Aaron Adams’s Blowhard Blog

I love my iPod shuffle because in 99% of the situations where I listen to music, I want a randomized playlist of songs I’ve chosen beforehand. The shuffle fits that purpose perfectly, and to top everything off, it’s small, light, simple, and inexpensive. I love my iPod shuffle so much that I sold my regular iPod on ebay and have only the shuffle now.

Because of the shuffle’s size and weight, I find myself carrying it around much more than I did my iPod. I do my damnedest to take care of my electronics, to keep them in near-new condition, but I know that one day I’m going to drop or toss my iPod shuffle and it’s going to be damaged. In an attempt to prevent that damage, I started looking at the array of shuffle cases out there. All kinds of designs are available, and I wanted to get the right case to protect my shuffle. I had a preconceived idea of what the case should be, and it took a while to find it.

I didn’t want a case that covers the entire shuffle. I didn’t want a case that weighs as much or more than the shuffle itself. I didn’t want a case with screws or snaps or clips that hold it together. I didn’t want a case that hid my iPod shuffle. I wanted a durable rubber-like casing that fit the outside of my shuffle. I wanted a case that was simple to fit my shuffle into and remove. I wanted something with a loop or hook attached.

Marware had what I wanted.

Marware’s SportGrip for iPod shuffle is exactly what I had in mind, with colors to boot. Made of silicone, the SportGrip is reasonably thick and comes in black, gray, white, pink, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, and plum. (I chose green because I liked the color scheme of the iPod shuffle packaging, it matches the green on the slider control, and I wanted something bright and happy.) The silicone has a bit of a texture to it, and I wonder how long it will be before it starts to accumulate hand and desk dirt.

At the bottom of the SportGrip is a loop made from the same silicone as the rest of the case, and through that loop is a small key ring, which can be attached to a zipper, for instance. The SportGrip also comes with a hook for attaching a shuffle to a belt loop or similar object. The only thing that concerns me about the SportGrip’s attachment method is how durable the silicone loop will be over time. It’s somewhat soft and flexible, but not fragile, and I wonder how often it can be tugged and stretched before it wears out and splits. In any case, the key ring and hook provide a more flexible and less nerdy alternative to the “geek necklace” Apple includes with the shuffle.

The SportGrip fits the shuffle fairly snugly and is in no danger of coming loose. To sync a shuffle with iTunes, it’s a matter of pulling back the SportGrip and removing the shufle, or alternately, stretching the SportGrip to remove the cap while leaving the SportGrip attached, as illustrated on Marware’s product page.

The single thing I would label as a drawback to the SportGrip is that it’s closeness to the forward and back buttons make them a bit more difficult to press. I have to come at the buttons from an angle that’s not straight-on, or maybe push the case out of the way just a bit. It’s not a serious inconvenience that detracts from other benefits of the case, and I’m not sure how it could be designed any other way.

Overall, the SportGrip was the case I wanted for my shuffle. I have every confidence that it will protect my shuffle from a drop or mild accidental projectile motion. It won’t protect the shuffle from being crushed or scratched on the face, as some harder cases might, but I’m careful enough to make sure the shuffle is never in a situation where that might happen, so it’s not a consideration for me. And at less than half the cost of most other cases, it’s a good deal also.

Marware’s SportGrip for iPod shuffe
$8.95