Marware Sportsuit Convertible for iPhone

Marware has taken their traditional design for the iPod—the Sportsuit Convertible—and applied it to the iPhone in an ingenious manner, but it does have some features that might make it less than optimal.

The Sportsuit

The Sportsuit Convertible is not a recycled design that was instantaneously applied to the iPhone overnight. Instead, Marware kept the best elements from the design and added some goodies.

Besides the sleeve that does the dirty work of protecting your iPhone, Marware includes the traditional armband and multi functional clip that allows the sleeve to work with many of the accessories sold by the company. The armband attaches onto the iPhone easily, but as with any accessory that utilizes the multi functional clip system, it takes a bit of effort to remove (such as pushing the headphone plug and pushing down on the button that retains the awesome hold).

Comprised of a soft neoprene enclosure, the Sportsuit does an excellent job of covering your iPhone and protecting it from the elements, but the vinyl cover that protects the screen tends to cling to not only the iPhone screen, but also any debris that made its way into the case prior to fitting it on.

The Sleeve

The sleeve works and is very comfortable. It allows access to the controls even though they are covered. The areas where they reside are labeled with drawn on labels that aren’t sized down. The only difficult thing about this setup is not being able to tell if the ringer is off; changing it is somewhat difficult and could wear out the case if the switch is turned on and off with force or with a fingernail.

Like I said earlier, the vinyl cover sticks to everything, and it’s not so much that it attaches to the screen with air bubbles, but tiny particles such as lint from the sleeve get attached on the inside, making it very difficult to clean out. This is the only downside and one that can’t be fixed unless the cover is changed.

The Clip

My previous review of the Sidewinder for the iPhone implemented a similar clip system as demonstrated here in the Sportsuit, but there is a radical difference as the latter has a much stronger clip. Which is a great improvement since the Sidewinder already has a strong enough clip, one that survives a bumpy bike ride.

The clip slides on using a patent pending system. It’s much easier to slide on and remove when the iPhone is not occupying the case, but when inside it requires more effort since the back puffs up due to the clip’s curved design.

The Armband

The main selling point of the Sportsuit Convertible is the armband, which makes the iPhone easy to use in a sport oriented environment. The armband is very comfortable and still just as snug as other armbands that are made of rougher material.

The armband uses the same sliding system as the clip does but is much easier to mount, whether or not the iPhone is in the sleeve. The armband uses a flat surface rather than the clip’s curved design.

The band is longer than others I’ve used, but it also includes a small groove where it can slide over a small pouch that slides on.

Extras

Besides the main goodies, not much else is included, save for a few instruction booklets (which are about the size of a 2G iPod Nano, in paper form) and a small pouch that slides onto the band. The opening is very small and prompts the question, “What is this thing and why does it appear to be useless?”

On the flip side, it does stretch out which makes it easy to insert small (and I mean small) objects into, and it makes a great holder to stick your headphones in during the off times you aren’t listening to music.

Pros
Comfortable sleeve
Very easy to hold with clip on or off
Clip is very strong
iPhone is kept snug
Can be charged with case on
Armband is tight but not too tight

Cons
Vinyl cover very clingy
Side could be worn off from constant button sliding