cost me an arm and a leg but it’s amazing quality.

Hey fellow leather lovers!

I’m a huge sucker for iPhone leather cases and have owned and tried so many. I’ve created a blog post with the best ones for the iPhone 16 series, including all the info I think is relevant to make an informed purchase decision.

Nothing is sponsored, and there are no affiliate links—it’s purely a hobby. I hope it’s a helpful resource for some of you here.

Let me know your thoughts, and if there are any mistakes or extra info I could add. What are your favorite leather cases for the iPhone 16? Have you tried any of these cases, and what’s your experience?

Link to the blogpost 👉 Best Leather Cases for iPhone 16

EDIT March 28, 2025: The article is now updated with the latest changes!

I want to buy an official apple leather case for my 14 pro. However when I visited the Apple Store to preview the cases, I noticed all of leather cases have small tearings on the outer surface. So my question is for people who have been using leather cases for at least a year, how does it age under usage?

Trying my best to not make this a generic "what should I buy" thread. I'm hoping for some actual discussion on this. To be clear - I honestly do not want buying recommendations. At all. I want feedback on the various leather case options. Ideally, this thread can be pointed to as a reference for anyone who wants to research the various leather case offerings this generation and come to their own conclusions.

Background - when I get an iPhone I generally swap between two cases based on what I'm doing - a TPU case (I have my favorites), and a leather case. Apple's leather cases have gone downhill. In fact, you can't convince me that the 13-series cases are actually leather. It peels like crazy despite minimal use, and there has been zero patina (not a complaint, I prefer no patina, but if there's no patina after a year then it's not actual leather).

So with that in mind, for those who have a non-Apple branded leather case please provide the following information:

• Which case do you have? (brand and model) (oh, and please specify your phone!)

• If they've changed the branding or product name, what's the current equivalent product available for the 14-series?

• Why did you originally choose it over the Apple leather case?

• What do you like about the case?

• What do you dislike about the case?

To reiterate, responding with "you should buy X" is a useless and less than helpful comment. Providing the info from the above bulleted list helps not only me, but anyone else who wanders into this thread who is sick of the endless stream of Amazon referral link blog spam.

Hey fellow leather lovers!

A few months ago, I shared my comprehensive blog post about the best leather cases for the iPhone 16 series (original post here). Thanks for all the positive feedback and appreciation!

I've now updated the article Best Leather Cases for iPhone 16 with some significant changes and new insights:

• Ryan London now offers a sapphire crystal button option specifically for camera controls, which is a really nice upgrade.

• Bullstrap has indicated they'll also offer sapphire crystal buttons soon, but it's not yet available.

• Mujjo discontinued their cases for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models, now focusing exclusively on the Pro models.

• I've also added some updated observations about the quality based on longer-term use and comments I read online.

Again, there's no sponsorship or affiliate links—just a hobby project to help you choose the right case.

Feel free to check out the updated post here 👉 Best Leather Cases for iPhone 16

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have your opinions changed, or have you discovered any new favorite cases? Let me know!

I've been looking for a high quality all black leather case for the iPhone 16 Pro. I've seen Bullstrap, Andar, Ryan London, and a bunch of other brands. I've heard Bullstraps quality went down but they're so expensive. Also any leather cases with camera control? Just looking for something nice quality that'll last a while

Okay, real talk – I see all these fancy leather cases everywhere, but are they actually more protective? People say they help with drops, but then I hear they make your phone overheat.

Then there’s clear cases – yeah, they yellow fast (UV), but plastic ones seem to hold up better over time. Less discoloration, and honestly, they don’t crack as easy as I expected.

So… is basic plastic the way to go for durability? Or am I missing something? Any case warriors out there with long-term recommendations?

(Bonus points if it doesn’t turn my phone into a pocket heater.)

Previously had an Apple ‘Leather Case’ for my iPhone 13 Pro and it was great. Given that apple has moved away from using leather, I’m looking for recommendations for an aftermarket ‘genuine leather’ case. TIA

I thought this group might be interested in seeing what happens to an Apple leather iPhone case after about 4 years of use. This is a leather case for an iPhone Xs

No artificial aging took place - and no abuse either but i use my phone a lot and in many different conditions. In just the last 3-4 months the corners started to wear away to the plastic frame underneath. I've been surprised about how durable it's been.

I've got a new one for my new phone. It doesn't feel as well made as the old one but it also hasn't even started to break in yet so we'll see.

45 Months with a Leather iPhone Case

For the iPhone 16, Apple no longer offers leather or FineWoven options, which honestly sucks. I really loved their leather iPhone cases. Yeah, they had wear and tear pretty quickly, but I drop my phone a lot, and since I started using Apple’s leather cases, none of my iPhones have broken in over 5 years.

