Pros: It keeps iPod safe. Attachable pouch for headphones. Full-access functionality.
Cons: An abundance of snaps. A lack of style. Protective vinyl appears hand cut.
Early in the development phase of the what would later be known as the BiFold case, Willow Design sought the help of iPod users to give feedback to create the case everybody wanted. The BiFold case was unqiue, because it didn’t look or function like many of its competitor’s cases.
I’ll be taking a look at how different the case is and how it stands up to the standards I’ve come to expect in a well-made case. Though, after having seen the BiFold case for the first time, I wondered, “How am I supposed to use this?”
Securing the iPod
The first test I normally subject a case to is the ease of use in which to secure the iPod into the case. This case uses snap buttons, which makes for a somewhat difficult time securing the iPod if in a rush. The iPod slips in through the top of the case, and the top cover flap is secured with snaps.
One must push on the case (and therefore on the iPod) to secure these two snaps. This was far too difficult and made me worry that I might be damaging my iPod.
Once the iPod was in the case, there were three more snaps to secure the front flap. After several attempts, I was reluctant to put my iPod back in this case. Some readers have expressed a fear of damaging their iPod when securing snaps (however, not on this specific case) and I shared their same fears. Once the iPod was in the case, the fit was perfect. The inside was soft and the iPod was able to slide in smoothly for a secure, but not too snug fit. The slightly larger 20GB iPod fits as well (albeit a tighter fit).
Quality varies
The stitching on the case seemed to be high quality as there were no loose or stray stitches. After a close inspection of the interior of the case, there was no excess glue or rough edges to be found. Once all of the snaps are secured, this case provides a decent protection.
I was dismayed at the hand cut appearance of the protective clear vinyl that surrounds the LCD display and scroll wheel.
The holes appeared to be cut with an X-Acto knife. Another observation was the hole cut into the clear vinyl around the LCD display. Why would you want to cut a hole into the clear vinyl for the LCD display? It didn’t make sense to me. It’s better to leave the clear vinyl over the display to protect against scratches.
The belt clip on the back of the case seemed quite sturdy when tested. I felt safe running around with my iPod in my belt. It never felt as if it would slip off or break off. This was one of the finer points of the case.
At the top of the case is a snap-close cover flap giving access to the Hold switch, FireWire and audio ports. The one side can be un-snapped for access to the Hold switch.
Attachments
There were two Velcro attachments on the bottom side of the case which allowed a small zipper pouch to be connected. This is an excellent way to store the headphones, although I was frequently checking to make sure that the pouch had not detached from the case.
