We recently had the opportunity to try a pair of products from the company GRAMS28, which was started in 2019 by founder and designer Benjamin Chan.
Among our duo was the 114 Leather Folio, one of the company’s flagship products, a folio sized for a 13-inch Apple MacBook Air or Pro, made of beautiful, Olive-colored Italian leather, as GRAMS28 touts its use of “the best environmental-certified leathers,” which are “distinguished by their rich texture and soft touch.”
The Folio was paired with the 121 MagSafe Leather Case for an iPhone 14 Pro Max, made of Italian vegetable tanned leather in a color the company calls “Snowflake Jeans,” which really lives up to its name in person with rich shades of speckled blue.
As someone who orders my fair share of products online, I can attest that sometimes first impressions make all the difference. And in this case, upon opening the box from GRAMS28, it was evident the amount of care they put in to every detail, including the packaging, which was made up of recycled and reusable materials.
Not only that, but both the 114 Leather Folio and the 121 MagSafe Leather Case are stunning, each engraved with respective serial numbers, allowing customers to verify the product’s authenticity as well as the style number, material provider, material type and the craftsmen behind every item.
I’m used to serial numbers in technology, but GRAMS28 is clearly not only making a statement with their products, but they’re essentially raising the bar—in quality and in design.
I was impressed with the versatility of the 114 Leather Folio, which was more than a standard laptop sleeve, comprised of a large zip pocket, a front pocket, a pen slot and a card slot, allowing for additional storage while providing super-soft protection for my MacBook Pro. The folio even has a compartment for an Apple AirTag to track the bag that contains your valuable items including a laptop and phone.
The Folio fits effortlessly inside my work bag, making it easy to transport with its slim profile at dimensions of 13.7 inches wide and 9.85 inches high.
The 121 Leather Case was the perfect companion, and considering I’m constantly on the go, traveling and in some rather messy environments, it was comforting to know the case offered reliable protection for my iPhone and a firm grip when I needed to reach for it in a hurry or toss it on my MagSafe charger. Of course, the cherry on top is how much of a statement piece it turned out to be, drawing compliments and curiosity thanks to its balance of fashion and ruggedness.
For those unfamiliar with GRAMS28, the company has made sustainability part of its mission, with all of their leather materials coming from the Gruppo Mastrotto tannery in Italy, due to that organization’s environmentally-conscious leather tanning procedures, which have consistently been gold-rated by the Leather Working Group.
They also only use tanneries in Italy because of the stringent labor protection laws, which has been just as important to GRAMS28 as offering luxurious, practical goods.
If you’re looking for a bag or accessory which is made ethically and of reliable quality, while also catching your friends’ attention—in person or on the Gram—you should definitely consider GRAMS28.
Words and Photos by Jonathan Robles @jonathanrobles