Phone cases were initially intended to offer protection to cell phones against accidental damage. Initially, these cases were popular among low-end cell phone consumers who were trying to avoid undue maintenance and repair costs; but with time, phone cases have gained widespread acceptance even among high-end shoppers. Indeed, wrapping your expensive Smartphone in a robust phone case will go a long way in reducing the mechanical damages that often result from scratches, acid spills, falls, and the normal process of wear and tear.
Besides offering protection from physical stress and mechanical damage, modern cell phone cases are also designed to add an extra layer of elegance to our handsets. As you may expect, choosing the right phone case material isn’t a walk in the park. You have to sift through dozens of products out there before you can finally locate your ideal phone case.
How to Choose the Right Phone Case Material
As we’ve already pointed out, phone cases come in different materials. The most common ones include plastic, wood, metal, fiber, and leather.
Choosing the right material for your phone case depends on a few factors as highlighted below;
Durability
Generally, the prices of phone cases are relative to the cost of the phones they protect. Therefore, if your phone is valued at $1,000, expect to splash a significant amount on getting the right case for it.
Since the price tag of your phone case may be on the higher side, it makes sense to invest in a product designed for strength and durability. By the time you need a new case, you’ll have used the current one long enough to grow out of love with it.
Aesthetics
Traditional phone cases were never designed with aesthetic appeal in mind. However, contemporary phones feature sleek and chic designs. And the best way to preserve their glamor is to get them a case that complements their looks.
But aesthetics is a subjective quality, and what appeals to you may not necessarily appeal to the neighbor next door. Therefore, besides buying the right-fitting case for your phone, you can also have the case customized to your individual requirements.
Protection from Impact
This is indeed the fundamental reason why we invest in phone cases. However, these products work differently in terms of protecting your expensive gadget from impact.
Some cases are designed to bounce off the surface when you accidentally drop your phone. That way, they reduce the impact created by the first fall. Others feature ingenious weight distributions that prevent the sensitive components of your phone from hitting the ground first.
Environment
The environment where you work significantly influences your choice of a phone case material. For instance, construction workers might go for a metal phone case, considering other substances like rubber may not effectively absorb the impact from falling debris.
Still on the environment, the general weather conditions of a place dictate the kind of cell phones to buy. Metallic cases wouldn’t be ideal in hot or humid conditions.
Besides these, other factors that influence the choice of a great cell phone case include your budget and ease of use.
Why Leather Phone Cases?
Leather phone cases have numerous advantages over their plastic and metallic counterparts. Due to their soft texture, leather cases are especially recommended for phones with sensitive screens, such as iPhones. Leather phone cases also score highly in terms of shock absorption.
In addition, leather is famous for its longevity. Out of the many phone case material options out there, leather is probably the only one that “ages gracefully”. After years of extended use, you’d expect leather phone cases to reveal scratches, wrinkles and other forms of blemishes. Far from it!
Leather is also moisture-resistant and waterproof. Now, we already mentioned that certain work environments and weather conditions might require that you buy specific kinds of phone cases. Being waterproof, you won’t have to worry a lot if you accidentally drop your phone in water. And its remarkable moisture resistance attributes mean you can seamlessly use your phone even in very humid conditions without worrying about possible moisture damage. But water and moisture aren’t the only things that leather protects your phone against. The material is also solid enough to cushion your mobile device against sharp objects, dust, corrosive substances, and mild burns.
Another benefit of leather is its cost-effectiveness. Leather prices are as flexible as the material itself. Therefore, you’re always assured of terrific bargains whenever you go shopping for leather phone cases. And since they’re quite durable, it will take some time before you need a new phone case. Not to mention, they save you the cost you’d have otherwise incurred repairing and maintaining a damaged phone.
The texture of leather is yet another one of its strongest selling points as an ideal phone case material. As you may have realized, the two sides of leather phone cases mostly feature different textures. The inner side that wraps around your phone is smoothly sanded and buffed, to keep the edges of your phone free from scratches and various forms of mechanical stress. The outer surface is usually made of full-grain leather. That makes it grip firmly onto your hands, thereby preventing cases of accidental slips. It doesn’t matter whether your hands are dry, wet, oily, or greasy; the full-grain surface of the leather case makes it possible to use your phone seamlessly.
Since leather doesn’t readily collect dirt and dust, it’s easy to clean and maintain. All you need is warm water, detergent, and a soft piece of cloth.
Leather phone cases are also known for their remarkable portability. Leather is relatively lightweight compared to other popular phone case materials, such as metal. Therefore, you can carry your phone wherever you go without feeling as though you’re hauling extra baggage in your pocket.
Last but not least, leather phone cases have a noticeable classy and stylish appearance. Therefore, they enhance the allure and glamor of your phone. The fact that leather cases come in all kinds of designs and styles makes it easy to find a case that serves your personal needs.
Types of Leather
There are two main types of leather, namely natural and synthetic leather.
Natural leather is a preferred choice for premium phone covers. It’s waterproof, long-lasting, and improves with age. Natural leather is also famous for its elegant and stylish look and comes with a rich quality feel. However, natural leather isn’t the better choice in terms of impact reduction. Besides, it’s relatively expensive, and there are always glaring animal rights concerns around their sourcing.
Synthetic leather, also known as pleather, is designed to resemble natural leather in appearance. It’s cheaper, vegetarian, and reasonably waterproof. On the flip side, synthetic leather isn’t as durable as natural leather. Due to its poor quality, phone cases made of synthetic leather may break or split more easily.
All in all, a leather phone case is the real deal if you’re looking for a soft yet durable and stylish phone case that’s reasonably easy to maintain.