Pros: Beautiful and elegant design is reminiscent of traditional, hand-made craftsmanship. High quality and adequate protection.
Cons: Needs more leather on the sides and clear vinyl shield for LCD display.
Vaja is a company based below the equator in Argentina, where fine leather goods have been produced since the early 1800’s. Made only from the top ten percent of Argentine full-grain leathers, the Vaja Classic case is crafted with exceptional attention to detail.
I still remember the day after having opened the box shipped by Vaja, I was overwhelmed with the smell of genuine cowhide leather. The review unit I received was a gorgeous deep red, and the finish smooth and glossy. It’s a high quality case, but how does it holdup to everyday functionality?
Features and Function
I placed the original 5GB iPod into the case, and the fit was like a glove. Keep in mind this case does not fit the new, thicker 20GB model. Vaja notes that the new thinner iPod 10GB fits the Vaja Classic cases. The case covers only the lower half of the iPod when inserted. I think it would be best if Vaja added enough leather to cover the entire height of the iPod, providing full protection.
For additional reassurance, I would also like to see Vaja add clear vinyl to shield the LCD display against any possible mishaps. The scroll wheel cutout is perfectly aligned and provided easy access.
The padded flip top lid is reinforced with a plastic insert, and provides added protection against bumps and drops. To secure the lid to the front panel, there is two small rectangular magnets positioned at a 45 degree angle in each of the bottom corners. There is also two more magnets on the front panel. When closed, the magnets provide a very easy method to secure the lid and it stays closed. No need to press Velcro or a snap to secure it. However, if you prefer, there is a version available with snap closure for $34.90.
On the back panel of the case is a standard metal post for adding the included swivel belt clip. My preference is without belt clip and if you’re the same, you can order one without the metal post.
Vaja Responds
The Vaja Classic case is both beautiful and functional, but I do have one minor gripe. This is a direct plea to Vaja.
Please make the hole for the earphone plug larger. The audio port hole at the top of the case was the exact diameter as the Apple earphone plug, and made it difficult to plug in. I stopped writing this review and immediately emailed Vaja to make a suggestion to them to make the hole larger. Low and behold, Vaja wrote an email response telling me, after checking with their designers, that they were going to make the hole larger. Score one for the little guy! Several weeks had passed as Vaja readied the new case for release, and I finally received one for inspection. As promised, Vaja delivered an already great case with a larger diameter hole to make life easier when plugging in your Apple or any other brand earphones. Thanks Vaja.
Your Very Own Vaja
Vaja will make you a custom case. Their website is set up to take custom orders for your one-of-a-kind case.
