I’m not a fan of bulky cases. I got an iPhone 13 mini because I wanted a phone that actually fits in my hand and my pocket. Gigantic, bulky cases just get in the way of that. Sure, they can protect your phone a little better, but if you’re dropping the thing more frequently because you can’t hold on to it, what good is it? My leather case from Nomad was protective, but so slippery I couldn’t even think about using it for longer than my testing period. Nomad’s Sport case is a different story.
The “Sport” case combines a stiff TPE material on the edges with a plastic, high-gloss back. The two materials give the case both grip and drop protection, with TPE being one of the best materials for shock dispersion and absorption and the plastic offering rigidity. The sides have a groove in them for extra grip. The end result is a surprisingly thin case that’s also grippy, lightweight, and protective.
Did Nomad make the Holy Grail of cases?
Well, just about.
In This Article:
Specs
- Height: 135.55mm
- Width: 68.33mm
- Depth: 10.69mm
- Weight: 31g
These measurements comes together in a case that’s barely thicker than the iPhone the case is on. In fact, thanks to the grooves on the sides, the case will feel thinner, while still offering the protection of about 2mm of TPE on the sides. The 31g weight is light for a MagSafe case.
Protection 10/10
A perfectly protective case has a dense material that protects your phone from the shock of a drop. It does so in a small enough package to have grip so you’re not dropping it often. It protects the screen with a firm lip, the camera in the same way, and it works with screen protectors by not coming too far onto the screen.
I also just described the Nomad Sport case.
Normally I’d have a lot more to say. That it has various other shortcomings or flaws. But… nope. Spent months with it, and I really don’t have more to say. It’s grippy, made of protective TPE, it’s thick where it needs to be and slim where it should be. It’s easily a 10/10 case for protection. Any more bulk would be superfluous for most people. Less might be risky. It’s just right.
Looks 8.5/10
Looks are subjective, so I try not to inject my own opinion too much…. I mean, I try, I’m not saying I succeed. This is a review, after all. This is a great minimalist case. No added designs, no huge logos, no monograms. It’s just a case. A case with a nice glossy back. Look at it closely enough and you’ll notice the metal accents on the buttons or the glossy sheen. It’s also a smooth, flat plastic on the back, so, if you really want, you can add stickers or other customization to it fairly easily. I’ve thought it would be cool to get one just to sticker bomb. It would certainly work well for that, and most cases wouldn’t.
I do wish it came with different colors. I’d love to see a deep cherry red or some iridescent colors. But the muted colors work for the muted design.
Now, there are some small issues here, outside of limited color choices. The glossy back will show fingerprints under the right lighting conditions and that glossy plastic will scratch. I actually dropped my Apple MagSafe wallet in some dirt and slapped it back on without thinking. It slide around a little and scuffed the back. You can still barely see it and it was still hard to photograph. I’m convinced I could buff out those scratches if I really wanted to anyway, but I barely notice them.
The real issue here is the colors. I’d love more options or even something really unique like swappable back plates. Fingerprints and scratches won’t be a real concern, this will look just fine for a long time.
Ergonomics 10/10
It’s slim, has a groove in the side that I really like, has grippy TPE and a grippy back, and the buttons are actually metal floating buttons. Even Nomad’s most expensive leather case goes with cheap plastic floating buttons and conjoined volume buttons. These are metal and they’re all floating independently. They’re extremely clicky and feel perfect to use. Thanks to how much they’re raised over the groove in the side, they’re actually a little nicer than the buttons on the actual iPhone itself. I’ve never seen that before, buttons that are better on the case than the device. It’s incredible.
The smooth back will get a little less grippy with cold, dry hands, but what doesn’t? It never feels slippery like other cases I’ve tested. This case improves on the ergonomics of your phone in some ways and doesn’t add a bunch of bulk. It’s an easy 10/10 rating. Nomad really went back to the drawing board between their leather case and this one and improved on it in every way the leather case failed.
Durability 9.5/10
I really had to edit this to even get the scratches to show up. They’re faint.
I knocked off half a point for the scratches on the back. That’s it. The case is dense and feels well-made. I’ve dropped it a few times without much of a scuff or mark, and absolutely no real structural damage. I’m pretty sure I could use a plastic polish like Polywatch to scrub out the scratches anyway, but they’re so hard to see, they don’t even bother me.
It would feel dishonest to give this a perfect score when the back can get some small scratches, but, honestly? I probably should. They’re not a real problem four months into using this case off and on. I seriously couldn’t complain. Most of my cases by now don’t look brand new, and while this does have a few tiny scratches, it generally still looks and feels like new.
Sustainability 6.5/10
The box is all cardboard with a fabric pull tab. That’s fantastic. However, the case is still just plastic and TPE. These aren’t sustainable materials. Still, many compostable cases need a lot of material to provide the same amount of shock absorption, or not enough. We’re not quite at the point for these cases to truly be recyclable or compostable yet, but I hope that day will come. A compostable case that doesn’t protect your phone is worse than a plastic one that does. That said, Nomad did the best they could with a plastic case, making something that will last for years and protect your phone well. That means you won’t have to replace it or the parts in your phone, and that is more sustainable.
Value 10/10
This is a $40 case, $30 if you go for an on-sale version. It is slim, TPE, and has floating metal buttons. Often, you have to drop $50-$60 to get floating buttons! For as little as $30? That’s a steal.
MagSafe Compatibility 5/6
The MagSafe strength is a little above average, so the rating break down is like so:
- Has MagSafe +1
- Slightly above average strength +2
- Vertical bar present +2
For a score of 5/6. Even with the larger camera bump protection, it still holds to flat surfaces like my MagSafe dock.
Odds and Ends
Like Nomad’s leather case, this one also has a Popl NFC-based business card. With this you can pass along your info to someone with a modern smartphone with just a tap on the back of your phone. In my experience, it works pretty well with both iOS and Android devices. It’s great for quickly giving someone your info or giving them your Venmo so they can pay you for drinks, pizza, whatever. I’m sure it’s more handy than swapping actual business cards, for the kind of people who have a need for business cards.
Overall 9.5/10
This is the near perfect case. If I was recommending just one case to someone, it would be this one. It’s protective, simple, slim, attractive, and easy to use. It was an instant favorite when I got it. I couldn’t wait to finish up my other case testing to get to this one. I typically write notes for months with cases, lining up little problems I found. With this? My notes mostly just had praise. It’s a fantastic case. If more cases were like this, we’d have fewer broken smartphones.
The Nomad Sport case is available on their website in a variety of sizes and colors, for $39.95 (and one color is just $29.95 right now). Find the one that fits your phone and your style, slap it on, and forget about cases for a while.