iPod Video case by WaterField Designs

reviewed by Ted Bade, November 2006

The WaterField Designs iPod case is a nicely made pouch that protects your iPod and provides a place to store the earbuds. It is not the type of case that protects while giving access to the iPod controls. However, its soft material design should appeal to people who don’t fancy hard cases.

The design of this iPod protector is simple. It is a sleeve with an opening on the top and a slot on the bottom, which allows access to the iPod’s port. The case is constructed of three material layers, outside it is a nylon material (Indium nylon, according to their web site, which I think is a trade name for a very tough nylon). The middle layer is plastic providing protection. And finally, the inner layer that touches the iPod is made of a very soft and velvety material. According to their web site this is: “cushiony neoprene with a silky liner”. I’m sold! I like the style of WaterField case and way it caresses my iPod.

These cases come in five colors, all of them have a checkered type of design consisting of black and some other colored squares. WaterField Designs calls them: Blue (which I like a lot), Celeste (a lighter grey), Checkers (a burgundy pattern), Lead (a darker grey), and Taxi (yup, you guessed it, yellow and black).

The checkered design covers the outside of the pouch, except for a piece of black velvet-like material on the backside. Opposite the velvet, there is an elastic band that can be used to wrap the earbuds around. I found this band can also serve as a handle of sorts. The elastic band isn’t the best solution for the ear buds. You can wrap them around it, but then you need to unwrap them when you want to use them. The band isn’t very tight, so if you make a bundle of the cord and ear buds and slip them under the band they might slip out. Something they did for me during my trial. However, most iPod cases don’t have any place to put the earbuds at all, so this is really a nice feature. Personally, I would have been happier with a little pouch on the outside of the case.

Getting the iPod in and out of the WaterField Designs case is easy. I am the type of person who likes to keep my iPod tucked away. Whether I am taking a walk, doing yard work or cleaning the house, I usually select a playlist, press play, lock the controls and put it in my pocket. So this case works well for me. I am not the type of iPod user who is constantly manipulating the iPod’s controls. However, when I need to operate the controls, it found moving the pouch out of my pocket and pulling out the iPod an easy task.

WaterField Designs video iPod case is an interesting case, does a good job protecting an iPod while still making it relatively easy to access the controls. Although some people won’t like the lack of direct access to controls while in the case, others will be happy with this format. For me this is the best of solutions.

I also had a chance to inspect WaterField Designs iPod Gear Pouch. This iPod case is much more then a cover for your iPod. It is a pouch in which you can put your iPod and all it’s accessories. It measures 7.75" x 3.25" x 1.2" and is light weight.

Take a look at the included diagram, as it gives a great idea of its construction and a recommendation of how it could be used. The center zippered area has three protected areas of different sizes. The larger is for an iPod that is in another case, the next smaller for an iPod without a case, and the smallest for the power brick or perhaps an armband. There are also mesh pockets for putting other accessories you might want to bring along.

The pouch is made of the same strong nylon as the above case and comes in the same colors and pattern, although the pattern and color only appear on the edge of the pouch. The sides are just black. The pouch feels very sturdy and seems to provide a goodly amount of cushioning for the iPod while still being a soft case and is a great addition to anyone’s iPod gear.