If you have an ipod, you probably have several skins. Skins perform two functions: 1) they protect your ipod from minor drops and scratches, 2) they personalize its looks. This particular skin is outstanding:

Available items: This skin is made for the ipod mini and the ipod 40/60G. In each size, it is available in blue (rebel), green (verve), or hot pink (diva). The skins are identical (obviously, except for size). The white portion of the skin glows in the dark, which is kind of nice for people who like to listen to their music in bed or in a car at night.

The skin itself: This skin is thick rubber/silicone material, which fits the ipod like a glove. I tried to measure it with a ruler, and it comes up just a hair short of 1/8" -- at least as twice as the other skins we own, which means better protection for the ipod. It adds a noticeable bit of bulk to the ipod. The thickness also leads me to believe this skin'll last longer than its thin counterparts. The skin has little rubber "nubs" on the sides, which help you keep a good grip on the ipod, meaning fewer drops. Then there are tiny holes in the back -- I'm guessing these are to prevent the ipod from becoming hot during use, but I'm not 100% certain. The ipod simply slides into the skin through the opening for the screen -- no closures of any type.

Click-wheel cover: There's a swirly, color-coordinated click-wheel cover, a thin piece of plastic that covers and protects the click-wheel, yet still allows the user to change the song or the volume with the touch of a finger. We found the click-wheel cover a little difficult to get into position -- it wants to slide as you pull the skin on, but it's not hard to manage by any means.

Then there's a screen protector -- a piece of colored plastic, which protects the delicate screen from scratches. Ever attentive to details, the designers included four little nubs, which hold the plastic cover just barely above the screen -- so that nothing touches the screen itself. Oddly, one of our skins came with a clear plastic cover, the other came with a color-coordinated screen; If you have a choice, I suggest you opt for the clear plastic --the screen is a little hard to read through the colored plastic.

Finally, this product includes a clear plastic belt clip on the back. This clip can be removed when the owner doens't want the bulk. When the clip is removed, though, there is a "slit" in the back of the skin -- it's not an opening, just a slit.

Looks: When this skin is in place, it totally covers the ipod; when it's in place, you cannot tell that our mini is silver or that our full-sized ipod is white. The ipod is totally "personalized". I don't think this skin design is either feminine (except for the pink version) or masculine, old or young -- it's just a nice, basic design.

Protection: When the skin, the click-wheel protector, and the screen protector are in place, this ipod is 100% covered (except for the spot at the top where you plug in the ear buds and the on-off switch on top). There's a flap at the bottom, which lifts up so that you can recharge the ipod without removing the skin.

I bought both of my iSkin Wild Sides from ebay, and they each cost about $10; however, they are more like $25-30 on the websites that sell ipod accessories.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this iSkin Wild Skin. It's a well-made product that'll protect your ipod in style.


Recommended: Yes