Nomad iPhone 7 Plus leather case and Apple Watch Sport Strap: Blue Horween leather and hypoallergenic band
Nomad designs and manufactures excellent mobile products, and has recently released a new color for its iPhone leather case and an Apple Watch sport band. I've been testing both for a couple of weeks and am extremely pleased with each accessory.
A couple of months ago, I purchased the Nomad Modern Leather Strap for my Apple Watch Series 2, as I wanted a band in leather instead of always wearing the simple black sport band that came with my Apple Watch. The Horween leather, black buckle and securing pins, and wear over the past couple of months confirms it was $60 well spent.
Let's take a closer look at the two new Nomad products I used over the past couple weeks.
Nomad Leather Case for Apple iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7 Plus review
There are an incredible number of case options available for the Apple iPhone, from stick-on skins to rugged bulky protective cases. I prefer cases that add some personal style while also offering some corner protection while also not adding much in size to an already overly large phone.
Nomad's brown leather case has been very popular with Apple iPhone owners. The new one has the same design elements, but with a midnight blue Horween leather.
Horween leather comes from Chicago and clearly meets my desire for a unique case due to the fact that it ages differently over time. I personally like the rugged patina look that develops as you use the case. We've seen this leather used popularly on Motorola phones in the past and people tend to either love the look or hate it. I think it imparts some character to the case and look forward to long term use of the Nomad case.
The interior of the Nomad leather case is lined with soft black material with the Nomad branding on the inside. Your iPhone 7 Plus snaps securely into the Dow Dupont polycarbonate core frame and ensure the case will not fall off the iPhone. There are ample openings for the cameras, flash, Lightning port, speaker, and mics. There is also an opening for the ringer switch, but I had a hard time flipping the switch because I have short fingernails and the case is a bit thick around this opening.
The frame wraps around all four sides and protrudes just a bit above the display so that your screen is protected when you set your phone down on a table. The back and sides are covered in midnight blue Horween leather and look fantastic. The leather even smells good and holds up well to daily usage.
The Nomad Leather Case is available now for $39.95 for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Nomad also has a midnight blue Leather Folio Wallet case for the Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Nomad Sport Strap for 42mm Apple Watch
My Apple Watch came with the black Apple sport strap, which sells separately for $49 if you want another color. I've been satisfied with the Apple strap, but it's nothing special. I've been thinking of picking up the black/volt Nike sport band from Apple, but haven't done so yet. Nomad sent along its new Sport Strap in black and volt (highlight yellow) that is priced at $49.95.
The Nomad Sport Strap is constructed of vulcanized LSR silicone material. This is a naturally biocompatible, antimicrobial, and hypoallergenic material so should be safe for everyone to use.
The first thing I noticed about this strap is that it matches the width of the 42mm Apple Watch with interesting chamfered edges that transition into the Apple Watch. The rest of the surface of the band has a crosshatch finish that adds a nice look to the band.
The volt color is present on the underside of the watch band and is visible through the openings in the strap so it is a very subtle sporty look. The securing mechanism is similar to Apple's sport strap with an oval post that fits into a notch and then an opening where the remainder of the bitter end of the strap slides down and into for a closed loop band experience. It is a waterproof band designed to withstand a 72 hour salt mist test.
The Nomad Sport Strap is very comfortable and I was able to wear it daily for about 18 hours and barely even noticed I was wearing my Apple Watch.