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Hands-on: This leather Pixel Fold case is better than Bellroy’s at a third of the cost

Google’s Pixel Fold may not be the best foldable you can get, but it’s still a great option. However, the super-premium device only has a few good case options, and it’s been especially hard to get a decent leather case for the Pixel Fold. After my go-to favorite turned out to be a disaster, I settled on a $25 alternative that’s shockingly good.

If you haven’t caught our review of Bellroy’s leather Pixel Fold case, you should check that out. Bellroy has been a long-time partner of Google for Pixel phones, and we’ve always been big fans of the company’s leather cases, but the version sold with Pixel Fold was an unfortunate miss due to poor fit and a hefty $75 price tag.

Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for a better case for the Pixel Fold. While I love Google’s stellar official case, the silicone back is a little grippy in the humid North Carolina summers, and the bright blue color isn’t one I want to carry all the time. Really, I just wanted the excellent leather case I was using on my Pixel 7 Pro, but for my new foldable.

Eventually, I ordered a $25 leather case from a brand called “Olixar.” The case, only sold through MobileFun, actually really surprised me.

Olixar’s case is mostly plastic. The frame has a rough black plastic, while the inside features a soft-touch material that sits nicely on the Fold’s rear glass. The only part of the case that is leather is the back. The material feels and looks like leather, but it’s certainly not on the premium side of things. It’s claimed to be genuine leather too, but there’s not much detail on the quality.

Regardless, if it feels like leather and looks like leather, I’m usually happy, and that’s certainly what has happened here.

The case is slim on the Pixel Fold, and the leather back gives it a grippy – but not overly grippy – feel in the hand. Olixar’s design also fits the foldable very well. The back half holds in place well, but the front is what’s most impressive. The case holds on tightly despite the complete lack of adhesive, and the leftmost section near the hinge is shockingly sturdy. I’ve had no issues with that section flexing too much when the foldable is being opened or just used when closed.

It’s night and day compared to Bellroy’s case, which feels like it’s going to fall off any time it’s interacted with.

At this point, I can’t speak to the longevity of this case, but I’m incredibly impressed. It fits the Pixel Fold wonderfully, features a nice feel to the leather, and has no obvious drawbacks. And it does all of that for 1/3 the cost of Bellroy’s case. Where I couldn’t recommend that Bellroy case to anyone, this one has earned a spot on my Pixel Fold and should be considered by anyone who’s looking for a decent case option.

The leather Olixar case for Google Pixel Fold is sold in black, brown, and blue color variants for around $25 (it’s often on sale) at MobileFun.

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Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.


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