Lodis Zip Around Wallet Mobile Organizer and Phone Carrier Case

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

May 14, 2001

Device: Carries all 5 1/4" x 3 1/4" or smaller PDAs
Exterior phone pocket holds all 6" x 1 3/4" phones

There are times when you don't want to be burdened by carrying a full size gear bag or purse. These are the times when you want to grab the necessities, so you can just "get out and go". One such occasion might be when you are on vacation, and you want to travel as lightly and efficiently as possible.

Lodis, a leather company out of Los Angeles, has an all-in-one case for just such occasions. 

The Lodis Zip-Around Phone & PDA Case, as the name implies, will hold both your standard sized phone (like most Nokia models) and PDA in the same compact case. It will also hold all of your ID, credit cards, and cash. In fact, for a case so efficiently sized, it can hold a surprising amount of "stuff". This case is crafted of smooth Napa leather, and appears slightly shiny, with a slight grain. Coordinating black stitching follows all of the edges.

Built like a regular book-style binder, the Lodis happens to have a leather cell phone holder affixed to the front cover. 

  

There are two main zippered compartments to the Lodis. 

First, you have the wallet portion. It is opened by a 1" (2.5cm) metal zipper pull, that features the Lodis logo. There are seven ID or credit card slots, one has a plastic view-window. A convenient zippered coin or stamp pocket is located where the eighth slot would have been. 

As you can see, there is a small embossed Lodis logo on the coin pocket. This is the only brand placement anywhere on the case (other than on the metal zipper). It is discreet and tasteful.

A wide and deep currency pocket runs along the back of the ID section. This pocket is so deep that it could easily hold receipts as well as some of the wider foreign currencies out the re. The pocket is also sized so that it can easily hold a passport. 

Behind both of the Credit Card and ID slot sections run deep pockets, perfect for holding receipts or miscellaneous scraps of paper.

The second zippered section opens with a leather tabbed zipper pull to reveal a deep horizontal slash pocket on the left side, which has an included white paper tablet inserted. 

The right side of this section reveals a Velcro attachment to affix to the back of your PDA. I tested this case with the Palm IIIc, m100, HP 548, Casio EM-500, Handspring Visor Deluxe, and Compaq iPAQ. Each PDA fit fine - after removing the pad of paper. I found that the pad actually added just enough bulk that the case would slightly distort when any PDA was inserted. The pad adds .18" (4.45mm) to the thickness of the PDA, so that is easily understandable.

 

For those of you that don't like affixing Velcro to your PDA, you are out of luck - unless you happen to own a Visor or an iPAQ. 

The Visor can be attached with the stock detachable screen cover.

The black style-sleeve that is shipped with most iPAQs can be affixed with the Velcro that so that your iPAQ can simply slide in and out of the sleeve for charging or syncing.

One thing I would like to see added to interior of this case would be a loop for a shorter pen or extra stylus.

An even deeper vertical pocket runs behind both the notepad and PDA sides of this second compartment.

The cellular phone holder appears to fit most of the Nokia type phones. Since it has easily expandable Velcro sides, it should stretch to accommodate most of the "classic" cell phones available. They give acceptable phone measurements as up to 6" (15.2cm) x 1/34" (4.5cm) phones. There is a leather flap that securely fastens over the top of your cellular phone, using Velcro.

I inserted a Nokia 6120, and found that even with the extended battery installed, it fit in the slot just fine.

There is a detachable, thin shoulder-strap included with the Lodis. When attached, it may strike some male users as slightly "purse-like". It reminds me of something that I have seen European men carry on some of the vacations that we have been on, so there is a chance that many men will not mind the strap - and rather embrace the convenience of being able to carry the case "hands-free". 

Personally, I liked that the strap was long enough, being 51" (129.5cm), to wear bandolier style across my chest when traveling

When traveling, the Lodis Mobile Organizer puts everything you could possibly need in one centralized location. I think that with summer coming, and the vacations that go hand-in-hand with that season, this case could be a lifesaver.

The Lodis is available at Stylus Central, and other fine retailers.

Price: $68 MSRP

Pros:
Can carry everything in one place - phone, PDA, & wallet
Excellent for traveling - can even hold a passport

Cons:
Uses Velcro to attach PDA to case
Some men might find Lodis slightly purse-like when using the included strap