These are my favorite leather iPhone 16 cases

Nirave Gondhia

Sun, October 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM GMT+7·4 min read

If you’ve bought an iPhone 16, you’ll know that there are hundreds of cases for the iPhone 16 series. Whether it’s the regular iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Pro, or even previous iPhones, an entire ecosystem is dedicated to building the best accessories for the iPhone 16.

Sure, you can buy something from Apple, and for many years, the company offered many cases in its stores. And it still has a range of items in a range of materials, except for one: leather.

Thankfully, there’s an alternative. Many companies offer leather cases — including Mujjo, which has great sustainability chops — but none have the variety of cases that Nomad does.

The naked leather case alternative for the iPhone

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a big phone, and while I love the more compact iPhone 16 Pro as my day-to-day iPhone, I sometimes go for the bigger iPhone. I’ve already written about the best thin case for my iPhone 16 Pro, but for the Pro Max, I wanted something different.

How do you make the big iPhone truly stand out from the rest, especially since it lacks the vibrant pop of the regular iPhone? Enter the Nomad Magnetic Leather Back.

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

It’s the leather equivalent of a Dbrand skin, and a way to truly make your phone stand out. The magnetic attachment isn’t perfect, but it’s fun and unique. It’s ideal if you want an almost-naked experience, as there’s no case around the sides. It’s a slim leather back for your phone, and it probably won’t protect your phone that much in a drop. Still, if you want to spruce up your iPhone while adding as little bulk as possible, it’s a fun and unique solution.

The more traditional leather iPhone case

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

The Magnetic Back isn’t for everyone, and there are times when I prefer a proper leather case instead. This is where Nomad’s traditional leather case comes in; it’s the leather iPhone case that Apple should have made, and it’s the perfect replacement for Apple’s own.

Nomad’s lineup is a little confusing, and the product you receive differs in a few key ways. If you’re going for the modern leather case like the one seen here, you’ll get a leather back reinforced by a plastic frame that offers eight feet of drop protection. The traditional leather case takes a full wrap approach but lacks the protection rating.

Camera Control on the Nomad Modern Leather case on the iPhone 16 Pro

Close up of the camera on the Nomad Modern Leather Case on an iPhone 16 Pro at an angle

Both styles also come in several shades, and I like the lighter English Tan Nomad Leather. Not all options are available for each iPhone 16 model, although if you have the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max, you should be able to choose from the widest selection.