Want to protect your iPhone 16 in style? Real leather is the way to go!
Unlike silicone cases that wear out or plastic ones that turn yellow, leather stands up to daily bumps and scratches, patinas beautifully and smells amazingly.
After extensive, unbiased research, we bring you everything you need to know about the best leather cases for iPhone 16, to help you pick the right one.
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. Fine texture. Authentic leather feel and smell.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Detail on Leather: It’s premium full-grain oil waxed leather, according to Andar.
Bottom Design: Closed with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port. Adds protection but perhaps incompatible with larger cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Precise camera cutout with a black metal frame for both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.
Camera Control Button Design: Very large cutout fully exposing the camera button, benefiting frequent users but reducing protection and causing an asymmetrical design that may not appeal to everyone.
The case in white color is made of vegan leather instead of genuine leather
Company and Its Reputation
Andar, based in Arizona, is a trusted leather accessories company known for high-quality, minimalist products crafted from full-grain leather. Founded in 2015, Andar has a solid reputation and customer loyalty, especially for wallets, bags, and phone cases. Though smaller in scale, Andar has shipped over a million products worldwide, gaining strong customer reviews and media coverage.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build and materials
Many color options
Available for the entire iPhone 16 lineup
Branding on the side doesn’t disturb
Slim and light
Nicely designed camera cutout and frame
Cons
Large camera control cutout design can be a disadvantage
Shipping costs can significantly increase the price depending on the location
Bellroy Phone Case
The one trying to be it all.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covers almost the whole back and sides. Reinforcing plastic elements disrupt the leather feel and will contrast colors over time as the leather darkens and the plastic doesn’t. These plastic elements make this case more protective than others on the list.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: According to Bellroy all leathers sourced exclusively from gold-rated Leather Working Group tanneries.
Bottom Design: Closed bottom in plastic material with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port. Adds protection but perhaps incompatible with larger cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Precise camera cutout with a slim color matched plastic frame for both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout for the camera button. It’s usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical, more appealing design.
It’s a uniquely designed genuine leather case with reinforcing plastic elements trying to offer as much leather as possible with more protection.
Company and Its Reputation
Bellroy is an Australian company from Melbourne that makes a variety of other high-quality accessories, including bags, wallets, and phone cases. While a comparably small company, it has been around since 2009 and is generally considered a reputable brand focused on quality and sustainability.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build, materials and design
Free shipping to most countries
Above average 3 years warranty
Plastic elements increase stability and protectiveness
Slim and light
Nicely designed cutouts for the camera and camera control button
Available for the entire iPhone 16 lineup
Cons
Not entirely leather: Some parts are plastic, and you can feel them
Leather will change color with aging, while plastic elements won’t: there will be a contrast in some parts
Branding quite intrusive on the back
Bullstrap Leather Case (“Minimalist” and “Contemporary”)
The luxurious one.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. Fine texture. Authentic leather feel and smell.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: According to Bullstrap it’s full-grain leather with natural variation in texture. Chrome tanning process. Lightly buffed and dyed with water-based dyes. Sprayed with oils and waxes for enhancement effects. Polished to achieve a two-tone color effect. Sourced from Europe and northern United States.
Bottom Design: Open bottom on the “Minimalist” variation. Closed bottom on the “Contemporary” variation with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port (perhaps incompatible with larger cables).
Camera Cutout and Frame: Raised leather “lip” as a frame that looks nice but is less protective than plastic or metal frames. Precise camera cutout for the iPhone 16 Pro models, but for the 16 and 16 Plus models, the cutout was not adjusted to the more narrow camera design, leaving parts for the back exposed and less aesthetically pleasing.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout for the camera button. It’s usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical and clean design.
Screen protector compatibility: Fully compatible with common glass screen protectors due to raised edges.
Buttons: Responsive 316-L stainless steel buttons in contrast color (black for most color options).
Fit and Feel: Slim and light with a snug tight fit.
