iPhone 13 Cases in Leather & Wool Felt
Frequently Asked Questions
No, unless you have an iPhone 13 mini. The variant “iPhone 13 Mini / 12 Mini” is distinctly smaller and does not fit the regular iPhone 13. We have a separate page for the mini.
Yes, that is what the KINGSTON in the wide fit is for. It takes an iPhone 13 in a smooth clear case or a thin leather case. The slim fit is for the bare device. Chunky outdoor cases with rubber edges do not fit.
Yes. KINGSTON and KIRKBY have a charging cable cutout at the lower edge. With the SHETLAND you take the iPhone 13 out to charge it.
No. Merino wool felt is far softer than glass. The only thing that matters is that no grain of sand is sitting inside, so shake the sleeve out now and then.
Leather. It takes more mechanical wear and ages more slowly. Merino wool felt is lighter, softer, absorbs impacts and costs less. Both age, only differently.
In our own workshop in Hamburg, Germany. Splitting, skiving, cutting, sewing, embossing and final inspection all happen here, and have done since 2011. The leather comes vegetable-tanned from Tuscany, and the Merino wool felt is mulesing-free.
It describes what the hide is preserved with: plant tannins from bark and wood rather than chromium salts. That takes weeks instead of hours and produces an uncoated leather that breathes and darkens over time. Our leather comes from Tuscany, where the process has been practised for centuries.
Not when dry. Vegetable-tanned leather can give off a trace when it is wet and then rubs against pale fabric. If the sleeve has been out in the rain, do not leave it to dry on a light-coloured cushion. This eases off after the first few weeks.
One question decides it: is your iPhone 13 currently in a case you want to keep? If not, take slim. If yes, and it is a smooth, thin case, take wide. With a chunky case with rubberised edges neither width fits, so take the case off while you carry it.
A folio case stays on the device and folds a cover over the screen. It adds bulk permanently, and its hinge is the part that wears out first. A sleeve stays in your bag while you use the phone, the iPhone 13 sits bare in your hand, and there is no moving part that can wear out.
The honest answer: it depends on how you use it. What ages first is not the seam but the surface, on leather as patina, on wool felt as a slight roughening at the thumb notch. Neither is a defect, both are use. Because we make to size classes rather than model names, a sleeve usually outlives the device it was bought for.
Because we work with two natural materials that will not take just any colour. Vegetable-tanned leather can be dyed in dark and light browns without coating the surface. We carry the wool felt in anthracite, red and white. Bright colours would either require a coating or fade after a short time.
Write to us with a photo. We sew in Hamburg ourselves, so we can look at a seam and tell you what can be done. And if a sleeve does not fit when you unpack it, the 30-day right of return applies.
The standard size. With KINGSTON that is “iPhone 17/16e/16/Pro + ältere bis 12”, with KIRKBY “iPhone 17/16e/16/Pro + ältere ab 12”, and with SHETLAND “iPhone 16/16 Pro/16e + ältere ab 12”. The iPhone 13 sits in that class.
No. Our CHESTER hardcase is not produced in this size, which is why it is not on this page. For the iPhone 13 we make sleeves: KINGSTON in leather, KIRKBY in wool felt with a leather front, and SHETLAND in pure Merino wool felt.
With KINGSTON and KIRKBY, yes, both have sound holes at the lower edge. The SHETLAND in pure wool felt deliberately has no openings, so the sound is muffled there.
It outlives the device. Our sleeves are cut to size classes, not to model names. The standard class runs from the iPhone 17 back to the 12, so the next phone of the same size still fits inside.
It is firm, and that is intended. A sleeve has to sit tightly without jamming, otherwise the device slides out when you bend down. After the first few weeks the material gives a little.
KIRKBY and KINGSTON come in a fine rigid box with a lift-off lid and a silver ribbon across it. We emboss the silver logo onto the lid ourselves, with heat and pressure.
Because more raw material and more work go into leather. We buy whole hides, split them to the thickness we need and skive the edges so the seam stays flat. Not every part of a hide is usable, scars and thin areas end up as waste. Wool felt arrives as an even roll and can be cut with almost no loss.
No. KINGSTON, KIRKBY and SHETLAND get by without magnets and without metal parts that could touch the iPhone 13. A sleeve needs no closure, because the fit holds it. So nothing magnetic sits against a card you carry in the front pocket either.
No, and we do not claim it is. Leather and wool felt take a rain shower and dry again, but they are not a barrier. If you regularly take your iPhone 13 into wet places, you need a different tool for that.
Both have a Merino wool felt body and a pocket at the front. The KIRKBY additionally carries a layer of Italian leather on the front and has sound holes and a charging cable cutout. The SHETLAND is pure felt, without leather and without openings, and is lighter and cheaper for it.
When dry, Merino wool felt smells neutral. When it gets wet it briefly takes on the typical wool smell, which disappears again as it dries. It is not scratchy, Merino fibres are fine, which is why they sit directly against the display.
