The Company: Grove
Location: Portland, OR
Price: $69 Plain, $89 Artist Series, $99 Custom Artwork
Visit their website
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ABOUT THE GOVE IPHONE CASE
First of all, Grove has really set themselves apart in the world of wooden iPhone cases. Their marketing and branding is amazing. After spending just a few minutes on their website, you feel an almost undesirable urge to buy something, even if you don’t have an iPhone or iPad. The photography is beautiful, the art is killer, and the story behind the product is very cool.
The Grove iPhone case is made from Bamboo. They don’t have any other wood options. You can get it plain or with art. Ie chose the unit with art and with the polar bear/whale art. The art is done with a laser engraver and really gives the case a unique look and feel.
One downside to buying from Grove is the wait time. With a popular product comes a long wait time. I had to wait almost 3 weeks to get our iPhone 4 case. Considering it was handmade, the wait time is worth it.
I like…
Handmade in the USA. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that when I click “Place Order”, someone in Portland gets my order and gets crackin on making me a case. Maybe it’s not quite like that, but I like to think it is. Knowing this case is not punched out by the thousands in China helps me swallow the price tag.
Bamboo. I don’t have much more to say, except that Bamboo is one of the coolest woods (or grass to be exact) known to man.
Custom artwork that doesn’t suck. Check this out: http://www.grovemade.com/collections/iphone-4-case-artist-series/products/polygon-camo-i4 …it’s stunning! And they give you a matching wallpaper.
I don’t like…
The bevel on the front. Yes it’s cool, yes the contrast gives the case a unique look. The problem is after just a couple days in a jean pocket, the bevel gets all filled up with lint and dirt. I would prefer to have a smooth, seamless transition between the front of the iphone and the case.
The friction fit. After about a week of pretty steady use, the bottom and top parts of the case just don’t stick together as tight as they should on an $80+ case. I assume Grove is going for a simple method of fitment, but I don’t think their chosen method is optimal.
The wait time. Yes, I know it doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of the product. But I have been watching Grove for over a year now, and their wait time has always been extremely long.
ABOUT GROVE
Founded in 2009, Grove is a team of designers and makers focused on changing the way you think about products by doing everything themselves in Portland, Oregon and only selling direct to the consumer.
The result is greater innovation, complete accountability, direct human relationships, and superior quality. Grove curates an Artist Series of laser engraved bamboo iPhone4 cases, iPad 2 leather and bamboo cases, iPad 2 bamboo skins and bamboo wall art featuring the work of prominent illustrators from around the world.