If you want GREAT full-time protection for you iPod, this is the case for you.
Pros:
- The most practical and amazing example of the type of protection that this case DOES provide is that it saved my 30gig iPod photo from a fall from my bike (on a paved road) at somewhere between 25-30 mph. At the time, I could tell where the case contacted the ground. However after months, I can't tell anymore. The case is extremely durable and resilient. (Just a side note, the reason for the fall was not a clip failure, it was "operator" error...a lapse in judgment over where I put it to begin with.)
- The clip is rock solid and I wouldn't believe it would fail apart from some serious stress being place on it.
- Protection of display and wheel is excellent provided you use the clear plastic protectors that it comes with.
Cons:
- Due to the rubberized material that the ToughSkin is made of, it's difficult to "slide" this into a pocket. It's a grippy material and will grab as you attempt to slid it into a pocket (if you're not using the clip).
- Also due to the rubberized material, the plastic wheel and display protectors CAN be removed, yanked, or knocked off. When it hit the deck from the fall from my bike, they both got knocked off. However due to the raised bump design, there was still not any damage to the iPod or the case itself.
- It's a bit bulkier than most of the iPod cases I've seen - again the point is protection and not a "sleek" design.
In short, I very seriously doubt that there are many cases (if any) that can protect your investment this well. I will never be without a toughskin...
Average Rating:
Brand: Speck Products
Model: TS-ORANGE-4G
Product Description:
The ToughSkin ruggedized iPod cover provides rugged protection and fashion for your iPod. Its one-of-a-kind design customizes the popular rubberized skin for extreme lifestyles. It's the only skin to feature ruggedized bumpers, screen protection, scroll wheel protection, and a detachable belt clip. If you're tough on your stuff, the ToughSkin is right for you. All Speck iPod Skins are made out of a superior shock-absorbing, tear-resistant KRATON plastic, which is easy to put on and will last a long time.PRODUCT FEATURES: Rubberized bumpers provide extra protection; Removable plastic screen & scroll wheel protectors; Detachable belt clip; Fits all 4G & Photo iPods- 20, 30, 40, 60 GB; Soft, tactile grip & feel.For a complete compatibility list please refer to the original manufacturer's web site.
Features:
- Rubberized bumpers provide extra protection from scratches and bumps.
- Includes removable plastic screen & scroll wheel protectors.
- Detachable belt clip.
- Fits all 4G iPods (20 & 40GB) AND iPod Photo (40 & 60GB) models
- Soft, tactile grip & feel
Available at Amazon
List Price: USD 34.95
Lowest New Price: USD 3.78
Customer Reviews
Does a good job, but is bulky and a expensive
This is a good skin in that it protects your ipod and quite well. I don't currently use or plan on using a dock in the future, so I'm not all that concerned about the fact that this skin probably won't fit onto a dock.
Positives:
Great protection comes with screen protector & scroll wheel protector. In addition, unlike some other silicone skins I've tried, this actually secures the ipod quite nicely.
Color-I love the orange (I go to UofI-UC and orange is our school's color). Sporting the orange skin is kind of trivial but kind of cool at the same time :)
Belt clip: I usually wear basketball shorts (and they almost never have pockets) so having the belt clip is a nice plus.
Negatives:
I have a 30G photo and this skin makes the ipod twice the size. This skin was mainly designed for the bulkier 40GB older ipods, and a piece of plastic (that comes with the package) is placed inside the skin to support smaller ipods (20GB black and with/30GB photo) to prevent them from jiggling around or slipping out of the case.
If you just stick this skin into your regular pants/shorts it has a tendency to be very difficult to remove, but at the same time, the edges/grooves on the side of the skin make taking the ipod out easier.
Price. For bucks on Amazon, that's a tad expensive. Buy it from the third party resellers, you'll save at least a 1/3 as much depending on who you buy from.
Great protection, but doesn't work with docks
As an ipod cover, this is great - especially the hard plastic covering the screen and click wheel. However, the reinforced corners are too thick to fit onto my home and car docking systems.
I Like It, I Like It
Reasonable protection and access. Actually (w/o the scroll wheel protector) it is actually much easier for me to use the scroll wheel, which surprised me. The belt clip is well designed to hold the iPod securely, but also it rotates the iPod to a more comfortable position when you sit down. It releases the iPod fairly easily when you need to see to change settings. Feels good and for me Orange is the most fun color (I would have liked Lime Green). Sitting on my desk the belt clip, when it is attached, is like a modified stand and this makes the iPod easier for me to deal with. I like it, I like it.
ps-A few weeks later: I still agree with everything I said, but I had to replace the clear plastic screen protector (which started to rub and thus scratch the screen) with Apple's Crystal Film.
