The Zebra Zero case we reviewed a couple of issues ago made quite a splash when it was first unveiled. Having wooden parts is still fairly unusual for Raspberry Pi cases, although the Zebra Zero is wooden (albeit with a plastic centre). The Nucleus Zero, though, is completely wooden, through and through. Sure, the screws are metal, but it even comes with wooden spacers. Very cool.

The design is very funky, with lots of asymmetrical cuts in the material that give an effect of naturally grown wood, but also allow for some airflow to the chips on the board. Very clever. There’s easy access to the three main ports on the side; in fact, the way the wood is cut for these ports and the SD card slot, it’s pretty easy to figure out how it’s meant to be constructed. It’s only three pieces, after all.

Access to the SD card is a little tricky compared to the bare board, and you’ll curse cutting your nails short if you’re in the habit of taking the card out regularly. Not everyone needs to do this often, though, and it’s still quite possible. One thing unique about the Nucleus is that the GPIO holes are completely covered up by the case. For some this won’t be a problem, and it’s nice that this is an option if you don’t plan to use them. There are plenty of other cases out there that open up the GPIO, such as the aforementioned Zebra Zero, so we’re not too bothered about it. In fact, we like it as an alternative for certain Pi Zero projects.

This is a pretty sturdy and very protective case for the Zero, then. It’s nice and cheap, too, especially as it’s made of quite nice-looking wood (it’s still laser-cut, of course). Really, it’s just an eye-catching case and if a full-coverage case is what you’re looking for, then maybe it’s the one for you.

Last word

4/5

A nice alternative case, whether for the wooden construction or for the full coverage of the Pi Zero. It's well designed, while still looking great.