I reaaaaally don’t want a silicone case. The plasticky feeling in my hand is the absolute worst. But I do think a case made by designers who actually know the phone (and have access to all the technical specs) has an edge over something random from AliExpress.

The Apple silicone case is just not an option for me—again, I hate how it feels, and if you work with animals (or anything fluffy), everything sticks to it.

So now I’m looking for a leather case with similar performance to the Apple ones. Does anyone have recommendations?

Hi All,

Making the switch from Samsung to Apple.

Any trustworthy brands out there that have historically made great leather cases (snap on/ mag wallets too)? Zero interest in the new twill-whatever material.

Not concerned with price as long as the ratio to quality is reasonable.

Thanks!

I always had an Apple leather case for my previous iPhones, this time i was going back and forth with what aftermarket brand i should go with, because Apple obviously stopped offering them. I ended up going with the traditional leather case from Nomad, because my local Apple retailer sells them and i was impressed with the quality. Love the clean back and minimal branding on the side! Color wise i first thought about going with tan, which i had before but figured it might be a little much with the black hardware of the case and the deep blue color of the 17 Pro. I ended up going with black, something i've never had and i'm very curious how it will patina. I picked the regular leather and not the more expensive Horween. Can't wait to put it on my phone on friday!

I just upgraded from an iPhone X to a 13 Pro Max. The Apple leather case for the X originally took me by surprise. It was great quality leather with enough thickness to really feel like expenses weren’t spared, and it patina’d fantastically as a result. Would always recommend the leather case to my friends.

Now the 13 Pro Max leather case has once again taken me by surprise. But not in a good way this time.

It is so much flimsier than my iPhone X case, and the leather quality is absolutely laughable. It genuinely feels like something I would expect a knock off Apple leather case to feel like, based on the quality I am used to. I can only imagine how terribly this thing is going to wear and hold up, never mind whatever protection is sacrificed by being so thin and flimsy, rather than thicker, more shock absorbing leather.

Because not only did the iPhone X leather case look and feel fantastic, but it also took some of the gnarliest spills and my phone never cracked. I swore Apple engineered the hell out of even the simple products like their cases to give their customers the most protection. Not anymore.

So what the fuck? Don’t we pay the Apple tax for higher quality materials and craftsmanship than the average garbage? Or is that a thing of the past and now it’s a race to the fucking bottom to increase profits like every other shitty company?

I am considering clear, silicone, or leather case options for iPhone, and I could not decide. I am hoping you guys could give me some ideas on what to purchase.

So, I am quite a sporty and clumsy person, which means that my phone gets exposed to a lot of water and drops all the time. I was thinking of going for Mujjo full leather case, but I just found out that leather does not go well with water, so this might not be the option. I am not sure if there is some kind of synthetic leather that covers all the cons of original leather?

I am looking for case with high durability, and good looking, something that will last me 5+years. Now, I am considering on the clear case from casetify with drop protection add-on. I am not if this is the best option. What do guys think?

I just upgraded from an iPhone X to a 13 Pro Max. The Apple leather case for the X originally took me by surprise. It was great quality leather with enough thickness to really feel high quality, and patina’d fantastically. Would always recommend the leather case to my friends.

Now the 13 Pro Max leather case has once again taken me by surprise. But not in a good way this time.

It is so much flimsier than my iPhone X case, and the leather quality is absolutely laughable. It genuinely feels like something I would expect a knock off Apple leather case to feel like, based on the quality I am used to. I can only imagine how terribly this thing is going to wear and hold up, never mind whatever protection is sacrificed by being so thin and flimsy, rather than thicker, more shock absorbing leather.

Because not only did the iPhone X leather case look and feel fantastic, but it also took some of the gnarliest spills and my phone never cracked. I swore Apple engineered the hell out of even the simple products like their cases to give their customers the most protection. Not anymore.

So what the fuck? Don’t we pay the Apple tax for higher quality materials and craftsmanship? Or is that a thing of the past and now it’s a race to the fucking bottom to increase profits like every other shitty company?

I’ve taken a look at tons of leather cases for the Air, but I can’t find reviews on them yet since they’re so new.

Anyone buy one of these cases and can speak to whether you’re happy with how it feels on the Air? Or have a leather case not listed that you’re happy with?

• Andar Aspen

• Bullstrap

• Ryan London

• Bare Skin

My current decision is holding out for the Nomad traditional case, but if one of these is also really good, I might pull the trigger.