Expert's Rating
Pros
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Our Verdict
Keeping your iPod free of scratches and dings is great, but sometimes you want the style of your slick second-generation iPod nano to shine through. In cases like that, you turn to cases like this: Mophie’s Relo Radura.
Similar to cases such as Agent 18’s NanoShield, the Relo Radura is comprised of two pieces of clear polycarbonate plastic. Rather than snapping together though, both pieces are fitted to the curves of the second gen nano, much like Agent 18’s clip-on NanoShock. Clip both pieces in place and your nano is protected from head to toe (or, if you prefer, from hold switch to dock connector). A circular, recessed opening lets you access your nano’s Click Wheel, and the bottom is open for using the dock-connector port and headphone jack; you can also easily access the hold switch on the top of the nano.
Because the case clips to the iPod instead of to itself, you don’t have to worry about it coming apart easily. The plastic is thick and feels solid; dropping your nano on the floor (as I’ve done accidentally) is unlikely to do any damage. Best of all, the case’s transparency complements the nano’s brilliantly colored exterior (assuming you have a colored nano, of course).
The case takes a bit of force to remove, but once I realized that I wasn’t likely to damage the case or iPod by accident, I didn’t worry about applying the necessary force. The only real complaint I have with the Relo Radura is that I had trouble using some third-party dock-connector accessories — SendStation’s Pocket Dock, for example — with my nano in the case. Apple’s (thinner) USB dock-connector cable fits perfectly, though.
A big draw of the Radura case is its modularity: Mophie also makes a line of Relo iPod accessories that includes a hardshell wallet, a belt clip, an armband, and an audio splitter. The Radura is compatible with all of these add-ons.
All in all, the Relo Radura is a slick case that not only protects your second gen nano, but also shows it off to great effect without hampering its usability. –Dan Moren