Today, we are heading out into the woods for our hands-on review of the new Alto wooden iPhone 15 cases. Complete with sustainably sourced natural wood treatments, customers can also make use of the brand’s unique laser-engraving technique to customize the wooden panel with one of the preset designs or one entirely unique to them by way of the online uploader tool. After adding some new wood types this year and landing in our roundup of the best iPhone 15 cases, it’s time to serve up some hands-on impressions of the new Alto wooden iPhone 15 cases as part of the latest Tested with gadgetnewsonline.
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Hands-on with the Alto’s wooden iPhone 15 cases
The Alto wooden iPhone 15 cases start at $5, but you can use our exclusive 9TO5MAC code to drop the price down from there. Note: Code NEWCASE15 is also currently active on the site at the time of writing, so you’ll want to try that one as well.
Take a closer look at the specs:
- Beautiful woods locally from FSC-certified lumber mills and distributors
- All our cases are made by hand and made-to-order
- Water-based and food-safe finishes
- Made from 99% biodegradable and recyclable components
- Real wood back with water/scratch-resistant finish
- High definition laser carved engraving that will never fade
- Protective outer rubber case with textured sides for added grip
- Works with tempered glass screen protectors for added screen protection
- 100% compatible with Qi wireless/MagSafe charging
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
The plastic frame for the beautiful wooden treatment here is nothing to write home about – it’s just your average, typical rubber cover but is a step or two above the cheap, thin, hard plastic stuff for me. There’s no Action Button cover but rather just a cutout; however, you will find rubber button covers for the volume and power controls. All functionally effective, but nothing overly high-end. It’s all about the wood here.
The real draw for the Alto cases is the customizable natural wood treatment. There’s nothing overly special or unique about these cases otherwise, but when it comes to the laser-engraved treatment effectively burned into the, frankly, gorgeous wood panels, there’s nothing quite like Alto out there.
Not only does it offer a series of sweet pre-made designs, but you can also forgo an engraving entirely or literally upload a JPEG of just about anything you might want on there, and the company will make it happen. And judging by the pre-made designs, the detail in the custom artwork can be quite nuanced and complex – I’m sure there are limitations here when it comes to things like photorealism, but not a whole lot.
The selection of wood options is also quite impressive. This is not some giant factory line sourcing the cheapest possible piece of thin wood or some cobbled-together laminate-style treatment, but rather genuine and sustainably sourced slabs of, in some cases, quite exotic and unique pieces of timber. Both the natural grain options and the Alto staining processing, for folks looking to add some color, are wonderfully executed.
Alongside the cherry, maple, walnut, and mahogany options customers have, Alto has also added some new options this year including an olive wood with a swirl pattern, a new maple tint known as Hunter, and some more exotic species like bubinga, redwood burl, and figured walnut.
The Alto cases present a lovely wood finish that really feels and looks like the natural material they are made from – smooth to the touch but with a slightly textured and grainy feel. I really love the way the engraving delivers that sort of burnt look as it really leans into the overall natural appeal of the case design here. If you’re into the wood thing, Alto is certainly worth exploring further – there’s nothing quite like what it offers. Especially considering you can have the company engrave whatever you might want to on the back of the case, be it logos, initials, names, or just about any JPEG you can get your hands on.
Buy the custom laser-engraved Alto wooden iPhone 15 cases
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