Case Branding: Prominent on the back. The Bullstrap logo is stamped in matching the case color accordingly. The logo looks very nice and likely more appealing than others.
The case comes in two variations: one with open (“minimalist”) and closed (“contemporary”) bottom.
It comes with an uncommon lifetime warranty.
Company and Its Reputation
Bullstrap is a small company based in Florida, USA, founded in 2018. Despite being relatively new to the game, it has an excellent reputation and a charismatic young founder and owner. It has quickly built a solid customer base, a recognizable brand, and an impressive portfolio of high-quality leather accessories.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build, materials, and design
Many different options include various colors and variations with open and closed bottoms.
Available for the entire iPhone 16 lineup (but only the open bottom design “minimalist”).
Unique, instantly recognizable, and iconic design and branding.
Lifetime warranty and responsive customer support team.
Cons
Significantly more expensive than competitors and shipping is extra.
Poorly designed camera cutout and frame for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Closed bottom design “contemporary” only available for iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models.
LONLI Edition Leather Case
The inexpensive one.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. It’s genuine leather that generally feels good but it’s coated and feels slightly less high-end than other alternatives.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: Made of premium European full grain leather according to LONLI.
Bottom Design: Closed with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port. Adds protection but perhaps incompatible with larger cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Raised leather “lip” as a frame that looks nice but is less protective than plastic or metal frames. Precise camera cutout.
Camera Control Button Design: Cutout that fully exposes the camera button, benefiting frequent users. The cutout is smaller compared to competitors, which may reduce the convenience of using the button slightly. The asymmetrical design caused by the cutout may not appeal to everyone.
It’s the least expensive option by far, still offering good quality.
They offer essentially the same case in even cheaper variations with less premium materials.
Company and Its Reputation
LONLI appears to be a recently founded company and is perhaps the least known on this list. They sell exclusively on Amazon. Despite being new, their reviews on Amazon have been consistently positive over the last few years, and their leather cases are lower priced but still considered excellent value for money.
Verdict
Pros
Great quality in materials and build considering the lower price
Lower price than competitors
No visible branding on the case outside for a clean look
Available in many colors
Sold via Amazon: Return policy, Prime benefits, etc.
Cons
Slightly lower quality leather than more expensive competitors
Not available for iPhone 16 and 16 Plus (only Pro-Models)
Camera control cutout design can be a disadvantage
MUJJO Leather Case
The closest to the Apple one.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. While it does feels high-quality it’s coated and has a rougher surface with a less leather-like feel compared to competitors.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: Fine-grain Danish calfskin leather sustainably manufactured and sourced, according to Mujjo.
Bottom Design: Closed with slim cutouts for speakers and decent sized USB-C port. The speaker cutout alignments are less precise compared to competitors.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Color matched raised metal frame that looks nice and is protective. Precise camera cutout for the iPhone 16 Pro models, but for the 16 and 16 Plus models the cutout was not adjusted to the more narrow camera design leaving parts for the back exposed and less aesthetically pleasing.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout for the camera button. It’s usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical and clean design.
It looks and feels very close to the discontinued leather cases from Apple.
The tight fit makes it more challenging to take in and out compared to competitor’s cases.
Company and Its Reputation
Mujjo is a small London-based business with over 10 years of experience. While it lacks the brand recognition of larger companies, it enjoys positive sentiment through features in YouTube videos and Reddit posts. Mujjo sells products online and has a physical store in London.
Verdict
Pros
High-quality materials.
Very thin and light. It’s the thinnest genuine leather case.
Looks and feels like the discontinued leather cases from Apple.
Cons
Branding is quite intrusive on the back.
Some minor imprecisions with the bottom cutouts.
Less leather-like feel might disappoint some.
Poor camera frame design for iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Nomad Modern Leather Case
The protective one from Nomad.
