Reviews

WaterField iPod Case and Gear Pouch

May 17, 2005

WaterField iPod Case

If you’re on the go, the iPod case is a handy way to take your iPod with you, as well as your ear bud headphones. The case is mainly black, with some accent color on the sides and front. There’s a small pull tab on the bottom to make it easier to open the front flap of the case, which is secured with Velcro. Inside you’ll find a handy pocket under the front flap of the case for your earbud headphones, which is great for eliminating clutter in your gear bag.

The iPod is inserted into the case through the back; pull up the Velcro flap to slide in your iPod. The fit is very tight, and it requires some work to get it in there perfectly. Once the iPod is in, turn the case over and you’ll see that the front of the iPod is mostly uncovered, and there are holes at both the top (headphone jack and hold switch) and bottom (docking connector). The iPod is adequately protected because of the front flap, though the possibility exists that keys or other small objects could get into the gap between the flap and the case and damage the front of your iPod.

The belt clip on the back is done right for two reasons. It’s removable, which is great for when you don’t want to wear the case on your belt, and the clip won’t come off until it is rotated 90 degrees, even if you press down on the release button. I think this feature should be a must for every small electronics case, but sadly some manufacturers don’t agree with me.

The WaterField iPod case is well made of quality materials, though I found the fit to be a bit too tight and the price a bit too high to give it a higher rating. In my opinion it works better as a belt case than a “protect the iPod when you toss it in your bag” case, due to the potential for small objects to get between the flap and the face of the iPod.

You can get one for $40 in black with your choice of accent color: white, red, blue, or Lead (gray) at the Waterfield web site.

WaterField iPod Gear Pouch

If you travel frequently and need to take several small accessories with you, the iPod Gear pouch is a good choice. The exterior is made of the same tough ballistic nylon as their laptop Sleevecase, and there’s a pocket on the front for small objects like earbuds, firewire or USB cables, etc. It has two small pockets made of black nylon, and is lined with gold fabric. The main zipper compartment accessed from the top of the bag is quite roomy and is also lined in a soft golden fabric so you can easily see the contents. You’ll also find three soft, fleecy “dividers” that work very well for protecting delicate components without the need for an additional case. They’re sized perfectly to fit an iPod, docking station, and AC adapter. And there’s room in front of those divider pockets for all sorts of accessories, such as an iTrip FM transmitter, headphones, cables, and the like.

Of course that’s not the only use for this case, since it will hold any sort of small electronic device and accessories. Example photos on the WaterField site show a digital camera with battery charger, USB cable, manual, and the like. I’ve also tested it myself with my Sony T-1 digital camera, and since it’s so small there’s also room for an extra battery and charger, plus my Nintendo GBA SP and a few game cartridges.

The iPod Gear Pouch is a bargain at $35, and you even get a choice of four accent colors to go with the black exterior: Lead (gray), blue, white, or red. You can get one at the WaterField web site.

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