iLounge

Company: Marware

Website: www.Marware.com

Model: Sportsuit Sensor+

Price: $10

Compatible: Nike + iPod Sport Kit

Marware Sportsuit Sensor+ for Nike + iPod Sport Kit

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By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Category: Armbands and Athletic Add-Ons, Cases - iPod nano

If you don't want to shell out $90 or more for a new pair of Nike+ sneakers to use with Apple and Nike's Nike + iPod Sport Kit, Marware's Sportsuit Sensor+ ($10) is a very viable and much less expensive alternative. Using matte black neoprene and Velcro with a small elastic inner pouch, Marware has created a holder just large enough for the Sport Kit's Sensor component, designed to attach to any pair of sneakers by wrapping firmly around the shoelaces. Thanks to the Velcro, which can be made as taut as you need it to be, Sensor+ holds tight during your runs, and properly conveys your performance data to your iPod nano.

There’s not a lot to say about the Sensor+ design save that it fully works as promised: unlike SwitchEasy’s cooler-looking and slightly less expensive Runabout (iLounge rating: C), we had no problem getting the Sensor and Sensor+ combination to initially link with the Sport Kit’s nano-mounted receiver, and Sensor+ stayed firmly on our shoelaces. Though Nike doesn’t promise 100% accuracy for the Sport Kit, our test performance data appeared to be the same with Sensor+ as with our pairs of Nike+ sneakers.

The only reason Sensor+ isn’t an ideal solution is pricing relative to other, similar options: for the $10 sticker price, which just feels a bit high for such a simple fabric sleeve, you also don’t get the two little Nike + iPod Sport Kit receiver caps that come with Switcheasy’s $8 product - the Sensor+ holder is all that’s in the box. If you want more, you’ll need to spend an additional $20 for Marware’s $30 SportSuit Relay package, which comes with both the Sensor+ and a convertible wristband/armband holder for the first- or second-generation iPod nano. Since other companies’ similar pouches - not yet reviewed by iLounge - are selling for around $6 a piece, and Nike sells its official Shoe Wallet alternative for the same price as Sensor+, including additional space inside for cash or a card, we consider Sensor+ as good of an option as we’ve tried, but not the only one out there.