Design and Features
Materials outside: The back of the case is genuine leather that feels and smells accordingly, sides are TPU plastic offering better drop protection but are thicker, don’t offer the leather feel and come in black as a contrast color to the leather.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: According to Nomad, it’s full-grain, sustainably sourced leather.
Bottom Design: Protective closed design made of hardened plastic, raised and with generous cutouts for USB-C port allowing compatibility for large USB-C cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Precise camera cutout with a slim plastic frame for both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout with a slight slope for the camera button. It’s perfectly usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical, more appealing design.
Screen protector compatibility: Fully compatible with common glass screen protectors due to raised edges.
Buttons: Responsive anodized aluminum with a unique texture on the power and action buttons, making them easy to identify by touch without looking.
Fit and Feel: Compared to competitors, it’s a slightly thicker and heavier feel.
Case Branding: Subtle branding on the side. “Nomad” is printed on the TPU side and barely visible.
Other Design Elements: The bottom features two lanyard attachment points.
Colors
Black
Brown
Light Brown (“English Tan”)
Compatible iPhone 16 Models
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Price
$50 plus taxes and shipping for the regular leather version.
$70 plus taxes and shipping for the more premium “Horween” leather version (Pro-models only).
Sold via Nomad’s website or third-party retailers like Amazon, department stores, and more worldwide.
Other important things to know
The plastic sides make the case more protective, offering an 8 ft drop protection.
The case has options with a more premium “Horween” leather material in additional colors, but just for the Pro models.
Company and Its Reputation
Nomad is a consumer electronics and lifestyle products company based in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 2012, it is a well-established Apple accessories brand with an excellent reputation. Their products are widely available in many countries and shipped directly from them or third-party retailers.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build, materials and design. Despite the partly plastic material, it feels high-quality and premium.
Considerably more protective than other cases.
Well designed camera control cutout maintaining a symmetrical design, while still offering protection and the full functionality of the new button.
Subtle branding maintains a minimal look.
Available worldwide with many purchase options.
Available for the entire iPhone 16 lineup (camera frame and cutout is well adjusted to the new iPhone 16 and 16 Plus camera design).
Higher-quality premium leather variations for Pro-models are available.
Compatible with larger USB-C and Thunderbolt cables.
Cons
Thicker and heavier than competitors.
It’s not fully made of leather, which some people may not like.
Fewer color options than some competitors.
Nomad Traditional Leather Case
The one from Nomad in 100% leather.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. Fine texture. Authentic leather feel and smell.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: According to Nomad it’s full-grain, sustainably sourced leather.
Bottom Design: Closed with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port. Adds protection but perhaps incompatible with larger cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Precise camera cutout with a black plastic frame.
Camera Control Button Design: Very large cutout fully exposing the camera button, benefiting frequent users but reducing protection and causing an asymmetrical design that may not appeal to everyone.
Screen protector compatibility: Fully compatible with common glass screen protectors due to raised edges.
Buttons: Responsive anodized aluminum with a unique texture on the power and action buttons, making them easy to identify by touch without looking.
Fit and Feel: slim and light with a snug, tight fit.
Case Branding: Subtle branding on the side. “Nomad” is stamped in, matching the case color accordingly.
Colors
Black
Brown
Light Brown (“English Tan”)
Compatible iPhone 16 Models
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Price
$60 plus taxes and shipping for the regular leather version.
$80 plus taxes and shipping for the more premium “Horween” leather version
Sold via Nomad’s website or third-party retailers such as Amazon, department stores and more worldwide.
Other important things to know
It’s the first time Nomad offers this type of design made completely of leather.
Company and Its Reputation
Nomad is a consumer electronics and lifestyle products company based in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 2012, it is a well-established Apple accessories brand with an excellent reputation. Their products are widely available in many countries and shipped directly from them or third-party retailers.
Large camera control cutout design can be a disadvantage
It’s not available for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus (Pro-models only).
Fewer color options than some competitors.
