iCulture takes a look: Leather iPhone and MacBook cases from Harber London

While looking for a good MacBook sleeve, we came across the sleeves from Harber London. The appearance is immediately reminiscent of Mujjo, but with a much larger range: from cable bags to passport covers and of course iPhone and MacBook covers. You can order them in three colors of leather, often in combination with felt. In this brief review we look at the Magnetic Envelope Sleeve For iPhone (€70.95) and the Magnetic Envelope Sleeve For MacBook (€113.95). These are prices that are at the level of Apple’s own accessories. Do you also get better quality for that money? We’ll tell you in this review!

Review, text and photos: Gonny van der Zwaag (@gonny). The test was carried out in March 2024 and describes the situation at that time. The covers were made available by the manufacturer for this test.

Harber London covers in brief

• Covers, bags and other accessories, mainly made of leather
• Designed in London, handmade in Spain
• No import costs, because the products are shipped from Spain
• Most products are available in Tan (light brown) and Black (black), some also in Navy (dark blue) and Deep Brown (dark brown)
• 1 year warranty
• Available: only via the Harber London website

Who is Harber London?

We actually ended up at Harber London when we were looking for a laptop sleeve from Mujjo. But since the Dutch brand was taken over by a British company, attention seems to have shifted somewhat. There are only three laptop sleeves left on the site and half of them are sold out. If you are looking for an alternative, Harber London (also British) seems to be a good replacement. There you will find no fewer than 12 laptop sleeves, available for almost any size MacBook. There are also 9 different iPhone covers and you can choose from 11 iPad covers, all in the same recognizable style and made of leather. The website states that Harber started in 2012 out of dissatisfaction because good laptop covers were not available. The range has now been considerably expanded, including backpacks and other leather goods. It takes some work, but you could replace many everyday items such as covers and wallets with Harber’s leather products, all in the same style.

If you order something, it will be shipped from Spain, so you do not have to deal with import costs. The covers were delivered two days after ordering, in a beautiful gift box with a bow.

Magnetic MacBook sleeve from Harber London

We’ll start with the MacBook case. Personally, I don’t find a zipper very useful if you want to quickly get out your MacBook, but I also don’t want the laptop to just slide out of the cover. I therefore chose the Magnetic Envelope Sleeve For MacBook (€113.95), which is available for ten different MacBook sizes. The advantage of this cover is that you can charge the MacBook while it is in the cover (see photo below). If you prefer a slim-fit cover, a loose-fitting cover, one with a zipper or made from non-animal products, you will also find those in the collection.

There is a choice of two colours: brown or black. The front and flap of this cover are made of leather, while the back is made of dark gray wool felt. This is quite thick material, making the cover quite substantial overall. The cover closes at the top with two magnets, which you can easily remove. You can fold the lid all the way back, so you have quick access to your MacBook.

If you prefer a tighter cover, you will also find that in the range. What is striking is that leather is not even the most expensive material. There is also a (sold out) cover for €141.95 that is made from recycled plastic bottles. The leather Slim Leather case costs ‘only’ €94.95. That’s still a lot of money if you look at common MacBook Air covers, but you also get a cover that is robust and will last a long time.

The biggest objection I have to the cover I chose is that it is all very solid (even though that sounds crazy). The materials chosen are flexible, but somewhat thick and heavy. The cover alone weighs almost 350 grams. With the MacBook in it, the cover is almost 3.5 cm thick at its thickest point. That’s fine if you usually carry the MacBook under your arm and take it with you. But if you put the MacBook in a backpack, it is a fairly thick package and in a laptop backpack there is almost no storage space left for other things. We tested this in a Bobby backpack, which isn’t that spacious on the inside anyway. So make sure you know what you are buying: it is all made of excellent material, but your MacBook does take up a lot more space in the bag.

Magnetic iPhone case from Harber London

Because we were also curious about the brown color that can be found everywhere in this brand’s range, we also ordered a leather iPhone case, the Magnetic Envelope Sleeve For iPhone (€70.95). This costs the same as Apple’s FineWoven case (€69), but what you get is completely different. The Harber London cover is also made of leather with wool felt on the inside. There is the same crossed stitching on the outside and the cover closes with a single magnet. In this case the felt material is slightly less thick, so the thickness remains acceptable. You can charge the iPhone while it is in the case, as was the case with the MacBook case.

But also in this case everything is quite big. I ordered the variant for the iPhone 15 Pro, which slides in smoothly. Yet the much larger iPhone 15 Pro Max also fits in without much difficulty. This indicates that the entire package is also quite large in this case. You can no longer easily put the cover in your pocket.

The plus point of such a spacious case is that you can enjoy it for years to come. Considering the construction, this case will hardly break and will only become more beautiful over time. Another plus is that your future iPhones will also fit in it, unless you are going to change device formats a lot.

Finally, I think it is a plus that you can immediately see that this is real leather. I sometimes doubt whether some leather accessories are real leather, because they look quite flat and matt (such as the recently tested ‘leather’ desk mat from Satechi). And if you look at the small print, it turns out to say ‘PU leather’ or ‘vegan leather’. You have no doubts about Harber London accessories: you immediately feel and see that they are made of real leather. Personally, I would find it funny if the manufacturer also released shiny variants that have already been pre-worn, so that the material comes into its own even more. But hey, if you use this cover for six months you can do it yourself.

Conclusion review Harber London covers

The covers we tested are made of beautiful materials and have a luxurious appearance, from the moment you open the gift packaging. However, you must keep in mind that some covers are quite thick and heavy due to the material used. This in itself is a favorable feature, because it confirms that high-quality materials have been chosen. But you have to keep in mind that such a thicker cover must also fit in your bag or pocket. If you prefer it as compact as possible, it is better to choose the slim-fit cases instead of the variants with a zipper or magnet.

These covers are only available from Harber London itself. If you are looking for an alternative, you have the best chance:

• Woolnut covers (also made of leather and with matching leather accessories)
• Woolnut covers at Amazon
• dbramante1928 covers (leather covers with zipper)
• dbramante1928 Paris cover with front pocket
• Decoded covers (made of leather, with a big discount)

See also

The most beautiful covers for the MacBook Air in 2024

The MacBook Air deserves a nice protective cover, so you can take it everywhere. These are the best and most beautiful MacBook Air covers and sleeves currently available.