Editor’s Note: UPDATE FOR 2023! This article reviews Sena’s leather cases for the iPhone 12, but Sena continues to update these cases and they are now available for all models of the iPhone 14, including iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max.

In this article we’re going to show you two great leather cases from Sena.  This is our review of Sena’s Leatherskin and Lugano Wallet case.

COVER UP YOUR IPHONE IN STYLE

If you’ve picked up an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro you already know that this phone is a thing of technological and aesthetic beauty.  From the new form factor, to the camera, to the new colourways and so much more, this thing is stunning.  So, when it comes to a phone case, we recommend taking some time to find one that is high quality and durable, and since you’re going to be covering up this lovely creation that Apple has designed to perfection, make sure you pick one that is stylish and good looking as well.

CASE #1: SENA LEATHERSKIN FOR IPHONE 12 / PRO IN “TOFFEE”

The first case up from Sena is called the LeatherSkin for the iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, and the colour is called Toffee. Now, Sena is a brand we’ve liked for a while now, because all their accessories have a premium feel and look, and they really pay attention to aesthetics.  So here you have something just as simple as a phone case but it comes in a very clean packaging with a little slide out strap, and you get the feeling that this is something a little more high end.

QUALITY LEATHER AND THE PERFECT SHADE BROWN

So first, out of the box, you notice that the colour is a really great brown tone.  Something like a brown leather seems like it should be so simple to make, but we find when it comes to leather, whether it’s shoes, jackets, watch straps, and even phone cases… the perfect tone of brown that isn’t too orange or yellow is really hard to achieve, and we think Sena’s done something really nice here.

The leather feels like a really good quality material and we know from past experience with Sena cases that this is going to look even better over time as it wears and patinas over time.  In fact, here’s a Sena case that we reviewed in 2018 for the Iphone 10.  You can see it gets this really cool worked-in look over time.

DETAILS INSIDE AND OUT

The buttons on this case are great.  They have this textured metal feel to them, so they’re a bit rugged and industrial which not only gives them a nice tactile feel but it’s a cool look as well.  These buttons feel like they’re a little more flush now, compared to the previous versions of this case – compared to the iPhone 10 version, they definitely don’t stick out as much, so that’s great to see that they’re always trying to improve the design, while keeping the same great simple look we’ve liked about the Leatherskin case for years.

The inside of the case has this soft microfibre material that adds to the high end feel of this iphone case overall. Of course you don’t get to enjoy this once it’s on your phone, but again you do see the quality inside and out of this case, and this soft material will also protect the back of your iphone 12 or iphone 12 Pro.

A SLIM, SLEEK CASE WITH A TEXTURED BROWN LEATHER

The case fit perfectly on our iPhone 12 Pro and will look the same on an iPhone 12 as well.  It literally feels like part of the phone when it’s on.  You can tell that they’ve worked on slimming this case as well – it’s a little bit of a thinner leather which is really great.  As mobile phones have gotten bigger it’s nice to have a slim, sleek case like this.

The buttons feel awesome once they’re on the case, they have this robust feel and once on the case they even feel more solid and heavy duty, especially with the textured metal as we mentioned before.  Visually, aside from the colour, one thing we really like about this case is that the leather has a bit of variance to it.  It is definitely smooth – there’s not a pebbled texture or anything like that – but there’s some very slight graining to the leather, so it’s not so perfect that you feel like you’re scared to scratch it.  Over time, any slight little scratches will become part of the character of this case and become like that perfect old worked-in leather jacket.  Our only little beef with this case, is something that we mentioned in our review of the iPhone 10 version of this case, is that it doesn’t cover the bottom of the phone.  It’s not a huge deal, but something to consider before you buy this case.

CASE #2: SENA LUGANO WALLET CASE FOR iPhone 12 / PRO IN LAVENDER

The next case is a little different than others we’ve reviewed in the past, but we were very curious to check out this new colour and style called the Lugano Wallet for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Now for full disclosure, Sena did send us this sample case to check out, so thanks to the team at Sena for that – but we did choose this specific case and colour, and this isn’t a sponsored post or anything like that.

The first main difference of course is that this is a wallet case, meaning you have these slots that can fit in a couple cards and ID if you want to leave your regular wallet at home and travel light. The colour is actually really nice. It’s called Lavender and it’s a soft pastel light blue.  The colour doesn’t veer too heavily on the feminine or masculine side, so we think almost anyone could pull off this colour assuming you like the case itself.  If you’ve been a classic black or brown leather case user like we’ve been for a long time, and you’re feeling like it could be time to add some colour into your life, this could be a great option.

HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS AND A UNIQUE LOOK

The leather itself, just like the Leatherskin case looks and feels like a really good quality material. Overall, this case has a bit of a bulkier feel – of course partly due to the extra leather from the slots – but also the way they’ve constructed it, there’s an additional piece of leather sewn onto the back behind the slots, so that adds to overall thickness as well.  This case has a bit of stitching detail, more so than some of the other wallet cases we’ve seen including others from Sena, but since it’s tone-on-tone, it’s pretty subtle and just adds a bit of a design element to the case, and that, combined with the pebbled leather texture gives this a very unique look.

A PRACTICAL CASE WITH HEAVY DUTY FEEL

The first thing you notice is that this case adds some weight to the phone.  Because there’s more material here and there’s actually a plastic rim that goes all the way around the front of the case, this definitely feels more substantial than the Leatherskin, and has a more heavy duty feel to it.  This would be the case to get if you actually do want something thicker and more tactile, and overall the extra leather and plastic probably makes this case better in terms of actually protecting your iphone 12.  The plastic frame also covers the bottom of the phone, so you have that added protection there too.  If you like something more slim and sleek, and if you keep your iPhone in your pants pocket, then the Leatherskin might be a better option than this one.

SUMMARY

Overall, we do like both of these cases, but we would probably lean toward sticking with the slim Leatherskin case for day to day use, and maybe switch it out for the Lugano Wallet for travelling, or outdoor activities that might be a little rougher on the phone, where that extra protection might come in handy.

We hope you enjoyed this article on these two great leather cases for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. You can watch the video version of this review below, to see our full unboxing and video footage of the cases.