Pros: Customized case with fine leather detail and craftsmanship. Over forty colors to choose from with a variety of lining and stitching options. A backsnap is available, but at an extra cost.
Cons: Although completely customizable, the price is on the high side. Difficult to use with larger headphones. Bottom, Click Wheel and Hold switch are exposed.
Just when we thought we’d seen everything in iPod cases, along came New York-based AB Sutton with these new Nano Slip cases ($68-88) for the first- or second-generation iPod nano. Handmade from kidskin leather with silk or cotton interiors, the bare $68 version of Nano Slip can be customized in your choice of leather, lining, thread and trim colors, and added to with a backsnap for an additional $15. Alternately, you can pick from five different styles of embossed or two-layer Nano Slips like the ones shown here for $78, or choose a custom monogrammed or starburst version for $88.
As nice as AB Sutton’s old iPod mini cases were, the new Nano Slips are that much better. Custom case orders receive an order acknowledgement card in the mail along with a felt slip-on case to tide the recipient over while the cases are made to order. The final case arrives in a neatly-wrapped box, and feels every bit the luxury item.
Arriving with the almost intoxicating smell of fine leather, New York based AB Sutton’s new Nano Slip case ($68-88) is now available for the first- or second-generation nano. And it gives Vaja’s iVod (iLounge rating: B+), arguably the company’s strongest competitor, a run for its designer dollar.
AB Sutton’s customized Slip cases start at $68, offering you a choice of leather, lining and thread and trim colors. Alternately, you can pick from five different styles of embossed or two-layer Nano Slips like the ones shown here for $78, or choose a custom monogrammed or starburst version for $88. Smart design touches make the Slip stand out from other leather products we have tested, but you’ll have to decide whether they’re worth the considerably higher price.
After an online order is placed with AB Sutton, the customer is sent an order acknowledgement card in the mail along with a felt slip-on case to tide the recipient over while the cases are made to order. The final case arrives in a neatly wrapped box, and feels every bit like a luxury item.
Each customized case is made from kidskin leather with silk or cotton interiors and by leather case standards, feels surprisingly soft and a little thin.
A plastic screen protector is sewn into each Slip. As we’d expect from a quality handmade leather case, we found no problem with stitching or any other aspect of the design; however, after some testing, we noticed that the soft leather does show minor scratches and/or indentations. AB Sutton does note on its website that the case should be handled with care. It’s worth noting that custom case orders are not returnable for any reason aside from glaring defects.
The base version of the Nano Slip can be customized in your choice of forty-four leather colors, and there are over forty lining colors, plus over eighty thread and trim colors. Besides the fact that the individual case samples we received were legitimately eye-catching and attractive to us, the degree of customization offered by AB Sutton continues to be the most impressive we’ve seen for a leather case. A backsnap can be added for an additional $15 premium, which strikes us as being a bit pricey for such a tiny feature.
Unfortunately, Nano Slip is only average in protectiveness. There are holes for the Click Wheel and Hold switch, and the nano’s entire bottom is exposed to the elements.
