Woolnut sleeve wraps iPad Pro in luxurious pebbled leather [Review]

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Woolnut Leather Sleeve for iPad Pro
The Woolnut Leather Sleeve for iPad Pro offers an exceptional look and feel.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Any case can protect your iPad, and the right one can also make it look handsome. The Woolnut Leather Sleeve has a minimalist vibe, but the pebbled leather gives a very sophisticated appearance to the iPad Pro.

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Woolnut Leather Sleeve for iPad Pro review

At first glance, Woolnut’s offering appears to be simply two leather rectangles sewn together. But there’s more too it than that.

Most importantly, the vegetable-tanned full-grain leather is sourced from Scandinavia. My sample unit is cognac, and black is the other option. In time, the leather will patina, giving this case a vintage look. The pebbled texture adds to that impression.

“The pebbled leather structure is achieved by running a ‘dry drum’ as a part of the tanning process,” Erik Lavin, co-founder of Woolnut, told Cult of Mac. “Basically, that makes the leather ‘wrinkle’ as it tumbles around — after a certain number of drum revolutions the leather finally gets that pebbled structure throughout.”

The stitching on my sample unit is very tight, and adds to the professional appearance.

The fit is essentially perfect. The Woolnut Leather Sleeve is exactly the right size to cocoon an iPad Pro. The tablet is held securely, but not so tightly that it’s difficult to remove.

One edge of the iPad Pro is left open, allowing you to charge the tablet while it’s in this case.

Woolnut Leather Sleeve is very slim.
The Woolnut Leather Sleeve enhances the appearance of the iPad Pro without adding bulk.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

By design, there’s no room inside for anything else. The Apple Smart Keyboard Folio is slender but it’s still much too big to also fit into this sleeve. Those who want to wrap both these in leather should consider this Picaso Lab sleeve instead.

There are also no pockets or places to put accessories. Minimalism is the goal here.

And because it’s so svelte, this product is also lightweight. My sample for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes in just under half a pound.

Protection

The interior of the Woolnut Leather Sleeve is covered in 100% natural wool felt to cushion the iPad, and ensure the screen isn’t scratched when you slide the computer in and out.

Plus, the leather exterior protects your computer from scratches and bumps when you’re transporting it. But this is definitely not a rugged case, limiting how much it can shield the tablet from real disasters.

Woolnut Leather Sleeve for iPad Pro final thoughts

The iPad Pro on its own looks beautiful. But it’s a cold, glass-and-metal beauty. Wrapping this computer in a Woolnut Leather Sleeve gives it an organic look, even as the appearance remains utterly professional.

This case is sleek and lightweight, and brings some welcome protection to this tablet. Just don’t expect to use it to carry additional items.

Woolnut Leather Sleeve with 12.9-inch iPad Pro
Carry your iPad Pro into the boardroom in a Woolnut Leather Sleeve with confidence.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Pricing

The price for Woolnut’s Leather Sleeve depends on the size. The one for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro released in 2018 is €72.50.

Buy from: Amazon

And the version for the 11-inch iPad Pro costs €65.00.

Buy from: Amazon

For comparison, the Picaso Lab iPad Pro mentioned earlier is a leather sleeve that costs It’s $108. It also has room for the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, though.

Woolnut provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

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