If you don’t know or haven’t heard by now, I’m a minimalist. That means that when it comes to my tech gear, I really prefer the original design of the manufacturer and I don’t like cases that add a whole lot of bulk or weight to the device. I mean would you buy a Ferrari and stick it inside of a tank? Exactly. I didn’t think so. So when I buy my tech, a large part of the purchasing decision comes down to the design of the device. Forgive me for liking beautiful things.
That’s why I’ve always been a big fan of Peel. They make slim, great fitting cases with zero branding on them that allow me to appreciate and enjoy the design of my device while still protecting from the small scratches and dings that come from daily use.
Design - Fits like a...Peel
I totally get where the name comes from. An orange peel or banana peel is the perfect comparison for these cases. An orange peel fits around the orange perfectly, almost as if it was made to do so!! No. Freaking. Way. An orange peel, fitting perfectly, around an orange?! It’s uncanny! Ok sorry, I’m kinda hungry.
Anyway, the comparison is accurate. These cases are designed to fit just perfect around the iPhone X without adding too much weight, or taking away from the look and design of the phone, and they nailed it. I could not find any gaps in my case and if mine weren’t a different color from my phone, you would never know it was on there. Seriously. When I first got this case for my old phone, my friends and others around me literally could not tell it was a case until they held it in their hands. That’s impressive.
The texture of the case is a like a hybrid of soft and hard plastic. It’s not super rigid, but it’s not rubbery either so the grip is kind of in the middle. It does have some, but it’s not the grippiest, meaning you still want to handle it with a bit of care. I would argue that’s true for any case though.
Use - Use as Directed
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this ain’t no Otterbox. This case is absolutely not designed to protect your phone from anything and everything. It is designed to protect it from the most annoying of circumstances, that pesky day-to-day wear and tear. From the two hundred times you slide your phone in and out of your pocket, to those pesky keys floating around inside said pocket, Peel is created to keep your phone safe from everyday use and that’s why I love it so much.
I’m very careful with my devices but I’m also slightly OCD, which means that the tiniest of scratches drives me insane. I absolutely love having a case that accentuates the gorgeous hardware design of the iPhone X (which I paid an unholy amount of money for), and yet protects it from the things that I really can’t. Aside from my iPhone living in the box it came in, which severely limits my usage of it, I’m going to have to put it into a pocket or bag every so often (ok let’s be honest, a gazillion times a day). Having the peace of mind that my keys, buttons or jeans are not going to scratch up that gorgeous glass and stainless steel is a huge stress reducer.
Flavor - True to the Original
Peel has also done a pretty cool job on their color selection. You can get the color that matches your phone, or they have some other popular colors. There are also two different styles of colors meaning some of them are translucent - meaning you can see the Apple logo through the case - and the rest are solid. The Jet Black (picture the Jet Black iPhone 7), Jet White (my personal favorite which I didn’t choose for some reason), Blackout (matte black), and Gold colors are all solid and the Black, Silver, and Rose Gold colors are translucent. All of them are gorgeous.
Nothing is Perfect
As much as I do love the Peel cases, nothing is perfect, which I think keeps life interesting. The corners of the case have been known to bend or even break during installation. I have not experienced this issue personally but I know friends and other reviewers who have so it’s definitely a valid issues. These cases are literally millimeters thin so there will always be some slight variance from case to case and some of them may be a little tighter than others. This variance can also cause certain units to maybe not fit quite as perfectly as others. I’ve never seen a glaring instance of this but I have noticed the occasional inconsistency from time to time so just be aware of it.
The second thing would be the grip. As I said earlier, the grip is fairly smooth so just know that you will still need to maintain some vigilance when handling your phone. Don’t expect this guy to never slide around in your hand. I’ve not dropped it (yet) but I’ve had a slight scare or two.
Also, protection. Beyond scratches and dings, there’s not going to be much else it will protect from. It’s not really a flaw in the case, but it’s just more in that it’s not designed for that so be aware. If you throw an orange against a wall, the peel isn’t going to protect the orange from damage. It’s not built for that. The same logic applies here. Just don’t throw your phone against a wall, which I think is good advice for life.
Lastly, I hate to say it, but these guys are a little pricey. $25 isn’t necessarily a whole lot of money, but it still seems like a little more than I’d want to pay for something this minimal. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it’s more of an...ugh.
