Like any sane capitalist, I love getting new stuff. But there’s something heartening about those new things settling into age, like a fecund garden becoming slightly unwieldy, or a pair of shoes getting more comfortable as you use them.
Similarly, I’ve always enjoyed the way a well-made leather case ages as it weathers the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Traditionally called a patina, it’s the lived-in quality that a piece of leather inherits as it absorbs skin oils, scratches, and the unpredictability of weather.
So it was when I put on the new “Red Ochre” variant of the leather Pixel 11 Pro XL case from Bellroy. The Melbourne-based company has long been an official Made by Google partner, which means it’s always among the first case manufacturers to unveil its wares each August.
I’ve had the case on my phone for just over three weeks now, and I look forward to picking it up each time. Bellroy’s leather is thin and rigid, and is treated to prevent wear, which means that it takes longer than, say, a piece of Horween leather from Nomad, to age. But it also means it will look new for longer. Barring a few minor scratches, the case has survived more than a few child-related drops with aplomb.
On the structure side, the leather is reinforced with a rigid plastic frame that protrudes a millimeter or so above the display, and is covered internally by a microfiber lining. Magnets are present on the back for PixelSnap compatibility, and the buttons are made from anodized aluminum, which gives them a satisfying tactility akin to the phone’s buttons themselves.
At $59, this is not a cheap case, but to my eyes it’s the right combination of form and function. I love the color, though there are three others available — Black, Artichoke, and Pewter — if the more traditional saddle color is a bit too bright.
My weakness is a great leather case for any phone, but unlike iPhone and Galaxy cases there aren’t many good Pixel options. There’s this $40 option made by Snakehive that I plan to pick up, but it lacks coverage on the top, bottom, and right button side, which I dislike. Still, it appears to have more supple leather than Bellroy’s, which should patina more quickly, so I’m looking forward to putting them head-to-head in the future.
Until then, I’m quite happy with Bellroy’s leather Pixel 11 Pro XL case, and plan to keep it on my phone until something else newer, shinier, and patina-ier comes along.
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