Sometimes yes. What matters is not the manufacturer but the size. If your device is roughly the height, width and thickness of an iPhone 13, the standard size fits. Since we keep no measurement table for other brands, the safe route is a short message with the model name. We will tell you whether it fits.
The leather will be distinctly darker than on day one, glossy along the edges and a little softer where your thumb grips it. The wool felt will look almost unchanged, at most slightly roughened at the thumb notch. If you want a surface that stays exactly as it was when unpacked, natural materials are the wrong choice.
iPhone 13 case: hardcase or sleeve?
Anyone looking for a case for an iPhone 13 is usually not looking for the first one. The device is a few years old, the first case is worn out, and the real question is what will last from here. So the basic decision comes first.
A hardcase clamps around the device and stays there. A sleeve holds the iPhone 13 while you carry it, and you take it out to use it. For the iPhone 13 we make sleeves. Our CHESTER hardcase is not produced in this size, so it is not on this page. We do not claim a fit that does not exist.
| Hardcase (not made for the 13) | Sleeve: KINGSTON, KIRKBY, SHETLAND | |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | Stays on the device | You take the device out to use it |
| Material | Plastic, silicone or leather over a hard shell | Merino wool felt and vegetable-tanned cowhide leather |
| Charging | Wireless with the case on | Charging cable cutout on KIRKBY and KINGSTON |
| Protection | Also when you drop it | Against scratches, keys and sand in your bag |
| Availability for older models | Runs out once the model leaves the shops | Stays available, because the size class stays |
| Over the years | Goes brittle, yellows, loosens up | Felt and leather adapt to the device |
| Who it is for | People who use the phone often and quickly | People who put it away and protect it |
How it fits: leather and wool felt on video
Two short clips from the workshop: the KINGSTON in full leather and the KIRKBY in Merino wool felt with a leather front. Both come in the size that holds the iPhone 13.
Why good accessories for the iPhone 13 keep disappearing
The accessory trade follows new device sales, not the people who keep their phone. As soon as a model leaves Apple's line-up, the matching hardcases are discontinued, because new injection moulds do not pay off for a model on its way out. What stays on the shelf is what nobody looks after any more: hard shells with imprecise cutouts, remainders, stock that spent longer in a warehouse than in anyone's hand.
With us it is different, and not out of kindness but because of the construction. A sleeve is not cut to one model but to a size class. As long as Apple builds devices of that size, the size stays in our range, and the iPhone 13 goes into the same sleeve as the current models. That is why our size names say “ab 12”, meaning “from the 12 onwards”. It is not a marketing line, it is the real reach of the pattern.
Leather sleeve for the iPhone 13: KINGSTON
The KINGSTON is the sleeve made of full leather. Vegetable-tanned cowhide leather from Tuscany on the outside, just under 2 mm thick, and 3 mm Merino wool felt inside. The iPhone 13 sits between them. The leather carries the wear on the outside, the felt on the inside touches the display.
It is the sleeve for people who have had enough of plastic. No logo on the front, no contrast colour, only the contrast stitching. Two colours, dark brown and light brown. And it is the only model in our range available in two widths, slim and wide. More on that below.
Anyone who has used an iPhone 13 for a while knows the small scratches on the back that do not come from dropping it but from the keys in a jacket pocket. That is what the KINGSTON is built for. It does not prevent the one dramatic fall, it prevents the thousand small events that wear a device down over years.
KIRKBY: felt, leather and a pocket for a card or a note
The KIRKBY has a body of Merino wool felt and a front of Italian leather. That front holds a flat pocket for one card, a folded banknote or a ticket. Exactly one card, not three, because as soon as you overfill it the sleeve loses its line.
It comes in dark grey-dark brown and light grey-light brown. Like the KINGSTON it has sound holes, a charging cable cutout and the thumb notch at the top. If you take your iPhone 13 shopping or to the gym and do not want to carry a wallet, the KIRKBY takes you furthest.
SHETLAND: pure Merino wool felt for the iPhone 13
The SHETLAND is made entirely of Merino wool felt, 100 percent virgin wool, in anthracite, red or white. A pocket at the front, a thumb notch at the top, nothing else. No sound holes, no charging cable cutout, no leather, and therefore the lowest price in this selection.
