Accessory review: Noreve Tradition leather case for iPhone 4/4S
I’m not the biggest collector of cases for my devices. Sure, I’ve got a Patagonia Daily Grind (in French Roast) that houses the Incase Neoprene Sleeve (black) in which my MacBook Pro lives while we’re traveling together, and a bumper for my iPhone 4 and a simple little Belkin case for my iPhone 4S, but I’ve never really been a fan of “designer” cases that try (and fail) to make the devices that fit in them look better.
Of course, I can be swayed if I find a company that makes some seriously awesome stuff. And that’s what happened when Noreve, a French company that specializes in hand-making high-quality leather cases, reached out to me to review its iPhone 4/4S Tradition leather case. Click through the break to find out what I thought of this little leather beauty.
After taking the case out of its high quality packaging, I was greeted with all sorts of things: the case itself, a Noreve-branded screwdriver, and Noreve’s awesome ratcheting belt clip system.
Speaking of the ratcheting belt clip, here it is. It’s attached by a screw and that rather gear-like piece of metal that you see in the picture above this one. Once those are secured onto the back of the case, you can simply slide the belt clip onto the “gear,” and you’ll be ready to rock the case on your belt loop.
What surprised me was how easily the belt clip moved when I tried to actually rotate it to get the phone in the position I wanted, but how solid it was when it was just hanging there. Obviously my hands have more force than the bumps and jolts from walking have, but I was still very impressed.
One complaint I did have about the clip, though, is that the spring that holds it closed while on a belt is a little too loose for my liking. My phone never fell, but I’m a bit paranoid about hanging my expensive devices off my pants in the first place; a loose clip doesn’t help at all.
Here is the left side of the case when it’s closed. While the screen is inaccessible, the buttons and switches on the side of the iPhone are left perfectly open, making it easier to adjust volume while it’s in your pocket.
Here’s the bottom of the case. The microphone and speaker are left open, as well, so you can still hear the phone if it rings.
In the middle is the strap. It serves two purposes: it connects the flap to the bottom of the case when the case is open, and it also prevents dirt and other crap from getting into the dock connector.
The top of the case holds a stiff flap that holds the entire thing closed. It works very well, although the first 20 times you try to close the darn thing, it will take some effort. After that, though, it closes very easily but still holds closed tightly.
The top also leaves the headphone jack and sleep/wake button exposed, so you can use those things, as well.
Like I said in the beginning of this review, I’m definitely not the most religious of case collectors. But Noreve has definitely earned my business for any cases that I may need in the future. My Dell Streak 7 is, at the time of this writing, completely naked. That needs to change, and because of the high-quality and fantastic styling of its iPhone 4/4S Tradition leather case, I want my tablet to be clad in French leather.
Oh, and on top of all that, leather smells ridiculously good.
Many thanks to Noreve who, very kindly, provided this leather case for review! If you’d like to purchase one for yourself, you can visit Noreve’s store and pick up the iPhone 4/4S Tradition leather case for $59.52. Plus, if you don’t like black, Noreve’s got you covered: there are a plethora of other color options to choose!
