Pros: Comfortable black iPod nano or iPod shuffle armbands made from cotton terrycloth, with clear plastic front that permits iPod’s controls and/or screen to be seen. Feels good on your wrist.
Cons: Those with huge forearms might prefer bicep-mounted options.
This new black terry cloth exercise wristband wraps around your wrist, holding your iPod nano or iPod shuffle snugly inside a clear vinyl-covered compartment. Headphones stick out of the Sport Wristband’s only hole, which is at its bottom with the nano, top with the shuffle. It’s easily washed when you’re done with a particularly moist workout.
Each Jamband pack includes a single wristband.
When we reviewed the terrycloth iPod shuffle armband accessories called Shuffle Sweats from iMojo (iLounge rating: A-) last year, it was inevitable that similar solutions would follow for other iPods, though we expected them to come from the same manufacturer. Now Carrie Scott, a unit of Herchmer, has released an evolved iPod nano version called Jamband, which is essentially the same concept but with appropriate advancements for the modestly larger but thinner color-screened iPod. It’s made to fit around an average-sized wrist, and does so, though bigger users may find it tight.
Though Jamband is marketed as shuffle- or nano-ready, and does in fact work well with both low-end iPods, it’s clearly better suited to the nano: a clear vinyl window is integrated into the otherwise terrycloth band, permitting you to access the nano’s screen and controls without issue inside. Though the simple glossy texture isn’t as ideally suited to nano Click Wheel use as a thinner matte surface, it works acceptably for the most part, and provides a much clearer look at nano – or shuffle – in the process.
Either iPod sits inside a terrycloth chamber that holds it in place while you’re running or working out, and because of the elasticity of the Jamband, we found the tension level perfect for the iPod, and similarly comfortable on our arms.
The protection level here contrasts heavily with Shuffle Sweats, which left the shuffle exposed at all times – something we found more tolerable for that nearly disposable iPod model – and focused instead on offering a cord management feature. Jamband’s iPod coverage choices are smarter, though you lose the cord manager in the process.
And you pay more for what you get here. Shuffle Sweats sold in packs of 2 for $19, which we considered a good deal for the dollar; Jamband sells individually for only a little less, which is obviously not as good of a deal, but not offensively so given the protective improvements here. Given that other nano wristbands typically sell for more and don’t feel as comfortable as this one, we still consider this a highly recommendable accessory, and one of the first ones we’d pick for our own workout needs.
