Nomad Rugged Case review – New phone? You need the Rugged Case

REVIEW – Hot on the heels of Apple’s announcement of iPhone 17 and its variants, Nomad released the updated version of their storied Rugged Case. If you’ve yet to pick up a case from Nomad, I hope this review provides some clues as to why it’s one of the first cases I pick up every September.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $75 Rugged Leather Case | $49 Rugged Case
Where to buy: Rugged Leather Case on Amazon | Rugged Case on Amazon

What is it?

Nomad’s Rugged Case is a protective case for iPhone that dates back to at least the iPhone 14. This new version is available for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Phones providing a great balance of rugged protection and clean aesthetics making it a perfect everyday case.

What’s included?

• 1 Rugged Case that matches the color and material you choose.

Tech specs

• * Horween®leather from the USA, that develops a rugged patina | * Rugged Leather Case only
• ** PET backplate | ** Rugged Case only
• Polycarbonate frame with durable TPU bumpers & camera ring
• 15ft drop protection
• Tactile Camera Control button
• Anodized aluminum buttons
• Internal microfiber lining
• Internal lanyard attachment system
• MagSafe & Qi2 charging compatible

Design and features

Nomad’s Rugged Case is available in two versions, the difference being in the back material. You can choose Horween leather in Rustic Brown or Black, or choose their Duraback material in Orange or Black.

Nomad was kind enough to send a Black Rugged Leather Case and an Orange Rugged Case. Here’s the back of each.

The Rugged frame is made from polycarbonate with full surround TPU bumpers that support drops up to 15 feet. The corners protrude a little more towards back allowing your phone to lay perfectly flat while still protecting those larger camera lenses.

All of the standard buttons are anodized aluminum; smooth for the volume buttons while the action and power buttons have a ridged profile. The Camera Control button is a 3-layer design that uses glass as the top surface resulting in function that meets or exceeds the button built into the phone since the texture change from the case to the button is easier to feel.

Inside is a soft microfiber to protect your phone. Debossed into the material is a circle denoting that this case is MagSafe compatible (Qi2 as well).

One feature that would be super easy to miss is a recessed area at the inside bottom for adding a lanyard with an internal anchor. Nomad sells that accessory separately for $25.

Performance

There’s multiple reasons that the Nomad Rugged Case in some iteration or another always makes it into my case collection for each yearly phone update. It’s simply that it has always fit perfectly, felt good in the hand, buttons work great, and has protected my phone from accidents.

The one feature I’ll call out right now is that I use Peak Design Mounts with the locking system in my truck and on my bikes so that my phone stays put. Nomad’s Rugged Case for iPhone 14 and 15 had versions with that Peak Design system built in (shown below). I wish they were still offering that option. I’m sure they have their reasons, but OK, statement made.

The cases could not be easier to pop on your phone as the TPU flexes nicely to let the phone in. It also lets the phone out easily, but only when you want to extract it as there’s enough overlap and structure to keep the phone secure.

The TPU lip above the screen surface is enough to protect without impeding edge of screen use. The back corners match the height of the camera bezel so the phone lays perfectly flat…

while still showing off the full camera plateau announcing which color phone you chose.

All the buttons work as expected with the Camera Control button functioning extremely well. It’s a triple layer construction with a glass surface that lets your finger slide easily for fine tune control. It’s easy to find due to the texture change from TPU whereas the phone’s transition from aluminum to button is less noticeable.

Last is the large back material section. The Horween leather feels good as expected, but is less noticeable on the Rugged design than say on their Modern Leather case where the leather wraps the edges. It will show some scrapes and dings over time and that’s always been part of the charm of running a leather case and getting to see the patina that develops over time.

As a result, I would consider the Duraback version of the case more durable in terms of the case itself showing less wear over time. Both versions are going to protect your phone equally, so that feel option is up to you.

Final thoughts

Nomad’s Rugged Cases continue their excellent heritage of marrying protection with good looks and rugged protection. The new Camera Control button is noteworthy allowing better control and honestly I’d claim that $49 for the Rugged is a screaming deal for a case that will outlast your phone.

What I like about the Nomad Rugged Case

• Great protection with great looks
• 2 great material options of Horween Leather or Duraback
• Awesome Camera Control button

What needs to be improved?

• Placing my request here to bring the Peak Design Mount interface back into the fold

Price: $75 Rugged Leather Case | $49 Rugged Case
Where to buy: Rugged Leather Case on Amazon | Rugged Case on Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Nomad whom did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.