Final Thoughts - Worth the Buy
As you might have guessed, I highly recommend this case. But I also understand that they aren’t for everyone. If you need some more protection or are more of a worrier and are concerned about your $1000 phone going outside in a speedo, then this isn’t the case for you. If you’re a minimalist who is already pretty careful with your phones and your OCD hates scratches as much as mine, then absolutely pick one of these up. You can find them all here for about $25.
That’s why I’ve always been a big fan of Peel. They make slim, great fitting cases with zero branding on them that allow me to appreciate and enjoy the design of my device while still protecting from the small scratches and dings that come from daily use.
Design - Fits like a...Peel
I totally get where the name comes from. An orange peel or banana peel is the perfect comparison for these cases. An orange peel fits around the orange perfectly, almost as if it was made to do so!! No. Freaking. Way. An orange peel, fitting perfectly, around an orange?! It’s uncanny! Ok sorry, I’m kinda hungry.
Anyway, the comparison is accurate. These cases are designed to fit just perfect around the iPhone X without adding too much weight, or taking away from the look and design of the phone, and they nailed it. I could not find any gaps in my case and if mine weren’t a different color from my phone, you would never know it was on there. Seriously. When I first got this case for my old phone, my friends and others around me literally could not tell it was a case until they held it in their hands. That’s impressive.
The texture of the case is a like a hybrid of soft and hard plastic. It’s not super rigid, but it’s not rubbery either so the grip is kind of in the middle. It does have some, but it’s not the grippiest, meaning you still want to handle it with a bit of care. I would argue that’s true for any case though.
Use - Use as Directed
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this ain’t no Otterbox. This case is absolutely not designed to protect your phone from anything and everything. It is designed to protect it from the most annoying of circumstances, that pesky day-to-day wear and tear. From the two hundred times you slide your phone in and out of your pocket, to those pesky keys floating around inside said pocket, Peel is created to keep your phone safe from everyday use and that’s why I love it so much.
I’m very careful with my devices but I’m also slightly OCD, which means that the tiniest of scratches drives me insane. I absolutely love having a case that accentuates the gorgeous hardware design of the iPhone X (which I paid an unholy amount of money for), and yet protects it from the things that I really can’t. Aside from my iPhone living in the box it came in, which severely limits my usage of it, I’m going to have to put it into a pocket or bag every so often (ok let’s be honest, a gazillion times a day). Having the peace of mind that my keys, buttons or jeans are not going to scratch up that gorgeous glass and stainless steel is a huge stress reducer.
Flavor - True to the Original
Peel has also done a pretty cool job on their color selection. You can get the color that matches your phone, or they have some other popular colors. There are also two different styles of colors meaning some of them are translucent - meaning you can see the Apple logo through the case - and the rest are solid. The Jet Black (picture the Jet Black iPhone 7), Jet White (my personal favorite which I didn’t choose for some reason), Blackout (matte black), and Gold colors are all solid and the Black, Silver, and Rose Gold colors are translucent. All of them are gorgeous.
Nothing is Perfect
As much as I do love the Peel cases, nothing is perfect, which I think keeps life interesting. The corners of the case have been known to bend or even break during installation. I have not experienced this issue personally but I know friends and other reviewers who have so it’s definitely a valid issues. These cases are literally millimeters thin so there will always be some slight variance from case to case and some of them may be a little tighter than others. This variance can also cause certain units to maybe not fit quite as perfectly as others. I’ve never seen a glaring instance of this but I have noticed the occasional inconsistency from time to time so just be aware of it.
The second thing would be the grip. As I said earlier, the grip is fairly smooth so just know that you will still need to maintain some vigilance when handling your phone. Don’t expect this guy to never slide around in your hand. I’ve not dropped it (yet) but I’ve had a slight scare or two.
Also, protection. Beyond scratches and dings, there’s not going to be much else it will protect from. It’s not really a flaw in the case, but it’s just more in that it’s not designed for that so be aware. If you throw an orange against a wall, the peel isn’t going to protect the orange from damage. It’s not built for that. The same logic applies here. Just don’t throw your phone against a wall, which I think is good advice for life.
Lastly, I hate to say it, but these guys are a little pricey. $25 isn’t necessarily a whole lot of money, but it still seems like a little more than I’d want to pay for something this minimal. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it’s more of an...ugh.
Final Thoughts - Worth the Buy
As you might have guessed, I highly recommend this case. But I also understand that they aren’t for everyone. If you need some more protection or are more of a worrier and are concerned about your $1000 phone going outside in a speedo, then this isn’t the case for you. If you’re a minimalist who is already pretty careful with your phones and your OCD hates scratches as much as mine, then absolutely pick one of these up. You can find them all here for about $25.
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