There’s no denying the Switch is a sexy piece of hardware with it’s slim form factor and “grown up” look. It’s a far departure from what most of Nintendo’s consoles have looked like in the past, especially when compared to the company’s handheld designs. I’ve managed to add splashes of color here and there with my modded Joy-Cons, but the selection of cases have always left a lot to be desired for me. The offerings at launch were especially slim, as to be expected, but the case I picked had an aesthetic I liked and got the job done for the time being.
The problem was, the more and more I took my Switch with me to and from work and along on my travels, the more I realized how bulky my case was. I wanted something that had a low profile but also offered some form of protection. Since the Switch and it’s case would primarily live in my bag, I decided a pouch/sleeve would be just what I was looking for. Naturally the first place I decided to look was on Amazon and, while I found the selection of cases to be rather slim, I eventually settled on a black neoprene sleeve. I’ll be honest—I didn’t like it at all, but it got the job done and it made commuting with my Switch significantly easier. With that said, it was kind of an embarrassment to take out in public because it screamed “cheap ass”. Not only that, but the game card holder was a joke as I soon realized, and I lost my Mario Odyssey game card because of it.
And so it went that way for the better part of a year until I stumbled upon Kirk Hamilton’s article on Kotaku about Waterfield’s City Slicker case for Switch. I was immediately drawn into the case’s leather accents and sophisticated look. This design philosophy is something that I learned extends to all of the bags/pouches/cases that Waterfield sells. The thing is, as beautiful and sleek as the City Slicker Case is, it’s still a little too bulky for my needs. That’s when I stumbled upon their Switch Pouch which I’m reviewing now. Before I dive in with my thoughts, it’s worth pointing out that Waterfield offers a pretty robust selection of Switch bag designs that offer varying amounts of storage to fit whatever kind of traveling gamer you are.
I’m reviewing the Waterfield Switch pouch, as seen above. The pouch is available in a few materials from leather in varying colors, to ballistic nylon, and waxed canvas. I went for the waxed canvas and sprung for the optional leather card holder (which also comes in multiple colors) after losing my copy of Odyssey. Each pouch is handmade and features a self-locking zipper to prevent your switch from accidentally slipping out of your case. It’s one of those features you won’t think about or realize you needed until the moment it saves your handheld that still doesn’t offer cloud backups for your save files. The pouch is also lined with an enviously soft plush liner to keep things scratch free while a compartment along the front is available for additional storage with three small elastic pockets. While I haven’t found a use for the pockets, I do store my earbuds in the front and there’s probably enough room to store a few loose games, although I don’t recommend it. The pocket isn’t big enough to store the game card holder, which is kind of a bummer, but I just store mine in the pouch underneath my Switch. The overall dimensions of the case are 10.5” x 1.5″ x 5″ (L, W, H) with a weight of 4oz or 1/4 lbs without anything inside. Along with color options and the choice of adding a game card holder, you can add an optional carabiner, but since mine is living in my bag, I personally have no use for one.
As you can see above, the stitching and materials look beautiful and both the case and the card holder are exceptionally well crafted. The holder definitely has a snug grip, but I found loosening the openings a bit with my finger before inserting a game made it easier to use. After about a month I’m more than happy with my purchase and I would (and have) recommend it to people looking for a nice way to carry around your Switch, some earbuds, and a few games around with you in an easy, low-profile way. I love it so much that I’m also eyeing up some of their backpack offerings which are also absolutely beautiful, albeit a lot more expensive.
