Selecting a Case for your iPod

by: Nick Segrue

The iPod Case:

The iPod Nano was an absolute marvel from Apple, a tiny bit thicker than a credit card and about the same length, so light you barely knew you were holding it yet it had one thing that was the bane of many Nano owners, it scratches like crazy! This prompted many owners to search out a protective case immediately but with over 500 available just for the Nano it can be a minefield to choose yours. Here we want something that will stop the Nano scratching, give it some protection if it falls and of course it must look good!

XtremeMac have been making iPod accessories since 2002 and are dedicated to producing cases and skins of the absolute highest quality. No where is this more recognizable than with their XtremeMac Microglove, a phenomenal invention for the iPod Nano that will go down in iPod Folklore by many of its devotees, available in 5 colours including a gorgeous red and tasty bright green the case provides ample protection for the Nano’s Aluminum casing and has a fantastic look that is instantly recognizable from a distance, they even were generous enough to include a Carabiner for clipping your Ipod nano in its case to your belt loop or rucksack, this case certainly does enough to get our award as the best iPod case on the market.

Another excellent Nano offering from XtremeMac is their Tuffwrap Accent pictured on the left, these are aimed to appeal to all age levels especially younger trendy iPod users. Available in 6 different colour combinations they really did make one for everyone and the protection for your iPod nano is nothing short of outstanding with a firm silicone protecting almost the whole iPod leaving good access to the click wheel and screen and the headphone socket uncovered. Both cases from XtremeMac provide excellent protection as well as great access to the headphone socket.

Our number one case for the 5G Video iPod simply has to be the Tunewear PRIE Tunewallet. Tunwear are a niche company producing a range of accessories from Japan for Apple iPods that are of the highest quality. Never has the iPod been integrated so well into a protective case with room for cards and money as in the case of the PRIE Tunewallet. Made of genuine Nappa leather and priced at £24.99 at most good stores these are also superb value and would not be out of place protecting the Video Ipod of a student or Chief Executive of a large Corporation, they really are wonderful to look at, offer strong protection for the Video iPod and have room for your cards and some money, unbelievable!

For those that like something high tech for their Video iPod and like their accessories strong Matias offer something very special. A full cover case made out of Aircraft Grade Aluminum! Matias have been making their Armour range for Laptops for years but saw an opportunity with the iPod range to get something very special made. They certainly succeeded, a Video ipod incased in a Matias iPod Armour gives the appearance of something completely bombproof and if your iPod gets dumped n a bag or you are accident prone this will certainly keep your Video Ipod in top condition. Inside is a very neat tough almost suede like material to cushion your iPod in the event of any accidents. The headphone port is clear for your listening pleasure but the rest of the iPod is as safe as Fort Knox.

When the iPod Shuffle was released many wandered whether the idea of listening to your music in random order would catch on, it is hard to say what people’s true feeling about random order music was but one thing is sure they bought the value iPof in their thousands as they flew off of our shelves and continue to do so. There are less cases offered for the Shuffle than the Nano and Video but fortunately what we are offered is quality as opposed to quantity in the form of the Griffin iVault. This case is so far ahead of the competition that it is not a competition. Offered in five very eye catching and appealing metallic colours it certainly makes your Shuffle stand out from the crowd. The case screws shut with 4 screws leaving your Shuffle very very secure and still allowing access to the headphone port, control wheel, usb port and LED light. The Shuffle incased in an iVault weighs in at less than 1.5 ounzes so it is still the featherlight Shuffle that you bought it for, a great case from Griffin Technology.