Home
Reviews
Sumo Week: iPod Cases
December 22, 2005
Sumo Cases 4G Vertical Playthru
This case is designed as an all-purpose wearing and carrying case, so it should work for a variety of needs. The exterior is made of ballistic nylon with stylish leather accents and a small PVC Sumo log on the bottom right corner. The case is secured with a tab and a bit of Velcro on the back. There’s also a belt clip on the back that is not removable. It’s wide enough at the top to accomodate just about any belt or waist band, or you could clip it to the pocket of a bag. Since the clip is contoured and much tighter at the bottom, I found it didn’t tend to slip off.
Open up the case flap and you’ll find a yoke that holds your 4G iPod quite securely. There are openings for the screen and click wheel, as well as a cutout for the sync/charge port on the bottom; the player slides in from the top, so there is full access to the headphone port and hold switch. The lining of the case is fuzzy and soft, so you don’t have to worry about your iPod getting scratched.
Underneath the flap of the case there’s a soft pocket designed to hold your ear buds. When you first get the case the fit is extrememly tight, and until it stretches a bit there’s no way to get your headphones in there and still be able to close the case. I did find the pocket quite handy for business/credit cards though, or folded bills.
The Sumo Cases 4G Vertical Playthru is a stylish and functional case, and is available in several different colors. You can get one at select CompUSA stores now, or order directly from the Sumo Cases online store after the first of the year.
iPod Nano Horizontal Stripe
This is one of the cutest Nano cases I’ve ever seen. The exterior is made entirely of leather, with a white stripe running around the case. The case is secured with a small Velcro tab, and a matching leather wrist strap is included so that you can dangle the case from your wrist if you like. There’s a Sumo logo on the front, as well as a small fabric tag with the Sumo name on the side of the case.
Open it up and you’ll find a red fuzzy interior and a yoke designed to hold your Nano. The fit is extremely tight, so it will be a little difficult to get your Nano out of the case the first few times, until it looses up a bit. Since there’s a cutout at the bottom for the charge/sync port, this is only a problem if you make extensive use of the hold switch on the top of the player—there isn’t a cutout allowing access to that switch.
Other than that small gripe, I really like this case because it provides much more protection than your typical “skin” case and because there’s just as much attention paid to looks as to functionality. You can get one in red or black after the first of the year at the Sumo Cases web site.
