Review: Pad & Quill’s new super slim wood & Kevlar iPhone case

A couple of readers have asked me about the super slim wood case I’ve had on my iPhone in photos accompanying recent reviews. The case is Minnesota-based Pad & Quill’s latest, and it’s a wood and Kevlar mix that makes for one of the thinnest and strongest natural wood cases around.

I hate cases that make my phone feel too bulky and for that reason I’ll typically only grab a wallet case when on the go. Otherwise, if I’m going to use a case at all, it needs to provide enough protection while being barely there and not taking too much away from Apple’s design (or the ability to play nice with docks and other accessories). Natural wood cases are typically a bit on the thicker side in my experience, but the Woodline case manages to come in at 0.9 millimeters thin, on par with the thinnest cases around that are typically made out of a cheap rubber or plastic.

But the material of the case isn’t just your average natural wood, either. The case comes in four wood/color options—American Cherry, Rosewood, Zebra, and premium American Walnut— all of which blend FSC Certified Hardwood with Dupont Kevlar Aramid Fiber core for added strength. The company says the Aramid fiber material is “5x stronger than steel.”

The wood has an almost wax-line finish on it for scratch-resistance while, unlike lots of competitors, it isn’t overly glossy and still feels more like real hardwood than anything else.

The case has a snap-on, pressure fit design to tightly onto your iPhone, and the material has enough flex to easily get it on and off without any fear of the wood cracking.

Like all of Pad & Quill’s products, the Woodline case is made and finished mostly by hand, so you’ll find variations in the wood grains and some noticeable signs that the case was handcrafted, such as the polishing of openings for ports and even the craftsman’s signature carved into the interior of the case. 

I had the American Cherry version, but here’s a look at the other three wood options– Rosewood, Zebra and premium American Walnut:

Should you buy it?

While the wood/kevlar blend certainly provides a ton of advantages and makes for one of the nicest natural wood cases around, it does leave a little be desired in general when it comes to protection. There isn’t much of a lip on the front of the iPhone to protect the display when face down, and lack of any real corner reinforcements makes me wonder how many drops the case will withstand.

But it’s obviously not aimed at the crowd looking for a super protective case with both front and back protection and it’s one of the nicer wood cases I’ve tested. And you can pair it with Pad & Quill’s Bella Fino wallet case if you want all-around protection and space for cards and cash.

The Woodline cases are available for iPhone 6/6 Plus and iPhone 6S/6S Plus from Pad & Quill’s website now for $49.95 (or $59.95 if you want the Premium American Walnut). 

Pad & Quill currently has a promo that gets you an additional $15 off if you pair it with a Bella Fino leather wallet case, and everything comes with a 30-day money back promise, a 1-year warranty and free shipping the US.