Do you ever wish your iPhone was just a little bit easier to keep a hold of? I finally wrapped my iPhone X in leather by equipping it with the Traveler Leather iPhone X Case by Pad & Quill.
The Traveler makes your iPhone X feel much more sturdy in your hand (Image from Pad & Quill)
What is the Traveler Leather iPhone X Case?
The Traveler Leather iPhone X Case is not your ordinary leather iPhone case because it was not designed to be a slim case that disappears on your phone. This was designed to be noticed. If you are looking for a slim case for your iPhone you need to look elsewhere. This is a case for someone who wants a lot of nice leather wrapped around their iPhone and isn’t opposed to adding just a little bit of bulk to it in the process. The design for The Traveler was actually inspired by the leather coin pouch the designer’s Father used to carry around:
“As a family company here at Pad & Quill, we draw on very personal experiences to make our products and this Traveler Leather Bumper Case is a great example of that. It all started when I came across my Dad’s old leather coin pouch. It had so much history and memory attached to it because my Dad was a very generous man who carried it everywhere and handed out coins to strangers on the street and sometimes to me too, to get ice cream. As I looked over it, what stood out to me was how I loved the walled leather construction it had, so I set out to use that idea at Pad & Quill in an all-new iPhone case unlike anything else out there.”
Design style inspired from an old-school coin purse (Image from Pad & Quill)
After 3-4 years of prototyping the result is a very unique leather bumper case design:
Handmade 100% leather bumper case
Fully wireless charging compatible
Durable & protective
Soft American full-grain leather
Secure tension-fit that shapes to your phone
Easy push/snap-in installation
UV-resistant nylon stitching
All ports/cameras accessible
Siri/Volume Buttons fully functional & easily accessible through leather
Dimensions: 5.85″ x 3″ x 0.5″
25-year leather warranty & 30-day Money Back Promise
How Have I Been Using It?
First off, I purchased the Pad and Quill Traveler Leather iPhone X Case myself while it was on sale a few months back. I wanted a very easy to grip leather case with an original design and the Traveler definitely fits that description. I was a little concerned that the extra bulk of the case was going to be a negative for the case. If you look at the case in profile you can see that the edges of the case extend up above the screen surface of the phone.
The Traveler case has a nice lip that rises above the surface of the iPhone screen for extra protection (Image by Skip Owens)
This is great from a “protect the screen in case of a drop” scenario but it also means it adds thickness to iPhone when carried in your pocket. In a jeans pocket the extra thickness is not noticeable but if you are wearing dress pants you will notice the iPhone a little bit more. Not a huge negative here but something to keep in mind.
I absolutely love how easy the iPhone is to pick up and hold now that I have so much leather to grab on to. I carried around an iPhone 7 Plus for a year without a case and didn’t have any problems holding on to it. But something about going from the larger iPhone 7 Plus to a smaller iPhone X made it just a little to unstable in my hand to go caseless. The lip that extends above the surface of the screen is actually a really nice feature. I can take my iPhone to the gym with me and toss my iPhone onto the padded floor without having to worry about damaging it. I’ve never been able to do that with the thin profile cases I have used in the past. The rear camera, mute switch, side power button and side volume up and down buttons are accessible through the case. The mute switch has a cut-out but the power and volume buttons are just pressed through the straight leather sides (no cut-outs or raised areas). The power button is easy to hit (in fact too easy). The volume up and down buttons I am constantly confusing. Because you tend to grip both sides of the iPhone at the same time it is extremely easy to accidentally take a screenshot when all you are trying to do is adjust the volume (because the side power button is easy to activate). I use an Apple Watch so volume is not something I adjust often, but if you do then this may not be the case for you. Pad & Quill has a 30-day guarantee so if this bothers you return it.
Verdict
I’m a huge fan of leather and I really like the quality of Pad & Quill’s products. In fact, I still wear the Pad & Quill Lowery Cuff on a regular basis (I reviewed it a few years back here on GeekDad).
There is no shortage of options if you are looking for an iPhone case. The Traveler Leather iPhone X Case unique design will ensure your iPhone is not confused with anyone else’s. The extra grip the case provides as well as the extra lip of protection are huge benefits but you have to balance that with the extra bulk of the case, the ease in which you can hit the wrong volume button or accidentally take a screenshot. If I wore dress pants on a daily basis or relied more on my iPhone for volume control I would steer away from this case, but since I don’t the case works really well for me. Make your own decision based on your unique needs, but if you are a fan of high quality leather and unique design you will appreciate this case.
The Traveler wears just as you would expect from high quality leather and looks even better as it ages and starts getting worn (Image by Skip Owens)
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