With the recent release of the latest iPhone models, the race to showcase new cases would not be far behind, and the folks at NOMADS take an early lead with their beautiful leather Rugged Cases.
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Pros | Cons |
Beautiful quality leather that gets better with age | Expensive |
Excellent fit | |
Active series is water resistent |
NOMAD Rugged Leather Cases for iPhone 11 Styles
The NOMAD Rugged Leather Cases for iPhone 11 come in a variety of styles.
There is the Rugged, which is just the case, the Rugged Folio, with a front leather cover that not only protects the screen but has three slots on the inside, to hold credit cards and the Tri-Folio, which not only has a similar cover, with four slots, but an extra flap with a slot on the inside and outside to hold cash.
There is also the Active Rugged which is made with a water resistant leather.
For our review, we looked at the Rugged and the Active Rugged styles.
NOMAD Leather Cases – Unboxing
If you are a regular visitor to our sight, you already know we are fans of NOMAD products as we have previously reviewed the NOMAD Battery Cable (read our review here), the NOMAD Shell Cordovan Strap for Apple Watch (read our review here) and the NOMAD Titanium Band for Apple Watch (read our review here). While these are all very different products, one thing they have in common is the beautiful packaging, and the NOMAD Leather Cases for iPhone 11 are no different.
Each NOMAD Rugged Case came packed in a beautiful cardboard box with an illustration of the case on the outside. The boxes open by raising a flap on the right edge which appears to have a magnetic closure hidden inside to keep it closed.
The top of the box has a plastic hanger that would be used to hang the boxes on a store display. There are no markings on the box on how to open it and the natural tendency would be to try and slide the inner core of the packaging out of the outer shell. We could see someone destroying the packaging unnecessarily and it might help to put some sort of Open Here markings on the box.
Lifting the flap allows you to raise the front cover of the box to reveal the NOMAD case.
NOMAD Rugged Leather Cases for iPhone 11 – Description
The Rugged and Active Rugged cases look almost identical and our description applies to both of them but we’ll point out the differences where they apply.
Except for the Active Rugged model, all of the cases are made of Horween leather. This s a high quality leather that is known for developing a beautiful patina over time. As you use the case and expose it to the elements, it develops a lustrous sheen that adds a distinct character to the look.
The leather is wrapped around a polycarbonate frame that is sturdy enough to protect your iPhone, without adding unnecessary bulk or weight.
The cases also have TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers) bumpers for added drop protection. The inside of the case is lined with microfiber to prevent scratched to your phone.
All of these design features also apply to the Active Rugged case. The big different is that the Active Rugged Series is made with hydrophobic (water-resistant) leather, imported from the world famous Heinen leather factory in Wegberg, Germany.
NOMAD Rugged Leather Cases for iPhone 11 – Test Results
Even before you put the case on your iPhone 11, you will undoubtedly get the sense that this is a high quality case. The 2.75mm thick, microfiber lines back plate gives the case a solid feel while the sides are soft where they need to be but sturdy enough to ensure a solid fit.
The overall fit of the Active Rugged case was excellent.
The cut-outs for the mute switch, Lightning connector and speaker openings are all well positioned but easily accessible. In particular, the opening for the mute switch has plenty of room so it can be easily operated while the Lightning connector opening is large enough to accept even heavy duty connectors like those found on the Paracable cords (read our review here) and the NOMAD Battery Cable (read our review here).
There are extra openings on both sides of the bottom edge to attach a lanyard for ease of carrying your phone, if that is something you are interested in, but a lanyard is Not included with the case.
The front edge of the case extends just 0.75mm above the iPhone 11. That adds a level of protection against accidental drops and scratches to the screen.
Speaking of drops, all NOMAD Rugged Leather Cases are rated to protect your phone with 6 ft drop protection.
You may notice that out of the box, the cases look dull and have an almost plastic or rubbery feel. But even after just a couple of days of use, the leather starts to soften and look like the high quality leather it is.
All NOMAD Rugged Cases support Qi Wireless charging so there is no need to remove your iPhone 11 to use your charging pad.
The Bottom Line
We are long time fans of NOMAD products. They have excellent build quality and use the finest materials to produce exceptional products. The NOMAD Rugged Case family for iPhone 11 is no exception.
With a variety of styles, you are sure to find one that meets your specific needs.
All NOMAD Active Rugged Cases are available in both Black and Brown. You can learn more about the Rugged Cases, Active Rugged Case and all of the great OMAD products at the Nomad web site here. All NOMAD Rugged Cases are available from Amazon.
The NOMAD Rugged Case series is also available for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Pricing begins at $49.95 and increases based on style.
If you like what the NOMAD Rugged Case has to offer but aren’t upgrading to the latest iPhone, your in luck. NOMAD also has a variety of Rugged Case styles for the iPhone R, iPhone X, iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max.
We would like to thanks the folks at NOMAD for providing a Rugged and Active Rugged case for our testing and review. Do you use a case on you iPhone? What is your favorite style?
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