Review: Proporta iPod 2G Aluminum Lined Leather Case

Posted by: Ragart on Nov 30 2008

Hot on the heels of the Thanksgiving sales comes JAMM’s (I’d say lightning, but that’s a Gizmodo trademark) review of yet another Proportan offering. Yes, I made the name into an adjective.

The 2G iPod Touch in my house was cold and alone after being purchased, but that all ended when Proporta kindly shipped me an aluminum (or aluminium) lined leather case from across “the pond”. The case has covered my device in leather and protected the screen with a sheet of aluminum. This review is the story of their relationship. So hit the jump to see how well this Cupertino computer got along with the enclosure from England (oh god, that was lame).

One of the things that struck me off the bat was how minimal Proporta’s new packaging is. It shows you the product and lets you get to it without resorting to the heaviest pair of scissors you can find . And who doesn’t like the free bag of tea they provide with every purchase? Anyway, onto the real thing:

Design

The case is a looker in black, but you can choose purple/blue/brown. It also manages to keep a slim profile. This is great, since the iPod Touch is a nice and light device that should be able to slip into any pocket easily (even with a case on). The aluminum-lined cover folds flat behind, so there’s virtually no difference with the cover on or “off”.

All ports and buttons (because the iPod Touch has soooo many of them are easily accessible through cut-outs in the leather. The material adds grip to the device, but I don’t think the 2G really needs help in that area. What I’m most grateful for is the aluminum cover to add some shock protection and the leather that covers the whole back of the device. I really, really don’t understand why Apple chooses to keep making the backs of iPods so ridiculously shiny. Simple acts like breathing will leave scratches on them.  But let’s move on, the back’s covered.

When you flip the lid open there’s also a small pocket that I’m assuming is for little things. I’m just not sure what those little things would be, since none of my cards or other tech will fit in there. I suppose I could put an SD card in there, but the iPod Touch doesn’t read any cards (unless my wishful thinking comes true real soon). I’m sure there is a purpose for that pocket, but it’s eluded me even up till now.

Quality

Now let’s get to the meat of the review: how does this case fare in the everyday? People buy leather for a reason — not just for the protection, but for a certain look and texture to cover their devices. This is where I feel the case has room for improvement, especially at its price range. The case costs $48.95, but the quality of the leather just doesn’t compare to other offerings I’ve seen. I’ve reviewed a couple of Sena cases for my iPhone ($42-52 price range) that just felt a lot more sturdy. I’m not sure if it’s the different kind of leather or just the thickness, but Proporta’s offering falls short here.

The point I’m getting at here is that I don’t feel that the quality justifies the price. The front of the case (first pic below) still hasn’t bent the right way after three weeks of daily usage and actually covers a portion of the screen (it’s hard to capture in pictures, but a  1cm or so of the top of the screen is blocked from view).  Unfortunately, the cool Proporta logo on the front of the case has also fallen off :(.

I’d expect this scenario if the case were around $15-20, but for nearly $50 I think the case should fit pretty much perfectly and last for a while. I’ve reviewed a laptop and two other iPod cases from Proporta, all of which featured a more secure fit.

What I liked:

• aluminum “screen saver” is solid and will protect the screen from minor impact
• leather protects all sides except switches from scratches
• cover folds flat to back of case; easy to use

What could be improved:

• thickness or quality of leather could be improved, case feels a bit flimsy in places because it’s so thin
• more rigid form would ensure that the case doesn’t block the top corners of screen

Proporta’s aluminum lined offering will help keep your screen safe and your iPod unscathed, but the price just feels too high considering the build quality.

Availability: Proporta

Price: $48.95

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