iWood, a natural choice for an iPhone case

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
There are many iPhone skins and cases on the market, some that have little stands to prop your iPhone up on a table, or some with built in lenses to allow macro photography. However, a lot of these cases look tacky, adding curves, detail and gloss where only simplicity should lurk.



It's only fair of course, as these cases set out to be affordable, with affordable design and affordable materials to match.



But if money was no object, and you were searching for the Jaguar of iPhone cases, where would you turn?







Miniot, a company based in Schagen, the Netherlands, produces these - the aptly named "iWood". This isn't a ersatz wood either, with each iWood case being carved from a single piece of wood - with Oak, Padouk, Cherry, Mahogany and Walnut being the sorts of wood you can choose from.



From there on, you can even have your iWood engraved with a monogram, message, or logo - and an optional dock (with matched wood to go with it).



You may be thinking "so what? It's made out of wood", but it's not until your iWood arrives that you realise the care that has gone into producing it. A tasteful black box encloses the case, and attaching the case to the iPhone is simple, using a simple "snapping mechanism" designed to avoid magnets, metals, or anything that might interfere with the iPhone's reception.







The case is very precise, with all the gaps in the wooden case corresponding perfectly with the appropriate ports and speakers on the iPhone. Plugging a sync cable in is no problem, and the case doesn't muffle the microphone or speakers either.



The buttons are clever done as well, as moving mechanisms would seem to be a problem for a solid piece of wood - the buttons are connected by thin bridges of wood that allow you to bend it ever so slightly enough to adjust the volume rocker or the lock switch. The vibrate toggle can be accessed by anybody with a fingernail, fortunately keeping people who bite their fingernails away from using such a luxurious item.



The case adds a nice bit of heft to the iPhone, and the texture (I ordered Walnut - such tasteful grain and colour is not easy to come by) feels good.



On the cover side of things, it's worth noting that wood is not exactly a flimsy piece of silicon, and can take a good knock. However, wood comes with all the drawbacks of wood - it responds to heat and will expand and contract accordingly, and also gives you the unique position to set your iPhone on fire.



With all that on offer and more, you may wonder what the drawback is - and of course, it's the price. At ?80 ($117 at the time of writing), the iWood is restricted for those with coin, or those who tell themselves they have the necessary funds for such a venture. In fact, at ?80, the iWood case is more expensive than what an iPhone is sold for in the Netherlands. Shipping can take a while (my order took a good month and a bit), but email support from Miniot is prompt. They also offer iWood cases for the original iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPod Classic.



At the end of the day, what could be classier than cutting down trees and sculpting them to fit iPhones? Nothing, that's what. As an Apple customer you must be used to a bit of a premium. Revel in it.







As a final note to this review, a few weeks ago I was dismayed to find that my iWood case, delicate flower of bourgeois vanity that it is (and that's even without the iPhone), had snapped! I lamented for a while and decided to get in touch with Miniot, the producers of the iWood, to see if anything could be done. They replied saying that yes, something could indeed be done, and immediately sent me a replacement case. Now that's service.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I own one.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Are these from sustainable sources? Biodegradability is good, but where exactly is this wood from?
  • Reply 3 of 3
    iwood cases looks nice on the iphone but it has got one drawback that the top button which is used to power on the iphone require more effort whenever we want to power off it and e en on the back of the case there is metal rod fitted which may scratch the back of your iphone.
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