Review: Pad & Quill Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5

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* Giveaway – Scroll to the bottom for a chance to win a Little Pocket Book of your very own!

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We’ve taken a look at many Pad and Quill products in the past, including the Contega & Octavo cases for iPad, and the Little Black Book leather-bound pocket book case for the iPhone 4S. I’m always very fond of their cases – so I was excited for the opportunity to review their relatively new Little Pocket Book for the iPhone 5!

Design

The Little Pocket Book is a very unique premium case for the iPhone 5. While it bears some similarities to the Little Black Book, which we reviewed for the iPhone 4/4S, the Little Pocket Book is definitely a creature all its own, and builds on the Little Black Book in a number of ways.

Unlike the Little Black Book, which features a bookbindery inner lining, the Little Pocket Book is finished with premium hand-stitched leather both inside and out. It also adds several pockets designed to hold your ID, credit cards, and cash. It’s also the thinnest iPhone case that Pad and Quill has ever made – 40% thinner than the original Little Black Book!

As always with Pad and Quill’s cases, the Little Pocket Book is absolutely stunning (although again, I am partial to leather and old-style bookbindery). It’s gorgeous enough to deserve its own bookcase – almost too gorgeous to want to even use it. But then, what’s the point of that?

Quality and Usability

Like all of Pad & Quill’s cases, the quality of the Little Pocket Book is exceptional – the sort of quality that can only be found in a premium handmade product. This, combined with its leather construction, also makes it extremely durable. This case will probably outlast your iPhone 5 many times over, like a good leather product should.

The credit card and cash pockets are stitched from the same leather as the rest of the case, which means they’ll be able to withstand insertion and removal of cards and cash hundreds of times before showing significant wear. It’s worth noting that the card and cash slots are quite stiff to begin with – but after a few weeks of using the case, they loosen up just enough to comfortable add and remove items from the slits.

Verdict

I just praise the quality and design of Pad and Quill’s cases enough – and that remains the case with the Little Pocket Book. While it is a little on the pricy side, retailing for $59.99, you’ll be hard pressed to find another iPhone wallet case made to such exacting standards, and which holds up and ages so gracefully over time. It’s practically a keepsake. I award the Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5 a full 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information, or to purchase a Little Pocket Book to cradle your iPhone 5 and cash implements in style ($59.99), visit Pad and Quill’s product page on the web!

Pros

  • Gorgeous and durable construction, hand-made in the U.S.
  • Thin, light weight, and easily pocketable.
  • Gives full access to all ports.
  • Looks great in meetings, or in casual, formal or semi-formal occasions. Very professional.
  • Sustainable, made from natural materials.

Cons

  • Leather card and cash slots are stiff at first, and can take a week or two to “wear in”.
  • It is a bit bulky for a jeans pocket – but great for a suit pocket.
  • $60 price tag may put it out of range for many potential buyers.

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Giveaway

Because I loved this case so much, and because we think our readers are awesome, we’re giving away two brand new Little Pocket Books to two of you! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

WINNERS!

Congrats to @timothyt and @rmom352! They’ll each receive a gorgeous new Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5! We’ll be in touch shortly!

To enter the giveaway, simply post the following message on Twitter:

Win a @PadandQuill Little Pocket Book – a premium leather wallet for your iPhone 5! Details: http://mctr.st/V5FLNp #MTLPB

To be eligible to win, you must follow @MacTrast and RT the message. The giveaway will run through today and tomorrow, and a winner will be announced on this post  on Tuesday morning, January 1, 2013. Location doesn’t matter – we can ship your prize anywhere in the world!

Good luck!

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J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.