Otter Box iPod Case (Available in 20gb and 30/40/60gb Versions)
www.OtterBox.com
Price: $ 49.95

The Otter Box iPod Case has recently been remade. The new version has been improved based on comments about the previous case and now also comes in retail packaging. Otter Box has always been known for making cases for the extreme environments and this iPod case is no exception. The whole case is sealed and water proof to 1 meter, plus this new version even uses a special plug for you headphones so you are actually plugging your headphones into the case instead of the iPod itself, this means that any headphones will work with this case, unlike the last Otter Case that was limited to ones that could fit inside the case. Now enough talk, on to the review.

The case comes in a great looking blister pack. The case is easily visible from the outside of the packaging and it is a very nice looking presentation. Inside the blister pack, you will find the case itself with belt clip, and inside the case are foam inserts to adjust the depth of the case (for different iPods) and the instruction manual.

To get started you will want to get the number of foam inserts you need depending on your iPod.  The foam inserts are labeled so you know how many you need depending on your iPod, they also each have a sticky pad that you can use to stick them together so they do not slide around in the case (for me, I prefer just to set them in the case as they still seem to stay snuggly in place). After putting the foam inserts in place, you will want to slide your iPod into the case.  One thing you should note is that the case does not flip entirely open, it only opens a bit to let your iPod slide in. This is partly because on the top is the headphones assembly that puts the headphone port on the out side of the case. To put your iPod in the case you need to slide it in carefully and line it up with the headphone prong on the inside of the case. The prong slides into the headphone jack and then you can close the case and snap the case closed. It is a bit of a tight fit, but this keeps your iPod from moving around in the case.

Once in the case, the iPod is totally protected from the environment. On the outside of the case you find the headphone jack on top, the click wheel has a thin protector over it, and the screen is visible through the clear plastic. On the back of the case you will also find a removable belt clip. The belt clip is a good wide clip so that it can easily distribute and hold the weight of the case and iPod on your belt without flopping all over. A neat feature of the belt clip is that it doubles as a area to wrap your headphones around for storage (as seen in the picture below). Another thing to note about the design of the case is that the case is all clear. This looks very nice and shows off your iPod unlike most cases which cover up the beauty of the iPod!

In use I like the new click wheel protector and the clarity of the case. It is easy to scroll through your songs and at the same time, the case does not decrease the quality of the screen even with the iPod Photo! The fit is perfect with the iPod and it does not move around in the case nor does it have any tendency to scratch the iPods casing.

Overall I really liked this case. It provided great protection and had no apparent issues. It is an improvement over OtterBox's past iPod case (also reviewed on our site) and this case will truly protect your iPod from anything!

Pros:

• Clear so you can see your iPod
• Totally protects your iPod from the elements (water proof to 1 meter)
• External Headphone jack so headphone area is totally sealed and any headphones work with the case

Cons:

• Bulkier then most cases
• Not exactly pocket sized

Thanks to Otter Box for the Review Sample!