There’s never been a better selection of cool phone cases to protect your most-used piece of technology. And what makes a phone case especially cool? Well, not only does it look good while protecting your phone, it also does its part to help protect the Earth.
Today, there are laser-engraved bamboo phone cases, covers made from recycled skateboards, and other styles made from sustainable cork, recycled plastic, and even biodegradable bioplastic. And just because these covers are gentle on the Earth doesn’t mean they’re not tough enough to protect your phone. I selected the best mobile phone cases available based on their combination of innovative, Earth-friendly materials, creative and unique designs, and their reputations for being durable enough to protect your phone.
When you see this selection, you’ll never want to go back to a petrol-plastic case again! So, whether you’re looking for the perfect wood phone case for your iPhone or a recycled case for your Samsung Galaxy, search no more! But just in case you need a little more convincing, here’s some additional intel on why sustainable phone cases are the coolest phone cases you can buy.
Here’s why it’s cool to get a phone case made of sustainable materials:
- 5 billion is the number of cell phone users around the globe. (Statista)
- 22 months is the average time people keep their cell phones before getting a new one. (Business Insider)
- 1 billion mobile phones are bought every year. (The Guardian)
At this rate, if everyone buys a new case when they upgrade their phone, and they throw their old case away, that’s a heck of a lot of phone cases going into the landfill or the ocean year after year. This is why I’m so against petrol-plastic phone cases. I think it’s time for anyone who’s buying a new phone case to only buy one made of Earth-friendly materials, don’t you?
What makes a phone case eco-friendly?
If you’re in the market for a new cell phone case, here are some things to look for. The phone cases I present in this post all have at least one of these qualifications.
First, it’s made with:
- Natural, sustainable, and easily biodegradable materials, such as bamboo, cork, or sustainably-harvested wood
- Biodegradable plastic or recycled plastic
- Other non-toxic materials (glues, adhesives, lining)
Second, and ideally, it comes with:
- Carbon-neutral validation
- Environmental certifications
And with that, here are the coolest phone cases on the market today:
WOOD PHONE CASES
1. Wood Phone Cases by Evutec®
Evutec produces Earth-friendly cases made from wood and bamboo that is certified as harvested from responsibly managed forests by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Chain of Custody Standard. These FSC certified cases come in a variety of woods, such as white ash and ebony. They fit a range of cell phones, including the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone. Evutec’s cases are made from a blend of organic materials that are woven together with wood veneer to create a strong case that is resistant to warping from heat and moisture.
You may be wondering how well these sleek wood cases will protect your phone. You can see for yourself in this video:
Evutec fits: iPhone 5, 6, and 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6
Prices at the time of this post: $5.99 – $34.95
2. Wood Phone Cases by Carved
Carved offers such a wide variety of colors and styles of wood phone cases that you’ll have a hard time choosing just one. I reached out to Carved to find out where they source the wood for their cases and they told us they always look for wood that is responsibly harvested. They also source reclaimed wood from old structures and from locally downed trees after storms. Based in Elkhart, Indiana, the Carved team puts their love of technology and craftsmanship into every case they make.
Here’s a video featuring John Webber, the founder of Carved, and his team at their workshop:
Carved fits: iPhone 5, 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S7, and S8
Prices at the time of this post: $19.00 – $39.00
3. Wood Phone Case in Walnut Burl by Carved
Carved creates so many beautiful, cool wood phone cases that they make it hard to choose. So, I had to include one more design in this post. This wood phone case is hand-carved with real walnut burl. Carved will make your case to order from their woodshop in Elkhart, Indiana.
Fits: iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 6, 6, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s; Samsung Galaxy 7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus; and Google Pixel, Pixel XL, and Pixel 2 and XL
Price at the time of this post: $32.00
4. Wood Phone Cases by RaidFox
RaidFox uses U.S.-sourced, FSC certified hardwoods in their colorful, Earth-friendly smart phone cases. They use lasers to cut the wood and then finish each case by hand. A socially-conscious company, RaidFox donates a portion of their revenue to humanitarian and environmental nonprofits around the world.RaidFox fits: iPhone 5, 6, 6 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6
Price at the time of this post: $7.99 – $9.99
5. Laser-Engraved Wood Phone Case by Sugar Yeti
Sugar Yeti’s philosophy is that we all need to get closer to nature. And for those times when you can’t be in nature, you should surround yourself with things from nature. This is one of the founding principles of why they make their phone cases from natural materials. Their unique, laser-engraved phone covers are made in Orange County in Southern California. They’re durable, yet have a slim and sleek low profile, so they don’t add a lot of bulk to your phone.
Sugar Yeti fits: iPhone 5, 6, and 6 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6
Prices at the time of this post: $11.95 – $24.95
6. Laser-Engraved Wood Phone Case by Wdpkr
Wdpkr puts a slight spin on the wooden phone case. They cover the wood in a black coating, and then laser-engrave a design that reveal the natural wood underneath. Each piece is unique. Their philosophy: “Be bold and showcase your inner beauty.”
