Root Cases beautifully protect your Apples and also plant trees

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for wood and Apple products. The wonderful iPad cases from BlackBox and other companies have a great feel, adding a natural counterpoint to the metal and glass of our devices. Now a new company based in Boise, Idaho -- Root Cases --is making and selling beautiful wooden iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro cases, and I had an opportunity to get my hands on several of the cases for review.

Design

Cases for electronic products are all about design -- looking good, yet offering protection for your device at the same time. When you first open up the cardboard box containing your new Root Case, you'll be pleasantly surprised -- it comes in a wooden crate that is a work of art in itself. There's also a business card, printed on 100% recycled stock, that lets you know that you've helped plant a tree in a non-logging location and gives you a 10% discount on your next order.

What's inside the crate? A bit of excelsior and your case. The case is made out of either bamboo, walnut, wenge, or zebrawood, and is felt-lined on the inside. There are cutouts in the appropriate locations, of course. The iPhone 4 case also works with the iPhone 4S, as you'd expect, and weighs only .7 oz (20 grams) using the bamboo material. It's a very nice looking case and really accentuates the design of the iPhone 4/4S. The iPhone 4/4S case retails for US$59, about a buck less than the TwelveSouth BookBook vintage case/wallet.

Root Cases for iPad 2 and iPhone 4/4S

It's the iPad case that is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, though. The one that appeared here at the TUAW Testing Lab was made out of silky-smooth walnut with a leather-like binding on one side. Unlike the BlackBox cases, which are more of a sleeve design, the Root Case for iPad 2 ($79) is a book-type folio case more like the DODOcase. Just think of a DODOcase made entirely out of beautiful wood and you have the Root Case.

The iPad case has another feature that set it apart from the DODOcase; strong magnets in the corners to keep the cover closed in transit. The magnets are only for that purpose, so don't expect them to turn your iPad 2 on and off like Apple's Smart Cover would.

The iPad Root Case is a little bit heavy (15.3 ounces or 433 grams for the walnut version), but it's well worth the weight for the furniture-like finish and quality of the case. If there's one complaint that I have about the iPad case, it's that getting to the various switches and buttons can be a bit difficult as they're recessed into the case.

Functionality

Both the iPad 2 and iPhone cases are beautiful, but how well do they protect your device? Well, I'm not going to wreck these lovely pieces of art to figure that out, but with both cases I'd say that they offer as much protection as most cases. There's little or no internal padding in the cases, so a drop could theoretically damage your device as well as the case. If you're more concerned about keeping your iPad from damage than good looks, then you might want to consider something like the LifeProof or OtterBox Defender Series cases.

Conclusion

Christmas will be here sooner than you'd expect, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend buying a Root Case for your favorite iPhone 4/4S or iPad 2 owner. If the recipient isn't enchanted by the painstaking attention to detail in manufacturing or the warmth and solid feel of the wood, then you're going to have a heck of a time finding a good gift for that person.

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Source: http://rootcases.com/

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Accessories iPhone iPad

Root Cases is making and selling beautiful wood iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro cases

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ellinwood

I agree, DO NOT order from this company! I received a broken case (cracked at the top and bottom) and when i tried to contact them there was no response. I sent three e-mails and not one response. They don't have a phone number or a return address to contact them. I then added a comment on Facebook about the port customer service and they DELETED my comment and blocked me. I've never been treated so badly by any retail company. It;s total fraud.

January 18 2012 at 6:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mark P

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS ROOT CASE. The first case I received did not even fit my phone. After 3 weeks, I finally got my replacement. However, this case only lasted 2 weeks before the bottom portion completely broke off (I've never dropped my phone). I sent 3 emails but still have not heard back (2 months ago). Numerous other people have had similar problems, but their comments have been quickly deleted by the Root Case owner. Poor product and poor company.

January 02 2012 at 8:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Nick Scheuermann

I was so excited to order my first iPhone case from root cases. A bit expensive, but it seemed to be very worth the price. After unboxing, it seemed like it would be everything that I could've hoped for. Unfortunately, two short weeks after normal use the phone case had developed a crack along the top next to the headphone jack. It had never been mistreated or dropped. It took me three emails and finally a post about it on their facebook page to get a respsonse where they quickly apologized and sent me a new case. Well upon recieving this second replacement case I found out it was warped and did not properly fit my phone. Again I had to go through the same trouble with Root not responding to my emails and finally got through to them by posting a negative comment about my experience on their page for everyone to read. They agreed to refund if I sent it back, so I did. 3 months went by and still nothing. After many more emails I finally got a reply stating that they could not refund me because they no longer had my credit card information but would send me any choice of my product from their line. I agreed and told them I would like a natural bamboo case. A week later it showed up in the mail, but surprise surprise it wasn't all good. They sent me the wrong color, and it was also just thrown in a shipping box with no packaging or anything to keep it safe. When the box arrived it had a whole in it, exposing the case, and the case had a large scratch on it. I emailed Root again explaining this and still have not got an answer, and doubt that I will. I have since been blocked from their facebook page so this is my last option. I want everyone to know how bad their quality and customer service is so people do not have the same problems I have had

November 02 2011 at 5:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Miniot BV

Please note that the iPhone cases this company manufactures are rip-offs of original designs by Miniot BV (www.miniot.com). We'd strongly suggest you treat rootcases like iLounge did: "we have opted not to cover the company's releases, which strongly appear to be knockoffs of cases by Miniot. We strongly urge readers not to do business with companies that engage in dishonest marketing practices, which iLounge has warned against for years." (Source: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/root-cases-iphone-4-case/)

November 02 2011 at 9:51 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gary Kevorkian

This is a beautiful design. But. if a wood case isn't your speed, check out the aluminum CNC iPhone 4/4S compatible cases at www.crimsoncase.com.

October 27 2011 at 1:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jason Eskin

Still deciding between Root Case and Grove Cases- both awesome looking bamboo. Grove looks a LITTLE bit bigger, but a little nicer too. Anyone recommend over the other?

October 24 2011 at 5:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Professor Peabody

I like the author's enthusiasm and I also love wooden things, but this product seems very impractical at best.

In the first case, it's not a protective case because you have to treat it with ten more care than the product inside. Secondly, it's just plain bulky. A plastic or metal case of the same bulk would get an abominable review from almost any quarter, yet because it's wood we somehow accept that it makes the device three or four times larger?

Buyers of this case are showing off their love of wooden objects, but they aren't (really) buying a case to protect their device.

October 18 2011 at 6:34 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Professor Peabody's comment

NuMystic

"treat it with ten more care than the product inside"

Because wood is sooooo much more fragile than tempered glass. That makes perfect sense.

"yet because it's wood we somehow accept that it makes the device three or four times larger?"

Made the device three or four times larger? Not sure how math works in your dimension, but in this one the products being written about here are actually slimmer than many best selling, exceptionally reviewed protective cases.

Obviously this is not a case for everyone, myself included, but let's go easy with hyperbole.

October 19 2011 at 8:43 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply