REVIEW: iVod Nano SP case

VajaCases sent us in their iVod nano SP case, for the 1st Generation iPod Nano. It has easy access to all functions, a screen protector, access to Headphone jack & Dock connector, syncs and charges through Apple travel cable, there are several colors available, it has optional clip systems & click wheel protector. Read more.

[Special thanks to Jean-Baptiste Queru for testing the case for us.]

I've been using a Vaja case for my 1st generation iPod nano for the last few weeks. The case is an i-volution SP, red and blue (pretty much the same colors as the original Ford GT40 that won Le Mans in 1969, i.e. red and blue, but they're swapped compared to the color scheme of the classic race car).

The construction of the case is top-notch. The iPod slips in smoothly and doesn't slide out on its own, but can be removed without a problem. For a moment I was worried that the junction between the colors would not hold for long, but it still looks as good today as it did when I take it off its box, so I guess that it'll hold just fine.

The materials are excellent. I've carried the case in my pocket for a few weeks, and it doesn't show a single sign of damage or wear. It's made of really good leather. I'm confident that it can last a long time.

I have two gripes, though:

-the (optional) protection for the click wheel gets quite in the way - I found that scrolling around or pressing the menu zone aren't quite easy as they are on the naked iPod, such that it can't be used "by instinct". I primarily use my nano in shuffle mode, so I don't use the wheel a lot, but I'd find the issue annoying in a situation where I'd carry my entire music collection, e.g. if I had a hard-drive-based iPod. Since the protection is optional, I'd recommend not getting it

-because the iPod slips through the top of the case but the headphones connector of the nano is at the bottom, the jack ends up being recessed quite deep. This isn't a problem with the headphones that come with the iPod, and it end up being barely OK with my Sony E828LP headphones, but the larger jack of my Sony XD400 headphones simply doesn't fit in. The issue wouldn't exist if the case was designed to insert the iPod through the bottom and if the case was designed to have exactly the right height; unfortunately with such a design the dock connector wouldn't be nearly as well protected.

Overall though, this is one of the best Nano cases out there, luxurious and functional.

Get your own iVod Nano SP case from here.