Fits: iPhone 6s, 6 Plus, iPhone 7, 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus
Price at the time of this post: $26.95
7. Laser Engraved Wood Phone Cases by Cutly
Cutly is another designer that laser engraves artwork onto wooden phone cases. They offer an array of designs and patterns, including geometric, floral, animals, and abstract. Check out their Etsy store to see them all.
Fits: iPhone 5, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone X, as well as Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, S7, S8, Edge, and S8 Plus.
Price at the time of this posts: $41.11
8. Custom Laser-Engraved Photo on an iPhone Case
And if you want a laser-engraved phone case that’s truly your own, Manual Paradise will laser-engrave a design for you from a photo onto a cherrywood case. You simply send them your photo (everyone will know whose phone it is) or a photo of a your loved one (be it human, animal, vegetable, or mineral!)
Fits: iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.
Prices at the time of this post: $19.90 – $27.90
9. Cool Laser-Engraved Wooden Phone Cases by Engraver’s Dungeon
Then there is Engraver’s Dungeon. Located in Valencia, Spain, husband and wife team Diego and Camelia, create some very cool and truly unique – if a little scary – cell phone covers. I must say, in all of the phone case research I’ve done, I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Engraver’s Dungeon also does custom orders.
So, for all you Goths, Alien, Predator, and Creature from the Black Lagoon fans out there, be sure to visit their Etsy store to see them all. Warning: It’s not for the feint hearted.
Here’s a cool video from Engraver’s Dungeon:
Fits: iPhone 5, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone X, as well as Samsung Galaxy S6, S7, S7, S8, Edge, and S8 Plus
BIODEGRADABLE PHONE CASES
10. Pela Case Bioplastic Phone Case
Pela Case founder, Jeremy Lang, was raised in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, where most the global supply of oil seed flax is grown. Watching many seasons of the flax harvest, he believed there should be some sort of consumer use for the leftover flax straw once the flax oil was harvested. And being someone who cared about the environment, he was aware of the tremendous waste problem that our species needs to address.
He also found it odd that the average person replaces their smart phone every 22 months, yet the conventional plastic phone case used to protect the phone would last for hundreds of years. Making the connection, he developed a biodegradable and compostable material based on leftover flax straw, which he named FlaxsticTM, and the Pela Case was born. In addition to making their bioplastic phone cases, Pela Case gives back by donating at least 1% of their sales to environmental nonprofits through 1% for the Planet.
Here’s a cool video from Pela that shows you just what goes into their sustainable and biodegradable phone cases:
Pela Case fits: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, and 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus
Prices at the time of this post: $19.98 – $35.00
11. Phone Sleeves Made from Woven Grass by Autumn Grain
Autumn Grain is another cool phone case designer I found that is creating something truly unique. This eco-friendly phone sleeve is made with a woven paper grass and has a vegan cotton lining. Autumn Grain will personalize your case with your name.
Fits: All size phone cases. Made to order.
12. Biodegradable Phone Case Made from Woven Palm Leaves
Autumn Grain is another cool phone case designer I found that is creating something truly unique. This eco-friendly phone sleeve is made with a woven paper grass and has a vegan cotton lining. Autumn Grain will personalize your case with your name.
Fits: All size phone cases. Made to order.
BAMBOO PHONE CASES
13. Sustainable Bamboo Cell Phone Cases by Reveal
Reveal was born out of founder Terry Omata’s love of nature and technology. After working in manufacturing in China for a decade, he experienced a crisis in his career, which he talked about in a conversation I had with him, which I transcribed for the UniGuide blog. Terry knew there had to be a better way of designing products – one that revealed the beauty of nature, of sustainable materials, and a new way of looking at the world.
Reveal makes a variety of sustainable tech accessories, including wood and bamboo iPhone cases, iPad Mini cases, and a portable solar powered speaker that is accented with bamboo. As a company that is dedicated to stopping the destruction of the Earth’s natural ecosystems, Reveal plants a tree for every product they sell. To date, in conjunction with the nonprofit American Forests, they’ve helped plant over 40 million trees around the world.
Reveal fits: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7.
Prices at the time of this post: $9.99 – $29.99
14. Bamboo Folio Case for iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus by Reveal
If you want a cool phone case that has a cover over your screen and a built-in stand, this design by Reveal will fit the bill. It is also made with bamboo and comes in both a dark wood color and a light wood color.
The phone case folio by Reveal fits: iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus.
Price at the time of this post: $39.99
15. Custom Bamboo iPhone Cases by I Make the Case
I Make the Case creates a wide assortment of eco-friendly phone cases in laser-engraved bamboo, and they do custom designs as well. The offer so many designs that you’d be hard pressed not to find one that “speaks” to you.
