The CalypsoCase Could Be The Finest Leather Pocket You Can Buy For Your iPhone [Review]

By

919951_517907644934632_2044594918_o

If I have to put my new iPhone 5s in a case because I forgot to buy AppleCare+ during the first 30 days and I’m terrified I’ll drop it on its face, then I want that case to be sleek and simple and made of leather. The CalypsoCase Loop is all of those things.

CalypsoCase Loop by CalypsoCase
Category: Cases
Works With: iPhone 5/5s
Price: €89

Handcrafted by a team of skilled craftsmen in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the Loop is a beautiful slip-on sleeve made of only the finest leather that provides your iPhone with all the protection it needs when it’s not in use. It has laser-cut titanium foundations that retain its shape and offer impact protection, and a soft inner lining that lovingly caresses your iPhone’s aluminum without marking it.

The Loop is available in four colors, and it’s priced at €89 (approx. $120) with free shipping. Let me tell you why it’s worth that price tag.

Screen Shot 2013-11-21 at 18.24.18

The Good

Due to my love of leather, I’ve tested lots of leather iPhone cases, but the Loop outclasses all of them — even Apple’s. The moment you take it out of the box (which includes a little insert that’s signed by the its maker) and lay your fingers on it, you appreciate the work that went into designing and manufacturing this case.

I’ve tested lots of leather iPhone cases, but the Loop outclasses all of them.

The premium Italian leather is wonderfully soft and smooth — so much so that you’ll want to stroke it, sniff it, and rub it up against your face (I did) — and the tight, perfect stitching around its outside edge oozes quality.

When you slip your iPhone inside it, it’s a perfect fit, and there’s just enough grip to ensure your iPhone won’t fall out involuntarily without being too tight to remove it yourself when you need it in a hurry. The rounded cutouts at the top of the case allow you to pinch your iPhone between your thumb and finger to pull it out.

P1040520
The CalypsoCase logo is embossed into the front.

Inside the Loop, there’s a soft lining that ensures your iPhone doesn’t get scratches, while a laser-cut titanium frame provides the case with support and gives it strong edges that will protect your device in the event of a fall.

The Loop is thin and incredibly light, so it adds hardly any bulk to your iPhone and won’t be uncomfortable in your pocket.

It’s also much more robust than I thought it would be; admittedly I’ve been pretty careful with mine, but I’ve been using it since September and aside from some slight wear around its edges — which you’d expect with any leather case — it still looks as good as new.

The Bad

The biggest disappointment about the Loop isn’t at all its own fault, but rather Apple’s. It could be massively improved if the iPhone had an auto-sleep and auto-wake function like the iPad, allowing cases like this to wake the device when you pull it out and put it back to sleep again when you put it away — just like BlackBerry’s cases do.

P1040519

Having used a BlackBerry Z10 on and off for several months earlier this year (honestly!), I kind of expected this kind of functionality when I first started using the Loop. Maybe next year’s iPhone will address this.

One downside that is the Loop’s fault is the lack of any holes in the bottom of the case, which causes the iPhone’s speaker to be muffled quite substantially.

I found my device very difficult to hear when it was in my pocket — even with the volume turned up as high as it will go.

While you’ll still hear notifications while your iPhone is one your desk in a quiet office, I found my device very difficult to hear when it was in my pocket — even with the volume turned up as high as it will go. On a busy street there’s no chance you’ll hear it, so you better ensure you have vibration enabled if you don’t want to miss an important call.

This also means there’s no access to your headphone jack or Lightning port. I imagine this is because it would be difficult to put that many holes in the titanium frame while maintaining its strength and rigidity, but it can be frustrating at times. You can’t put your iPhone inside the case upside down, either, because its tight fit means the volume buttons and mute switch could damage its soft lining.

P1040526

Finally, I must point out that the Loop isn’t exactly the most protective iPhone case. It will certainly protect your device when you drop it — unless it lands on its top edge, in which case the phone will slip out of the case somewhat. I found this out the hard way, but fortunately it landed on carpet, so no damage was done.

The Verdict

I have so many cases piled up in a draw that I’ve never used since I finished reviewing them, but the Loop is the one I pick up whenever I’m not reviewing something else. I don’t like using a proper case, and the Loop allows me to enjoy my iPhone naked when I need to use it, but keep it protected when I don’t.

It does have some flaws, and the lack of holes in its bottom edge is a pretty big one, but I’ve found myself overlooking these things and getting used to working around them just to use this case.

It really is beautiful and incredibly well built, and worth every penny of its €89 price tag. If I lost mine tomorrow, I’d be on the CalypsoCase website ordering another in a heartbeat. It really is one of the finest leather iPhone pockets you can buy.

CalypsoCase_TokyoBreeze_RR_0058
Product Name: CalypsoCase Loop
The Good: Beautiful; handcrafted from premium materials; thin and light.
The Bad: No holes for speaker, Lightning port, or headphone jack.
The Verdict: If you want a high-quality iPhone pocket/sleeve, and you’re willing to pay a decent price for it, then you should get the CalypsoCase Loop.
Buy from: CalypsoCase

[rating=excellent]

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.