Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case review: Practical appeal

This natural, sustainably sourced wood folio iPhone case lets you carry your essentials and watch videos. It has two card slots plus a larger slot for cash. The case folds into a stand for horizontal video viewing. Magnets hold the folio flap closed both on the front and back of the phone.

The Good

  • Protective
  • Holds cards and cash
  • Magnets hold folio closed
  • Folds into a viewing stand
  • Nice looking
  • Sustainably sourced wood
  • Wireless charging compatible

The Bad

  • Folios can be bulky
  • PU leather only comes in black

Funtional folio

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case: Features

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case

The Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case is a folio wallet case with two card slots and a third, longer slot for cash or other items. The case is handcrafted from PU (polyurethane, or artificial leather) and genuine sustainably sourced wood from around the world. The inside of the case has a hard plastic shell that fits the iPhone and protects it. It has large cutouts for the buttons, ports, speakers, and mute switch along the sides and bottom of the phone. The camera cutout on the back is precisely sized to the camera. The iPhone is fully functional within the case, including the wireless charging.

You get a lot for your money with this cleverly designed case.

Where the PU meets the wood is fairly seamless. The PU gives the case the flexibility it needs to be able to fold into a secure horizontal video viewing stand. Thoughtfully placed magnets help the folio snap and stay closed. Even better, these magnets also hold the folio around the back, so the flap stays out of the way behind the phone when you are texting with two thumbs. The folio has a small cutout on the front over the speaker so you could actually speak on the phone with the folio flap closed. The wood is soft and smooth to the touch. The case is neither slippery nor grippy.

Amazon currently carries only the iPhone X/XS model in Walnut, but on Snakehive's site, there are more options. They carry sizes for the iPhone SE up to the current models. My case is Bamboo wood, but it also comes in Walnut, Maple, Rosewood, and Cherrywood. The PU portion is black, regardless of wood type.

Clever design

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case: What I like

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case

I've reviewed quite a few folio wallet cases, and this is the first one I've found that uses magnets so cleverly: it stays both closed and all the way open with the folio out of the way. Since folio flaps do tend to the get in the way while texting, this is a major convenience.

I love natural wood and it's not the easiest material to make an iPhone case out of. The blending with PU is a good solution, adding flexibility and function. The price is very reasonable.

Not to everyone's taste

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case: What I don't like

Not everyone likes PU, or wallet folio cases. It's definitely bulkier than most regular cases. I don't mind that PU is used instead of genuine leather, but some people might prefer a leather case. It's too bad the PU portion only comes in black; it would be fun to mix and match different colors.

Great overall case

Snakehive Wood Wallet iPhone Case: Bottom line

If you're looking for a wallet folio case, you might consider this one. You get a lot for your money with this cleverly designed case. It's handcrafted from sustainably sourced wood and PU. You can carry cards and cash in its three slots. Watch videos when you fold the case into a stand. The folio flap won't flap around since magnets hold the case all the open or closed as needed.

Karen S Freeman
Contributor

Karen is a contributor to iMore.com as a writer and co-host of the iMore Show. She’s been writing about Apple since 2010 with a year-long break to work at an Apple Store as a product specialist. She's also a contributor at TechRadar and Tom's Guide. Before joining iMore in 2018, Karen wrote for Macworld, CNET, AppAdvice, and WatchAware. She’s an early adopter who used to wait in long lines on release days before pre-ordering made things much easier. Karen is also a part-time teacher and occasional movie extra. She loves to spend time with her family, travel the world, and is always looking for portable tech and accessories so she can work from anywhere.