Expert's Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
This see-thru plastic hard shell case from Speck will provide ultimate protection for your iPod from scratches and blemishes, and serve as an excellent guard against impacts and compression damage. The top snaps shut once your iPod is inserted, and a small slot allows access to the hold switch, headphone and remote ports. The case completely covers the screen, giving it maximum protection. The click wheel is also protected by hard plastic, yet it flips open to give you instant access to your wheel and the dock port. Moreover, when you flip the case open, it can double as a stand, convenient for desk-use or setting it up on a nightstand.
As protection, this case is remarkably solid. We dropped it from a height of 50 feet onto concrete, and it suffered no noticable impact damage. To test how well it handled compression, we stood on it, putting all of our 155 pounds on top of it, and not even the belt clip broke.
Our one issue was with the fit. The case is designed for both 20 and 30 GB models, yet we found that when we put our 30 GB model in, the case was too loose, in our estimation. When we inserted the included pad–intended for the 20 GB model–the fit was tighter, but then it became very hard to insert or remove the iPod. However, neither of these seemed like a major con.–Mathew Honan