DLO PodFolio Review

[AlphaRob]

I got the PodFolio for free when I bought my HomeDock from DLO. I have to say, I had my doubts. It was actually just a few days before I was planning on heading over to my local Apple store and getting an iSkin evo3. Well, the PodFolio made me change my mind.

The leather is extremely high-quality and amazingly soft. It smells great if you like leathery smells...I for one love them. (I own three leather jackets, so...you can guess.) It does scratch a bit easily, but the scratches don't bother me much.

Let's talk about the way the case looks. I can sum it up in one word: Stunning. But if you'd like another word, how about 'professional'? Because honestly, that's the first thing that came to mind when I popped my black 30 GB 5G (Pandora) in. It looks stunning, really stunning. And very pro too. It doesn't have the shiny, rounded, colerful look of the iSkins or other silicon cases, but it also doesn't have the rather cheap look of some leather cases (Certain Sumos, to be exact...). This looks like it's high qaulity, soft, and rich leather. And it should, since it is.

Build Quality: 9/10

I was nervous at first because it has no screen protection, click-wheel protection, top protection, dock port protection, or corner protection. Realistically, all it "protects" is the front and the back. And not very much of the front, to boot. However, it has one "but" attached...the flip-cover. I usually dislike flip covers because they are an annoyance when watching videos on the iPod. But for some reason, I'll have to make an exception on this one. The flip cover, when flipped on, fully covers the entire face of the iPod and the top of the player (other then a generous hole for headphones). Overall, it's pretty good for protection. Not any worse then the stock Apple slip cases, which by the way do a great job of protection if you actually use them. Get some film for use with this case and you'll be happy. Guarenteed.

Protectiveness: 8/10

Now that I mentioned the headphone port, let's talk about that for a second. It's a shocker. Why? Because the way it's designed, it cators more to 3rd-Party headphones with angled plugs then the stock Apple headphones. Most of the headphones I use have angled plugs, so this was a great surprise for me. It may be a good or bad thing to other people however. The flip-cover actually goes back farther with angled plugs then it does with plugs similar to the Apple earbuds, making it far more convienent. Using the case itself couldn't be easier I don't think. You take it out of the box, remove the filler foam piece, put your iPod inside, and you're good to go. Another shocker for me was the fit. Since it's a bi-Pod case (I should trademark that phrase if it hasn't been yet...bi-Pod...heh heh...) and is made for both 30 and 60 GB sizes, I expected the fit to be a bit loose on my humble little Pandora and her 30 gigabytes. But on the contrary! It's an amazingly snug...even tight...fit. It went in after a bit of pushing, and honestly, it was a little annoying having to push so hard to get an iPod into a case...but it was worth it. I'd rather it be a nice, snug fit then a loose fit and have it fall out or something of that nature. When the pod is in, you shut the magnetic flip cover and you're good to go!

Ease of Use: 10/10

And now let's discuss the price. 30 bucks is the retail value, but I've actually seen it from anywhere from 20 to 45 in some stores and some online retailers. So, how is this case worth $30.00? Well, quite simply, it's a protective, not to mention extremely well made, high-quality leather case. If you want a leather case, this is the one I'd suggest. It's worth the 30 bucks for sure.

Value: 9/10

This is a great case. Good value, good protection, and great look and feel. Get it if you're tied between cases and want a good alternative, get it if you want something professional, get it if you want a leather case. It's a case that'll be great for a lot of people. It doesn't matter if you're a businessman or a punk rocker, it'll go with practically any attire. It's a looker, that's for sure. And that's why it gets a solid A-.

~AlphaRob

[ipodphoto30]

great review, the podfolio case looks and feels really nice.

it's not the kind of case for me though.

[dmk1974]

How thick is the case? Both with the lid open and closed (and iPod inside of course).

Thanks!