iPod nanos have become very popular in a very short amount of time. Because they are so small they are very fragile. It would really stink to drop one or get one wet. It could end up costing you as much as $249 for a new one. To keep your new iPod safe you can either lock it up and never use it or you can buy an Otterbox for it. The Otterbox is a great small case that fits your iPod perfectly and protects it from water, sand, dirt and the accidental drop.

Features

• Waterproof, dustproof, dirtproof, sandproof, and drop-proof
• ClickWheel protected by a thin membrane which remains fully functional through the case
• When combined with waterproof headphones, it becomes possible to take your iPod® swimming
• Included belt clip provides cable management for your headphones
• External headphone jack usable with any style headphones with a standard mini stereo plug (1/8”)
• Lifetime replacement guarantee

I have not had an iPod for long, but just holding one will tell you that they are not tough enough to survive a drop or a dunk in the water. These are every day hazards that we face with our electronics. You may be taking it out of your pocket and you get bumped or it just slips from your hand and once it hits the ground you know it is gone forever. Kids are especially notorious for destroying small electronics.

Because the OtterBox is specifically designed for the iPod nano you don’t have to worry about it taking up a lot more space in your pocket, or adding a lot more weight to the device. Even with the small size it can still provide all the protection that you should expect from a high quality case.

The OtterBox for iPod nano is waterproof up to 3ft, and it offers sand, dirt, and some drop protection. If you happen to have a set of water proof headphones you can even take this swimming. However, don’t go to deep because the Otterbox is only rated for 3ft. That means you can wade around in the water but don’t go to the bottom of the pool, even in the shallow end. It is a good thing the Otterbox for iPod nano floats, otherwise if you dropped it in the pool you would have to retrieve it before it sank too deep and potentially sprung a leak.

Design

The design for the Otterbox for iPod nano is very simple. It has a clear plastic front so that you can see the screen. There is also a small area around the click wheel that is covered with a clear membrane. This membrane gives you the ability to interact with the iPod nano while keeping it dry and clean. The membrane is not very thick so don’t let sharp objects get near it because they will puncture it.

The other sides of the case are made of hard plastic that is about 1/4 of an inch thick. It is opaque so you can see through it, but it is not clear enough to see any detail. The back consists of a belt clip. On the bottom is a standard headphone jack. Like I mentioned before, the headphone jack is water tight so if you have water proof headphones then you can do a little surface swimming with your iPod.

Getting in and out of the OtterBox of iPod nano is not overly difficult. There is a small, but secure latch on the top that you just need to flip for it to open. There is one hinge on the bottom that allows it to open in a v-shape. It does not open completely and you may find it difficult to get your iPod in at first, but you will come to realize that not opening all the way prevents the iPod from accidentally falling out when you open the case. When you put the iPod nano in the case you need to make sure that you push it all the way down on the 35mm jack so that you get a good connection. You will also want to make sure the click wheel is lined up with the membrane, otherwise you cannot use it.

Unfortunately, there is no space for syncing the iPod with your computer. So every time you want to add songs you must remove it from the case. This can get tedious after a while, but if you buy the bigger iPod nano you will have enough internal memory that you should never run out of songs to listen to.

Performance

So how do you test a case that claims to be water proof and drop resistant? Well, you put it in water and you drop it. As you can see from the pictures below I put the case, with the iPod inside, in my sink and left it there for a while to make sure it had plenty of opportunity to get wet. Because the case floats I made sure I pushed it down so that it was completely submerged. When I took the case out of the water and dried it off I opened it up and the iPod was completely dry. Even though this case is waterproof OtterBox does not recommend that you take it lower than about 3 feet. Because the case floats, you don’t have to worry about it sinking deep in a lake or ocean if you are out on a boat.

So the next test is to drop it. Most people are probably worried about the iPod slipping form their hands or out of their pocket, so to test it I tried dropping it from about hip height. The iPod remained secure during all my tests.

Warranty and Support

OtterBox offers a fantastic lifetime replacement warranty on their cases. This is the kind of warranty that I would like to see on all products. More companies need to stand by their products like OtterBox does. As far as I can tell the warranty only covers the Otterbox and not damage to the iPod. I would have given them a perfect 10 for service and support if they also covered damage to the iPod while it is in the case. It is of little consolation to know that if it leaks you can get a new Otterbox, but you have to shell out another $200 for a new iPod.

Conclusion

If you are in need of really good protection for your iPod, then this is for you. Most people probably won’t find themselves in this kind of a situation all the time, but if you go boating, swimming, camping, fishing, or hiking and you want to take your iPod then you can probably find a use for this case. People with small kids may even want to get this to protect their iPod. With the addition of a lifetime warranty it is easily worth the price. The Otterbox for iPod nano has a suggested retail price of $39.99. If you compare that to the price of a new iPod, then I think you will have to agree that protecting your iPod is worth every penny.

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