The Facts
Specifications according to the manufacturer:

- Material: The outside is sturdy Indium nylon, the middle is a plastic layer to help protect against impact, and the inside is cushiony neoprene with a silky liner.
- Colors: Blue, celeste, checkers (review sample), taxi, lead.
- Size: 4” x 2” x .25”
- Price: US $22

Construction and Materials
WaterField Designs iPod nano case is a simple slip case design with an opening at one end and a 1" wide strip of elastic sewn across one side. The opening is pinched at both ends to constrict the opening and keep the iPod from falling out. The outside is made from Indium nylon and the interior is lined with a soft fabric-covered foam type material. There is an inner plastic stiffener sewn within the case to further protect the iPod.

As with all other WaterField Designs products I have reviewed, the materials and construction of this iPod nano case is outstanding. The Indium nylon that WaterField Designs uses in their bags and cases is like no other nylon I've seen before. The plastic insert, which is invisible and nicely integrated into the case, is a welcome addition to the design and adds protection to the iPod inside. The lining is very soft and has a spongy feel to it.

Usage
The iPod nano fits very tightly in this case. When inserted, the entire iPod nano sits well inside with approximately 3/8" space remaining at the top. The open end remains slightly open, however, thereby diminishing some of the protectiveness of the case since dirt and debris could enter the case from the top.

The case is small and very light. My review copy made from the "checkers" red and black Indium nylon looked great. The small elastic strip designed to hold headphones is a nice idea and worked well for me, whether I simply wound my headphones into the loop naked or when used with a Tunewear Tuneclip.

An irksome problem that I experienced with my iPod nano case was that it's difficult to remove the iPod from the case. The top opening is pinched with stitching on both sides. While this is an easy and effective means to keep the iPod from falling out, it perhaps worked too well, making iPod removal difficult. There is a detent in the plastic liner on the bottom of the case and you are supposed to push the iPod out from the bottom. While this helped, I found that it was still a difficult process to remove the iPod from the case. I left my iPod sticking out of the case opening for a couple of days in hopes that it would stretch it out and that did seem to help a little bit.

Furthermore, the case left very slight surface scratches along the sides of the face of my black nano. I think we can safely assume that anything that touches a black nano has a high likelihood of scratching it, so we have to take that into account. And these very light scratches buffed out with a microfiber cloth and did not leave any permanent marks. But I am a little concerned that these faint surface scratches may build up over long time use of the case.

While I always felt that the WaterField Designs iPod nano case was very protective, with the spongy padding and plastic stiffener inside, I found that the opening on the top of the case concerned me. Specifically, since the iPod fits so tightly inside and the interior is a soft fabric, I was worried that if any dirt or debris entered the case it would get trapped in the lining and could then scratch the nano. An opening that fastened closed somehow would be a welcome design addition.

The Bottom Line
I have ambivalent feelings about this iPod nano case from WaterField Designs. Regular readers know that I'm a fan of their products, but this case just doesn't float my boat like their other gear does. I think it looks great and the quality of materials and workmanship can't be beat. But the small opening made removing the iPod a frustrating experience and the opening at the top had me worried about getting dirt into the case. This is a high quality offering, but one that could use a little tweaking I think.

The good: outstanding construction and workmanship; looks great; protective.
The not so good: iPod difficult to remove from case; top opening always open.

For more information: SFBags.com

Related:
- iPoditude Review: WaterField Designs iPod Gear Pouch
- iPoditude Review: WaterField Designs small iPod Gear Pouch