When it comes to working out with your iPod, armbands are hard to beat. Cable cross-overs aside, armbands keep your iPod and earphones out of harms way during almost any activity. Go to change the track you are listening too, however, and depending on where your iPod is actually positioned you will likely have to either turn your neck a good ways to the side or position your arm in such a manner that it looks like you threw your shoulder out.

Maybe we're exaggerating a little, but that's the best argument we could come up with for hanging up your armband and swapping it out for carrie.scott's new JamBand wristband for iPod nanos. Wristband isn't a general description, either�it's literally a regular black terry-cloth wristband normally used for sopping up sweat that has been altered to holster an iPod nano.

Carrie Scott Jam Band

The JamBand isn't the first time we've seen the wristband concept: we received the iMojo wristband for iPod shuffle (5 stars) almost a year ago and found the design and convenience to be simply first-rate. Unfortunately, we can't award such a positive reception to this nano adaptation.

The JamBand features a nano-sized pouch with a stitched-in clear plastic window that nearly matches the nano's size, giving you the ability to easily view its display, access the controls, and show it off all at the same time. Owing to design limitations, however, the plastic has a tendency to bubble and warp at the expense of precise finger control. If all you want is to be able to jam to the next track, the JamBand lets you do so sans sweat, but if you're looking to manipulate that tiny click wheel with your sweaty paws through the plastic, it might take some patience.

This limitation is inherent to these plastic protectors themselves, and thus is not substantially worse than other cases that feature plastic instead of thinner silicone (DLO's Podfolio is similar). The shortcoming lies in having to press down on the plastic in order for the nano to register your finger movement, while hoping it does so smoothly and consistantly as you go around in circles (it seldom does). Any iPod holder that adds hassle simply isn't worth it to us while working out.

Compared to the iMojo, the JamBand is also about 50 percent wider and better resembles double-wide wrist bands. Great for Jimmy Connors, not so great for the more fashion conscious. (Don the JamBand with a pair of weightlifting wraps and watch your arm resemble a Nintendo PowerGlove, as the skin from your fingertips to your upper forearms are swallowed by fabric.) The JamBand also lacks the convenient headphone cable wrap functionality that the iMojo has.

The Bottom Line

iPod wristbands are a promising idea that, when well implemented, can be very convenient. The JamBand unfortunately lacks any compelling feature for nano users who were not already dead-set on finding a way to work-out with their iPod closer to their wrist. For our money, armbands are still the way to go.