The Facts
Specifications according to the manufacturer:

- Velcro® closure
- Access to headphone/remote jack
- Plastic screen protector
- Click wheel access
- Firewire/USB access
- Expandable sides to fit all models of iPod with click wheel
- Colors: black with gray stripe, blue with gray stripe, gray with light blue stripe (review sample), purple with light blue stripe, black with red stripe.
- Price: US $34.95

Construction and Materials
The Marware TrailVue for regular iPod case is comprised of two elements; the stiff outer panels that fold and secure with a Velcro closure, and an inner sleeve that holds the iPod in place.

The outer panels are stiff, covered in attractive and durable nylon and are slightly padded. There is a 1.25" wide strap that wraps around the bottom of the iPod and secures the front flap closed. A sewn thick rubber grommet lines a large cutout on top of the case for headphone port access.

The interior sleeve is uniquely designed and carefully crafted. A clear plastic panel fits against the face of the iPod, protects the display, and features a circular cutout for access to the Click Wheel. More tough nylon frames this clear window. There are two strips of elastic on the sides of the iPod which expands to accommodate iPods of different sizes. The interior, with the exception of the clear plastic and elastic sides, is lined with a soft felt-like fabric. This system is designed to not only house and protect the iPod, but also stretch to fit iPods of different thicknesses.

All of the stitching and seams are nearly perfect. The rubber logo on the front flap and rubber grommet on top are flexible and feel very durable. Particularly with the interior sleeve construction and design, I get the impression that a lot of care went into producing this iPod case.

Usage
All of my positive impressions were backed up with actual usage of the TrailVue. The outer panels are stiff to protect the iPod. They're slightly padded too, which makes them feel nice against the hand and in your pocket. The flexible Velcro closure is quick and easy to use.

The soft interior lining and snug fit of the iPod made me feel that my iPod was well protected. The flexible sides of the iPod sleeve held it in place with just enough firmness. This design feature was a great idea and works very well.

With flap-style cases, I always like to flip the flap over to form an iPod stand on my desk. Alas, this flap is not flexible enough to allow that.

The headphone cutout is so large that it should allow just about any iPod model to use just about any headphone model no matter how large the plug.

The belt clip is the same proprietary Marware Multidapt system used on their other cases. As usual, it works well here on this TrailVue case. Marware sells a set of three additional clips for $20 on their web site.

While the bottom edges of the front flap extend slightly beyond the iPod to protect the iPod, the bottom corners of the sleeve that holds the iPod in place are open. The large and wide strap helps to cover the bottom of the iPod. However, there is the potential, however unlikely, that the iPod's bottom corners could be damaged or be exposed to dirt/dust. I don't foresee this as a problem, it never happened to me, and it would take some sort of weird fall onto pebbles or something to damage the iPod, but I felt it warranted a mention.

The Bottom Line
This is a great iPod case. From the stylish and attractive color combinations, the capable and low-profile belt clip, the softly lined interior, to the expandable elastic sides of the iPod sleeve, the attention to detail in this case is evident and well executed. 4/5 stars.

The good: Excellent quality materials and construction, expandable iPod sleeve design works wonderfully, very protective, very stylish, easy to use.
The not so good: Proprietary belt clip system forces you to buy additional mounting clips from Marware.

For more information: Marware.com

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