Ryan London Leather Case (Open Bottom)
The “minimalist” option from Ryan London.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. Fine texture. Authentic leather feel and smell. Perhaps the highest quality of all options here.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: Full grain vegetable-tanned leather according to Ryan London.
Bottom Design: Open bottom design compatible with all USB-C cables but less protection.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Raised leather “lip” as a frame that looks nice but is less protective than plastic or metal frames.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout for camera button. It’s usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical and clean design.
Screen protector compatibility: Fully compatible with common glass screen protectors due to raised edges.
Buttons: Responsive black metal buttons.
Fit and Feel: Very slim and light with a snug, tight fit.
Case Branding: Subtle branding on the side. Ryan London Logo is stamped in matching the case color accordingly.
Other Design Elements: Allows the option to emboss the back of the case with a name or initials for extra individualization. This service costs an additional about $10.
It’s very similar to the “Minimalist” case from Bullstrap.
Company and Its Reputation
Ryan London is a boutique workshop specializing in handcrafted leather accessories based in London, UK, founded in 2013. Despite being a small business rather than a big global brand, they enjoy an excellent reputation among iPhone leather case enthusiasts. Many reviewers consider them the number one choice for products with an excellent leather-like feel.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build, materials, and design.
Subtle branding maintains a minimal look.
Very slim, light, and minimalistic-looking design while still offering a substantial leather-like feel.
Price includes free shipping to most countries.
Option for further personalization.
Cons
Not available for iPhone 16 and 16 Plus (Pro-models only).
Less protective than some competitors.
Not widely available and dispatch time and shipping can take a while.
Less comprehensive warranty than competitors.
Fewer color options than some competitors.
Ryan London Leather Case (Closed Bottom)
The almost perfect one.
Design and Features
Materials outside: Genuine leather covering the whole back and sides. Fine texture. Authentic leather feel and smell. Perhaps the highest quality of all options here.
Materials inside: Soft microfiber lining protecting the phone’s glass back.
Details on Leather: Full grain vegetable-tanned leather according to Ryan London.
Bottom Design: Closed with slim and precise cutouts for speakers and USB-C port. Adds protection but perhaps incompatible with larger cables.
Camera Cutout and Frame: Precise camera cutout with a black metal frame that looks good and is very protective. The camera cutout and frame is perfectly adjusted to new narrow camera design of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
Camera Control Button Design: Thin and precise cutout for camera button. It’s usable but less comfortable than cases with large cutouts. But it’s more protective and keeps a more symmetrical and clean design.
Screen protector compatibility: Fully compatible with common glass screen protectors due to raised edges.
Buttons: Responsive black metal buttons.
Fit and Feel: Slim and light with a snug tight fit. It’s thin but not the thinnest of all.
Case Branding: Subtle branding on the side. Ryan London Logo is stamped in matching the case color accordingly.
Other Design Elements: Allows the option to emboss the back of the case with a name or initials for extra individualization. This service costs an additional about $10.
It’s perhaps the best balanced product in terms of leather quality, slim fit and feel, protection, aesthetics and price.
Company and Its Reputation
Ryan London is a boutique workshop specializing in handcrafted leather accessories based in London, UK, founded in 2013. Despite being a small business rather than a big global brand, they enjoy an excellent reputation among iPhone leather case enthusiasts. Many reviewers consider them the number one choice for products with an excellent leather-like feel.
Verdict
Pros
High quality in build, materials, and design. Perhaps the highest quality leather.
Subtle branding maintains a minimal look.
Slim and light while still offering a substantial leather-like feel
Very nicely designed metal camera frame that fits both the design of the regular iPhone 16 and the Pro-models perfectly
Available for the entire iPhone 16 lineup
Price includes free shipping to most countries
Option for further personalization
Cons
Not widely available and dispatch time and shipping can take a while.
Patina Proud subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/patinaproud/ is a great resource for asking questions. Many people share their experiences, including photos of their leather cases and how they have aged over time.
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