So you just received a Nintendo Switch for Christmas and after digesting your large holiday meal you decide to venture out into the world with your new portable gaming system. But what’s the best way to take your Nintendo Switch with you and keep it protected?
What is the Pouch for Nintendo Switch?
The Pouch for Nintendo Switch by Waterfield is a very basic soft-sided carrying case for your Nintendo Switch. It is called a “pouch” rather than a case or a bag because of its minimalist design. It is designed to have a thin profile so it can easily be carried around in-hand or tossed into a larger bag. The outside of the Pouch is made of one of the following materials (depending on which version you get):
- Premium full-grain leather
- Ballistic nylon
- Waxed Canvas
All of these materials (no matter which you choose) meets the intent of the case, which is to provide some basic protection for your Nintendo Switch while on the go. The Pouch is large enough that you can slide your Switch with both Joy-Cons attached into the pouch. In fact, the zipper on the Pouch wraps around from the top to the side, allowing you to easily slide the Switch into the Pouch from the side rather than having to carefully try to insert the Switch from just the top of the Pouch. This is a nice design touch as the last thing you want to do is risk scratching your Nintendo Switch screen by having to take it in and out of a tight-fitting case.
Speaking of not wanting the scratch your Nintendo Switch screen, its time to talk about the most important design aspect of the Pouch… the internal material. The inside of the Pouch is lined with what is described as a “super-soft, plush liner” but that really doesn’t do it justice. As soon as I unwrapped my Waterfield Pouch from its shipping box and unzipped it and put my hand inside I didn’t want to take my hand back out. In fact, I had to wrestle the Pouch away from my daughter who wouldn’t stop “petting” it. Now you might think that a soft-sided case wouldn’t be the best design choice for carrying around a portable gaming system that had analog controllers (joysticks) protruding up from the device… but you would be wrong. The combination of the protective outer-material of Pouch and the soft inner-lining totally take the analog controllers on the Switch Jo-Cons out of play. Granted, the Pouch still isn’t a hard-sided case so I wouldn’t stick the Pouch in-between a bunch of heavy books in a bag but for general transport and carrying around it provides plenty of protection.
The final design feature of the Pouch is its outer zippered pocket. The pocket has enough room to stow a small pair of headphones, a power cord and a few game cartridges. It has two nylon pouches sewn into the pocket to keep items organized. It’s not a large amount of storage but it is just enough for the essentials.
Verdict:
There are two main use cases for the Pouch. One use is carrying the Pouch in your hand or tucked under your arm as you go from place to place. The other use is to toss the Pouch into a larger bag for longer trips. So far my use for the Pouch as been for very local trips, my most memorable being the premier of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I was expecting a pretty full movie theater so I got the family there well before the movie was scheduled to start. We picked out our seats, bought our drinks and snacks and settled in. I was able to slip my Nintendo Switch out of the Waterfield Pouch and it provided my family a little bit of entertainment as we passed it around before the main attraction started.
I opted for the waxed canvas outer material for the review unit that Waterfield sent me and I was so impressed with the look and feel that I bought my wife a Waterfield MacBook Sleevecase for Christmas made out of the same waxed canvas material. What I love about the waxed canvas is that it looks like something that a Pony Express rider would tuck under his arm or a bag that Indiana Jones would use to store newly “acquired” relics… not something that you would carry around your latest portable gaming system in. Unassuming, I think that is the word I’m looking for. After all, why draw any more attention to your expensive portable electronic device than you have to?
Even if you don’t opt for the waxed canvas, you can’t go wrong with either of the other outer material options… the ballistic nylon or the full-grain leather. We recently reviewed Waterfield’s Multiplayer Pro Nintendo Switch bag and the materials used on that bag were of exceptional quality as well (waxed canvas and leather accents). Starting at just $49, you really can’t go wrong with the Waterfield Pouch for Nintendo Switch as a slim yet stylish protective case so you can quickly pack up and take your Switch with you wherever you go.
Disclaimer: Waterfield sent me a Waxed Canvas Nintendo Switch Pouch to use so I could write this review.
Sure it’s handmade and uses high-quality materials, but relative to what else is available on the market, it’s horribly overpriced. You’re paying $50 for a mediocre case/pouch made of really nice leather, not $50 for a really outstanding functional and well-designed case/pouch.
I’m happy with my $17 hard case that reliably and safely protects and carries the Switch with attached joy-cons, 20 games, charger, charging cable, stand, joy-con straps, etc., and looks great doing it.
Not even leather, but canvas*
G, I’m glad you found an economical case that works for you. Not everybody wants a hard case though and the Waterfield Pouch is great for people that want something a little bit different. I also like the fact that when I carry it around the case isn’t screaming at everyone “look, I have a Nintendo Switch.” A lot of the hard cases out there make it pretty obvious what you are carrying (and depending on where you are you might not want the world to know you are carrying around a $300 gaming system and close to a $1000 worth of games). That would make for a very tempting grab and run.