Review: Nomad Rugged Case For iPhone 11 (Plus Nomad’s New Medical Supplies)

There are two parts to this post about Nomad, a company that has proven to be one of the go-to sources for premium Apple accessories. The first is a look at the Rugged Case for the iPhone 11. The second is a note about a big move for the company: Nomad has tapped its supply chain to rapidly ramp up and produce face masks and hand sanitizer for the COVID-19 battle.

Rugged Case for iPhone 11: Stylish, Leather Protection

The last time I went hands-on with Nomad's Rugged Case was in 2018, with an iPhone XS Max. I’ve recently been spending some of my lockdown time trying out the $49.95 Rugged Case for the iPhone 11, and I’m happy to report that everything good about the minimalist case remains. And the design has been tweaked to make it even better...

The Horween leather used on the Nomad Rugged Case for iPhone 11 quickly develops a unique patina.

The surface you see is covered with Horween leather. This is a premium, vegetable-tanned, American-made leather from Chicago's Horween Leather Co. It feels warm in your hand and gets even better with use as it develops a patina. They may all look the same out of the box, but I’m willing to bet no two Nomad Rugged Cases are identical after even a few weeks of use.

One of the great things about this case is it doesn't just look stylish, it actually offers real protection for your iPhone. The shell under the leather is polycarbonate, and that's bonded to a raised TPE bumper for 6-foot drop protection. Raised edges protect the iPhone screen and cameras. Despite the multiple layers, the Rugged Case is still slim and light — and it remains fully compatible with wireless charging.

The leather covers a polycarbonate shell that's bonded to a TPE rubber bumper.

The latest version gets some reinforcement at the case bottom so the cutouts around the Lightning port and speakers are stronger. It also gains a pair of lanyard attachment points (the lanyard is optional).

Nomad's Active Rugged Case uses waterproof, hydrophobic leather.

What if you love the look of leather, but you’re worried about exposure to water? Nomad also offers an Active Rugged Case for the iPhone 11. This one is wrapped in hydrophobic leather that sheds water. I’ve tried out the company's Active Leather Band for the Apple Watch that's made with the same material and it survived being submerged in water with no ill effects. The leather isn't as supple and it's a darker brown than the Horween leather used for the Rugged Case, but it makes a great option if you regularly use your iPhone outdoors in inclement weather.

Nomad is Now Offering Medical Supplies

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in many companies, and Nomad was an early leader in this respect. Utilizing a supply chain built up over a decade of making Apple accessories, Nomad was able to quickly convert some of this production capacity to producing medical supplies. The company now offers two types of civilian face masks. Nomad also partnered with a local dental supply company that is now allocating some of its resources to producing hand sanitizer.

Nomad is producing face masks and hand sanitizer to help in the fight against COVID-19.

The first priority was to meet demand for medical professionals, first responders, and essential businesses. The production volume is now sufficient that Nomad is also allocating some for public sale.

The company says it is pricing these medical supplies to cover costs, with any additional revenue that might be generated being donated to fight COVID-19.

Disclosure: Nomad provided a Rugged Case for evaluation but had no input into this review.