According to I Make the Case, “Bamboo is revered as ‘eco-friendly’ because it’s fast-growing and can yield 20-times more wood than trees. Bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen into the air than trees of similar size. The Japanese expression wabi-sabi sums up the wonder of bamboo. It means, ‘There’s beauty in imperfection.’ We love that each bamboo skin has its own unique coloration, grain, and flow, and we value the opportunity to be connected to nature with these small treasures. We think it’s the perfect yin, to the high tech iPhone yang!”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Amen.
I Make the Case fits: iPhone 5, 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus
Prices at the time of this posts: $19.95 – $29.95
16. Bamboo Phone Cases by Sugar Yeti
In addition to the wood phone covers mentioned above, Sugar Yeti makes artistic laser-engraved phone cases from Earth-friendly bamboo. Sugar Yeti believes in the therapeutic power of nature, and they instill this philosophy into their sustainably-made phone cases.
Sugar Yeti fits: iPhone 5, 6, and 6 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6
Prices at the time of this post: $11.95 – $24.95
CORK PHONE CASES
17. Sustainable Cork iPhone Cases by Reveal
Another material that sustainable products company Reveal uses in their phone covers is cork. Cork is a sustainable and renewable natural resource, as cork trees don’t have to be cut down to harvest their bark. Cork forests serve as important habitat for over 13,000 species of animals, plants, and insects, which are not found anywhere else. Like their bamboo phone covers, Reveal’s cork phone cases are ultra-durable and well-made. There are a variety of patterns in Reveal’s “cork leather” cases, from the Japanese wave shown above to hibiscus flowers and styles with a more unfinished, organic look. There’s also a folio style if you like to cover the screen of your phone.
Reveal fits: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7
Prices at the time of this post: $9.99 – $29.99
18. Cork iPhone Cases by Trade in House
Trade in House brings cork chic to a whole new level. Offering a wide variety of products made with cork, they demonstrate that this superstar of sustainable materials has really come into its own. Be sure to check out their Etsy store to see the beautifully designed cork hats, shoes, and accessories they create.
Trade in House fits: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, and 7 Plus, as well as some smaller phones
Prices at the time of this post: $28.70 – $59.50
19. Cork Mesh iPhone Sleeve by Trade in House
This unique, biodegradable phone sleeve, also by Trade-in-House, is made with a woven cork mesh.
Sizes: Large is 6”x 3.4” and small is 5” x 3”.
Price at the time of this post: $28.70
VEGAN PHONE CASES
20. Piñatex Pineapple “Leather” Phone Case
Technically, all of the phone cases on UniGuide are vegan because everything on UniGuide is vegan. But I decided to give this special phone case the honors of coming under the vegan heading because it is a leather disruptor.
This unique phone case is made with a sustainable faux leather called Piñatex, which is made from pineapple fibers. Piñatex was developed by Carmen Hijosa, a former business consultant in the leather industry. Carmen found the environmental impacts of the leather industry, as well as its impacts on workers and animals, to be unacceptable. So, she set out to create a gentler, more sustainable alternative to leather, and Piñatex was born.
This eco-friendly and vegan phone case comes in black, gold, or natural. It’s made by the Berlin-based designs team Eve and Adis, who create minimalist, sustainable accessories.
Contact Eve and Adis in their Etsy store and they’ll make a case to fit your specific phone
Price at the time of this post: $31.81
RECYCLED PHONE CASES
21. Recycled Skateboard Phone Case by Carved
These recycled skateboard cases by Carved are definitely crowd favorites. The combination of recycled, super colorful, and skateboard roots make them a standout on the eco phone case scene.
Carved skateboard cases fit iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 9 Plus, and Pixel XL, and Samsung Galaxy S8
Price at the time of this post: $39.00
22. Skateboard Phone Case by Spirit Workshop
Spirit Workshop is another company that makes phone cases out of recycled skateboards. They also make other recycled skateboard accessories, including rings and sunglasses. Handmade in Poland.
Fits: iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
23. Recycled Plastic Phone Cases by CSERA
Cases by CSERA offers a wide variety of artistically designed recycled phone cases. Their products are Etsy-verified handmade and CSERA’s owner hand illustrates every design herself. CSERA produces their recycled plastic phone covers in working conditions that are safe and healthy for their workers. The cases are made from 100% recycled, post-consumer PET certified plastic. The company also uses eco-friendly ink and they ship their cases in recycled packaging.
CSERA cases fits: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, and 8 Plus
Prices at the time of this post: $16.37 – $19.10
If you’re also looking for eco-friendly and vegan cases for your iPad, iPad Mini, or other tablet computers, check out these other posts on UniGuide:
Wood, Bamboo, and Cork iPad Cases (That Are Also Vegan!)
Eco-Friendly, Recycled, and Vegan iPad Cases and Tablet Sleeves
Eco-Friendly, Reycled, and Vegan iPad Mini Cases
