It’s no secret that I love to cover my gear in wood; I’ve written about wooden iPhone cases before, and recently I shared how much I love the Miniot Cover Mk2 for iPad.
Not long after finishing the Mk2 review, I ordered and received Miniot’s Pouch. I knew going into this purchase that I wasn’t going to be receiving a “play-through” case, and I knew that functionality would be a bit limited with what basically amounted to a gorgeous, albeit glorified sheath.
Did that stop me from ordering? Obviously not.
Here’s a quick video from GearFest, where Dan puts me on the spot about why I would purchase an iPhone case that makes it nearly impossible to actually use my iPhone …
The first part of the ordering process was picking my particular pouch. Miniot, a small Holland-based and family owned wood working company, posts pictures of the pouches that have already been made; you have a limited amount of time to put the pouch that you want in your cart, personalize it with either your initials or a logo, and then complete the purchase.
We photographed each individual Miniot Pouch, for you to choose from! Just select the one you like. Your selection is reserved for a limited time. Reservations are lost if orders are delayed or not completed.
I chose a walnut pouch with a beautiful grain. I probably should have picked mahogany so it would better match my iPad cover, none were available at the time I ordered, and the walnut looked intriguing.
I added a family monogram to the front, and the back was left plain.
The pouch measures approximately 5″ long x 2.5″ wide x 0.5″ thick; it adds an insignificant amount of weight and bulk to the iPhone, but it protects the body from scratches and dings. It is meant to hold a naked iPhone inside, but iPhone’s wearing Skins will easily fit.
I don’t know exactly what Miniot does to make these pouches, but they appear to be from a solid block of wood that has been completely hollowed out in the middle and beautifully formed. The exterior is sanded and smoothed, and the interior is lined with a soft black fabric.
Inserting the iPhone is a smooth operation of putting the bottom corner in and then tucking in the top. Removal is just as smooth; it’s accomplished by pushing the iPhone out through the thumb hole.
You can’t charge the iPhone when it is in the pouch, nor can you text, make calls, answer email, watch a video on YouTube, check in on FourSquare, Tweet or update Facebook. What you can do is use it to keep your iPhone respectfully sheathed until needed, resting inside a beautiful piece of protective wooden art.
The Miniot iPhone 4 / iPhone 4S Pouch is available directly from the manufacturer.
MSRP: Prices start at €59 (~$74); two lines of engraved text may be added for free, but add $20 for logo engraving. Including shipping, mine was €103 ($128).
What I Like: Beautiful statement piece of carved wood that protects the iPhone
What Needs Improvement: This is not the case for you if you can’t stand to not see incoming alerts on your iPhone’s screen
