Review – Embrace the patina: Nomad’s Modern Leather iPhone 18 Pro Case ages like a fine burgundy

Burgundy/Leather

We are starting off our 2026 iPhone case review schedule with a tried, tested, and true model – the Nomad Modern Leather Case. The brand does have a new Baja polycarbonate model, but I love its leather vibes and I just needed to test out the Limited Edition Burgundy Horween Leather with Apple’s Burgundy iPhone 18 Pro. Spoiler alert: It’s really nice. 

Hands-on with Nomad’s Limited Edition Burgundy iPhone 18 Pro Leather Case

The new Nomad Modern Leather Case for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max starts at $69 for the Camino Leather model, jumps up to $79 for the high-end Horween Leather, and again to $89 in the Limited Edition Burgundy and Olde Dublin. 

Features at a glance:

• Compatible with iPhone 17 & 18 Pro Max
• Limited Edition Burgundy Horween leather
• Develops a rich patina over time
• Tactile Camera Control button
• Anodized aluminum buttons
• 8ft drop protection
• Dual lanyard attachment points
• MagSafe & Qi2 compatible

I love Nomad’s full wrap Traditional Leather Case as well as the Modern Leather model – this year I got a chance to test out the Limited Edition Horween Leather Burgundy colorway and I think it looks fantastic with Apple’s new burgundy 18 Pro. 

While I tend to favor the Traditional model simply because it delivers a full edge to edge leather treatment, and I might prefer that one in Burgundy despite its $99 price tag – this is really the only difference between the two, I really like the combination of the black bezels and Burgundy leather against the Burgundy phone on the Modern this year. 

These black bezels and sides also make for a more grippy experience as there are slightly inset divots along the side of the case where you’ll find the button covers. Again, I generally love a full wrap leather treatment, but I can very much appreciate the grip this design provides – I am much less likely to drop this case.

Speaking of the button covers, Nomad has been one of the best in the business for this sort of thing for years, and it is once again. These metal anodized aluminum button covers feel premium, work perfectly, and there are etched accents on the Side button and Action Buttons – this both looks and feels really nice. These buttons are basically perfect if you ask and I very much appreciate the sort of gunmetal color too. 

As you can see from the imagery, I have been, for the most part, using the Burgundy Modern Case almost exclusively thus far and it has already started to show what its full-grain leather is capable of. If you don’t like the look of worn in leather, scratches, and this sort of a thing, this is probably not the case for you. I, on the other hand, love this sort of thing and appreciate every ding, scratch, and flush of patina that shows up on these cases. 

I have admittedly been a little more aggressive with this case than just about anyone would be in three+ days, but again, I wanted to put it to the test – far too many leather cases really just feel like plastic and don’t get that natural scratch and wear to it like Nomad’s do. I love this case, but you probably shouldn’t expect to see the wear and tear as quickly as I have. 

All told, Nomad makes some of the better leather cases in the price range, and that includes both its more affordable Camino treatments and the premium Horween on display here. The Camino doesn’t age quite as intensively in my experience, which might be a better option for some folks, but I particularly love the look of the worn in leather, even if it will take you months and months to get there. 

Buy the Nomad Modern Leather Case