In my last product review I talked about my latest running accessory, the iPod nano. I have to tell you it has been an absolute pleasure and motivator. “But Jonathan,” you ask, “don’t you look silly carrying an iPod nano in your hand running down the road?” Of course not! That’s because my iPod nano is secured snuggly around my arm via the Nike + Sport Armband for iPod Nano – Black/Atom Red
I do like it though. I fits like a glove and I barely notice it at all. Except for this one time I got it on wrong and halfway through the run I felt it pinching the inside of my arm. I easily straightened it out without even stopping, which just proved that it was adjustable “in flight” so to speak. The iPod fits very snuggly in the armband and the opening at the top assures me that it will not go tumbling out while I am running. The stretchy “lightweight Nike Pro Compression fabric” wraps around my arm nicely without cutting off my blood pressure. I like the way it feels and it’s washable to boot. According to Nike (Public, NYSE:NKE) it’s also supposed to protect your iPod from your sweat, which is good because I pump out the perspiration a plenty while I’m running.
Complaints: There is no window in the front. The front has markings where the dial wheel of the iPod is, but there is no window so you can tell what the heck you are doing with the controls. 😐 Not only that, but the volume spinner does NOT work through the armband. I’ve tried several different times and in several different ways and usually I just end up hitting the next song by pushing too hard.
Ok, so I’m running… not being a D.J. I can get over these shortcomings. The key here is to set all of your controls before you start your run. Setup your playlists for your run ahead of time. Set your shuffle settings ahead of time. Set your volume ahead of time. Get everything setup the way you want it during your run… ahead of time. Click play, then pause. Slide the hold slider over. Put the iPod into the armband. Get it all situated onto your arm with headphones/earbuds in place. Slide the hold slider off and click play… then off you go. It took me a few runs to get used to this, but now it’s not really a big deal. I don’t really need to see the screen while I’m running and I don’t have need to control anything while I’m running. If I want to hit the next song that’s pretty easy to do. I would like to be able to adjust the volume, but oh well.
All in all, it’s a good armband for me and it gets the job done. My complaints about it are minor and the awe that I feel from being able to run with the iPod nano more than make up for any of it’s shortcomings. So if you took my advice and picked up your own iPod nano then consider getting a Nike + Sport Armband to accompany you on your sporting adventures. That way you won’t sweat all over your cool new toy. 🙂