Flip cases tend to offer some of the best protection for your iPod, wrapping every corner (and screen and click wheel) to protect it from just about anything. The downside to the covert appearance is reduced flexibility: you naturally need to flip the case open to do anything with the iPod, even if it's just reading the screen.

DLO's PodFolio case for the iPod nano is your typical flip case, crafted from soft black leather with a built-in belt clip—the case is neither especially appealing nor unappealing.

DLO PodFolio flipped open

One aspect of the case that differentiates it from the competition, such as Pacific Design's more elaborate Flip Case (3 stars), is that DLO bowed to the iPod nano's tiny stature and didn't even attempt to make the difficult cuts in the leather to expose the dock adapter or the click wheel. Instead, flipping open the case you find a single piece of clear plastic that protects both the screen and click wheel. Because of the stitching, the plastic tends to bulge out from the iPod, meaning you'll need to apply greater pressure to toggle the click wheel's controls, which already has diminished sensitivity on account of the plastic between it and your finger (hint: it helps to use part of your thumbnail and not just the bottom pad of your thumb).

DLO PodFolio front and back

This alone may be enough of a deal breaker for those who prefer a more tactile interaction with their iPod, like we do, or those who find themselves frequently fiddling with the click wheel to fine tune volume or manually select the next song. Otherwise, if the basic appearance of DLO's PodFolio is to your liking, there's really no surprises to be had here.