OtterBox unveils an answer to Apple's FineWoven cases at CES 2024 and it's made from cactus

(Image credit: OtterBox)

OtterBox has unveiled its latest case offering for the iPhone 15, made with a new material that “feels like leather but made from nopal cactus.”

The new OtterBox Symmetry Series Cactus Leather range looks to provide iPhone users with an alternative to Apple’s official FineWoven case that is “durable, cruelty-free and sustainable.”

The Cactus Leather range uses a material called Desserto made by Adriano di Marti, and is a leather-alternative made from cactus, which is exclusive to OtterBox. This material is the “world's first highly sustainable and environmentally friendly organic material made of Nopal cactus. This patented plant-based, soft touch material is used in clothing, footwear, purses and now OtterBox mobile accessories.”

Apple unveiled FineWoven accessories alongside the launch of the iPhone 15 in September last year, and the material has since come under large scrutiny due to its lack of durability which causes the FineWoven material to scratch incredibly easily. In our FineWoven review, iMore Editor-in-Chief Gerald Lynch wrote, “But the material at the heart of the FineWoven design is so prone to scratches and stains, and the USB-C cutout so narrow, that it’s simply impossible to recommend.”

The main benefit of FineWoven is the lack of animal by-products, which is part of Apple’s move to a carbon-neutral future. Now, for the eco-conscious among us, OtterBox are providing a fantastic alternative that is likely to provide the durability we expect from a case brand with such an established name.

Sustainable and durable?

Adrian Lopez Velarde, co-founder of Adriano di Marti, said, “Following an exhaustive development and engineering process, the organic content and performance stabilization of the material has been intelligently optimized to deliver the next generation in both biomaterials and sustainable efficiency,"

Marte Cazarez, co-founder, added, "We appreciate having the opportunity to collaborate with the OtterBox project team to translate the goal of achieving the most sustainable and technically advanced material into a unique designed solution."

You’ll be able to pick up an OtterBox Symmetry Series Cactus Leather case via otterbox.com soon, and we can’t wait to see how it holds up in daily life.

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John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.