It is the right choice for an iPhone 13 that runs as a second phone, that lives in the car, that has been passed on to a child, or that travels in a jersey pocket on a bike. Felt cushions, it is light, and if it gets dirty you brush it off.
| Model | Material | Features | Colours | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHETLAND | Merino wool felt | Front pocket, thumb notch | Anthracite, red, white | slim only |
| KIRKBY | Merino wool felt with leather | Outer pocket, thumb notch, sound holes, charging cable cutout | Dark grey-dark brown, light grey-light brown | slim only |
| KINGSTON | Leather with Merino wool felt | Sound holes, charging cable cutout, contrast stitching | Dark brown, light brown | slim and wide |
Which size to select for the iPhone 13
Our size names do not list every single model, they name the class and its limits. The iPhone 13 sits in the standard class and is therefore covered by “ältere bis 12” or “ältere ab 12”, meaning older models down to the 12. If you are unsure: that wording expressly includes the 13.
| Model | The variant you select |
|---|---|
| KINGSTON | iPhone 17/16e/16/Pro + ältere bis 12 |
| KIRKBY | iPhone 17/16e/16/Pro + ältere ab 12 |
| SHETLAND | iPhone 16/16 Pro/16e + ältere ab 12 |
Important: do not choose the mini size. “iPhone 13 Mini / 12 Mini” is a separate, distinctly smaller variant and does not fit the regular iPhone 13. If you have an iPhone 13 mini, go to the page for the 13 mini.
Sound holes, charging cable cutout, thumb notch
Three cutouts that look unremarkable on a spec sheet and make the difference in daily use. KIRKBY and KINGSTON have all three, the SHETLAND has only the thumb notch.
- Sound holes. The speaker stays open, so you hear the ringtone while the iPhone 13 is in the sleeve.
- Charging cable cutout. Plug the cable in without taking the device out. With an older battery that needs the cable more often, that is not a detail, it is the difference between a sleeve you use and one you do not.
- Thumb notch at the top. A cutout at the upper edge where your thumb finds grip. Without it you are tugging at a smooth edge, and that is exactly where badly made sleeves give way.
The wide fit: iPhone 13 with a case inside the sleeve
Many iPhone 13 are long since in a case. Usually a thin clear case that has yellowed a little by now, or a silicone case nobody wants to take off because it keeps the back in good condition. Those people do not want a second case, they want a sleeve that goes over the one they have. That is what the KINGSTON in the wide fit is for.
The result is protection on two levels. The case stays on the device and catches what happens while you use it. The sleeve goes over it while you carry the phone and catches what happens in your bag.
Slim is for a bare iPhone 13. Wide is for one in a smooth, thin case. Not suitable for chunky outdoor cases with rubber edges, which catch on the felt.
Leather or wool felt, how to decide
The question is not which is better, but what the sleeve should be in five years.
Leather ages visibly. It darkens, picks up a sheen along the edges and keeps the traces of use. If you like that, you get an object that looks better over time. Mechanically leather takes more than felt and forgives a key that once ran across it.
Merino wool felt hardly changes in appearance, is lighter, softer and considerably cheaper. It is more sensitive to sharp objects, and in anthracite it picks up pale lint, which a clothes brush solves in ten seconds.
With an older device one more argument comes in. If you plan to run your iPhone 13 for another two or three years, you buy the sleeve for that time and then for the next device of the same class. Then leather pays off. If you are handing the 13 on next year, felt serves you better.
If you want to keep your iPhone 13
Keeping a phone is the cheapest and least dramatic form of sustainability. The battery can be replaced, the software keeps running, and what makes a device look old is almost always scratches and knocks from being carried around. That is exactly where a sleeve comes in.
It also pays off when you hand the phone on. An iPhone 13 with a clean back and undamaged edges is worth noticeably more when sold, and within a family you would rather pass on a device that does not look like five years in a trouser pocket. The sleeve stays in the house afterwards, because it also fits the next device of the same size.
Why a sleeve has to sit tightly
A sleeve in which the device has room is a pouch. The iPhone 13 slides out when you bend down, and that is exactly when it falls. So we cut tightly, and that is why a new KINGSTON or KIRKBY feels firm for the first few days.
That is not a fault, it is the state we want. After the first weeks the felt settles against the edges and the sleeve runs more easily. From then on it stays that way. That tolerance comes from the cut, you cannot buy it, and it is the reason we can offer the KINGSTON in two widths at all.
Care and packaging
Leather needs as little as possible. Remove dust with a dry, soft cloth. If it gets wet, dab it, do not rub, and let it dry at room temperature, not on a radiator. Vegetable-tanned leather is uncoated, it takes on what happens and turns it into patina.
Shake out the wool felt and brush it with a soft clothes brush. Dab out stains with clear water, without rubbing, and never put it in the washing machine.
KIRKBY and KINGSTON come in a fine rigid box with a lift-off lid and a silver ribbon across it. We emboss the silver logo onto the lid ourselves, with heat and pressure.
From the raw hide to the last stitch
Splitting, skiving, cutting, sewing, embossing, hardware and final inspection all happen in our own workshop in Hamburg, Germany, and have done since 2011.
Because we cut the patterns ourselves, we decide how long a size stays in the range. For older devices like the iPhone 13 that is the decisive difference from the accessory trade.
SEE OUR WORKSHOP AND OUR STORY →One sentence to the right sleeve
Three models, six situations. Find the sentence that applies to you.
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Designed for Apple
Handmade cases that fit like a tailored suit – for iPhone, iPad & MacBook.
