Pros: A soft, relatively simple bag that cleans and protects the iPod mini inside, fully protecting entire body when metal-reinforced drawstring is closed, holds headphones. Resists water and static.
Cons: No control or screen access when inside; no belt clip ability, little anti-drop protection, few colors.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of iPod cases – those designed specifically to hold an iPod, as indicated by ways to conveniently access screen and/or controls, and those designed generally to hold something the approximate size and shape of an iPod. Our reviews tend to give preference to the first type of case both because it’s easier to use and because it requires more than just a decision to resize some generic holder for an iPod product.
However – and this is a big however – there are some otherwise generic cases we’ve liked because of some other feature or style they’ve offered. The new Moshi Mini iPouch ($14.99) from Aevoe is one of them. Stated most cynically, it’s a cloth bag with a metal-reinforced plastic drawstring and an extra pocket. Its back is bare, and it has only a small gray and green Moshi logo tag on its side.
But while we’ve seen more than our fair share of cases that deserve a cynical approach, the Mini iPouch is not one of them. It’s actually a case we’ve enjoyed using for specific applications, and plan to keep using.
The Mini iPouch may be a cloth bag, but it’s not a generic cloth bag. A fabric called terahedron combines the softness of fleece with water resilience and attractive anti-scratch characteristics. Put your iPod mini inside and Mini iPouch will clean its screen with every touch. If you get a little bit wet, no problem; your iPod mini won’t, unless Mini iPouch’s top is open and the water splashes up there. Using the drawstring properly will prevent this from being likely, even when you’re using headphones.
The bag is also treated for anti-static protection.
An external front pocket embossed with a headphone icon provides enough space to store Apple’s earbuds (or most others) inside. The pocket’s open at the top and thereby not quite as water-shielded, but it still provides a soft fabric cushion that’s superior to leaving buds hanging in your pocket. We’ve used and appreciated this pocket – it’s better than carrying around a cord manager, though it leaves open the possibility of tangles.
We also really liked the way our sample Mini iPouch looked. Its blue color wasn’t a spot-on match for either first- or second-generation iPod minis, but it still looked very nice. Moshi offers five colors – black, tan, blue, green, and pink – with the notable omission of a silver or gray – and we’d be inclined to choose iPod-matching colors or go with black. Our white standard-sized iPouch looks nice, but also has more potential to show dirt.
The overall look and feel of the design was very appropriate to our current daily iPod use – Mini iPouch is a case we could tote the iPod mini around in before pulling it out and tossing it into a car mount that isn’t sized to accommodate a case.
