iStyles Silicone Skin for iPod nano

It’s hard to get a silicone skin wrong — possible, but unlikely. iStyles’s Silicone Skin for iPod nano is another good example, and it comes at a price that won’t break your bank.

The anti-lint coating on iStyles’s skin is nicer than many similar ones I’ve tested; it feels smooth and cool to the touch, without the bizarre tacky sensations that some anti-dust finishes leave. The silicone is reassuringly thick, too, the better to protect against accidental dropping. Holes in the silicone allow access to the screen and hold switch, with the bottom open to get at the headphone jack and dock connector. Once you’ve applied the included protective film to the nano’s screen, you insert and remove the iPod via the case’s screen opening.

I like the fact that the iStyles’s skin provides a depressed groove for the Click Wheel with a raised nub for the central button: It makes it easy to use by touch alone. There’s a hole for a lanyard or wrist strap on the bottom right of the nano, though neither of those accessories is included.

My only complaint with the Silicone Skin is that although the film for the screen is included, it’s not the sturdiest film I’ve come across. Otherwise, give its price, iStyles’s Silicone Skin for iPod nano gives other nano skins a worthwhile run for their money.–Dan Moren