For the past several months I’ve had two products from Waterfield Designs in my possession, lusting to be reviewed by this humble writer. The benefit of waiting too long to sit down and review a product is that you actually end up using it. The two items in question are both the large and small iPod Gear Pouch. The first thing you notice about the pouches is their size. When one visualizes an “iPod case”, you’d likely picture something form-fitting and snug - not the 10” x 5.3”x 1.0” the large pouch comes in at. This, as I discovered, was not a drawback or fault in the design of the pouch.

Sure, a small, trim case is lovely and functional for a run or drive about town, but even the most space-concious iPod owner is going to encounter a situation where the cargo capabilities of their default case are not adequate. A weekend road trip where you need to haul along accessories such as an FM transmitter/car adaptor, headphones, geiger counter, etc., is where the large pouch shines. In fact, the grandé pouch is hefty enough to fit any iPod, a compact digital camera and the odds and ends associated with both. The interior is lined with 6 separate compartments, allowing for safe and efficient keep of even the most losable item. Add to that a large zipper-locked pocket on the exterior of the bag and you’ve got some serious room. The pouch is an ideal place to store - even (and especially) when not traveling - all sorts of electronic gadgetry, freeing up that over-stuffed drawer or precious desk space. This is precisely the function the bigger of the pouches served for this dashing reviewer-of-goods. Perhaps the best feature of this case is the construction and durability. Both are built solidly out of high-quality nylon and have sufficient padding to protect you from the most bone-headed of drops and bumps.

Rather than being an alternative to its bigger brother, the small pouch seems to complement it. The 7.75” x 3.25”x 1.2” pouch is visually around half the size, but maintains the durability and generous capacity of the larger pouch. The interior houses 5 separate cavities for your goodies and is large enough to accommodate a fifth generation iPod, earbuds, firewire/USB cable, chewing gum and a contact lens case, excellent for that unexpected overnight stay. Overall, the smaller pouch is the more convenient to tote around, while using the large case as a storage unit to draw from as you need.

Perhaps the last great feature of these two cases is that they won’t set you back a whole lot for what you get. The small and large, respectively priced at $29 and $35, are available in a variety of sporting colors to suit the discriminating tastes of the average iPod owner and are both highly recommended.

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