WaterField iPod Case

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Michael Shulver

April 28, 2003

My iPod was one of my more extravagant gadget purchases. This seemingly delicate device would be exposed to the risk of damage pretty much constantly. I would listen to audio books and ripped news programmes on the way to work, music while writing at work, music while walking from office to the sandwich bar ... etc. So, there would be many opportunities to scratch or drop the iPod. Obviously I needed a case to protect this expensive machine.

A case came in the mail with a bundle of stuff from Gary Waterfield at Waterfield Designs. The case is made from ballistic nylon, a brightly coloured and patterned nylon that Waterfield calls “Playball” and some coated nylon mesh on the rear. The latter is apparently to allow better heat transfer. The case comes in three trim colours: red, white and blue.

As you can see, the case has the ubiquitous Ultra Clip on the back. The Ultra Clip tab is fixed to the case by a sturdy patch of what looks like leather.

The case has a front flap secured by some Velcro at the corners, the hook Velcro being on the underside of the flap. Beneath the flap are revealed the iPod controls and screen. Also under the flap is a pocket for the headphones. As this closes over the “glass” face of the iPod it is appropriately made from soft and “furry” nylon material.

In use
Initially, a clever aspect of the case design frustrated me. This case fits neatly and tightly on the iPod – very tightly! However, in order to get this tight fit you have to: a) push and pull like hell on the case and securing tabs to get the iPod in, and b); have to wait a few hours while the case stretches over and conforms to the shape of the iPod. I had not thought this through though, and initially thought that I’d been sent the wrong size case or something. Thinking about it, it's hard to imagine how one could achieve such a good fit in any other way.

I was a bit worried about the hook Velcro snagging my clothes, but this has not been a problem. I suppose this is because I rarely open the flap when the case is in the clip and on my belt. In fact after a bit of practice I learned to stroke the volume slider and press the control buttons without lifting the flap. Alternatively, I use the remote control.

A slot in the top of the case lines up neatly with the Firewire and headphone jacks and also gives access to the hold button. Connecting the headphones and operating the hold switch is no problem, and while connecting the Firewire cable is a bit fiddly, this is more Apple’s problem than it is Waterfield’s.

The natural “gathering” of the nylon as it goes around the corners of the case creates extra protection here. These have been put to the test twice when I knocked the iPod off my desk at work. On both occasions I watched with horror as the iPod hit the floor, corner first from a drop of a metre. The iPod survived. (Note. This is not a guarantee, perhaps I’ve been lucky!)

A bit of a no-brainer this, but you have to ensure that the headphone jack is pushed to the bottom of its pocket or else it will scratch the iPod.

The coated mesh on the back of the case tends to leave a slight residue on the metal back of the iPod, but it rubs off easily. This said, I hardly ever remove the iPod from the case.

Overall
This case gets very heavy usage and still looks great. It works very well. It's much, much better than the original Apple item. Relative to the expense of the iPod the cost is minimal for such a stylish and functional item.

Price: $40

Pros
Functional
Tough
Looks good

Cons
Nothing