Works With
First generation iPod nano
Second generation iPod nano
The Good
Light and warm
Smart cord-management system
Protects all of iPod from the elements
The Bad
iPod gets cold
Hard to control iPod with gloves on
The Price
US$15.95
Like the company’s Running Cap for iPod nano, the iXoundWear Knit Cap for iPod nano provides a neat way for you to bring your iPod with you outdoors, whether that means on hikes, runs, or just shoveling snow.
The Knit Cap is a standard winter hat that comes in five colors - black, white, red, salmon, and khaki – with one big change: it also accommodates a first or second generation iPod nano. The cap does this with the combination of a small pouch that holds the nano tight and completely covers it, while still allowing access to the clickwheel and screen, and a small area for storing the headphone cords that can be wrapped around an included plastic post. These features, combined with well-positioned slots for the headphones to be run through, create a good outdoor iPod kit.
The problems with the Knit Cap, though, come in places that the Running Hat doesn’t have trouble. This is due mostly to the different weather each hat is intended for. While the Running Hat is designed to be used in good, warm weather, the Knit Cap is intended for cold, maybe even snowy, days.
The way that the iPod pouch completely protects the iPod is a good start towards alleviating any concerns about the hat. And though the pouch protects the iPod, it doesn’t keep it warm. I spent abut 20 minutes outside on a fairly cold day (it was, perhaps, 20-30 degrees) with the hat on and when I went back inside, the iPod was fairly cold. Though I doubt limited exposure to cold will harm the iPod, I’d be a little concerned about long-term exposure, especially in colder temperatures.
Cold temperatures are also likely to be accompanied by gloved fingers. This is the other place that using the cap outdoors is difficult: it’s very difficult to control the clickwheel through the plastic that covers it when wearing gloves. This is as much a function of the iPod’s clickwheel as the hat, but it’s still a challenge, especially on cold days when you don’t want to even take your gloves off for a minute.
Despite these obstacles, the iXoundWear Knit Cap for iPod nano makes a solid package for people who want to take their iPod out into the winter cold.
