Pros: Three cases for the price of one, access to entire bottom of iPod
Cons: No click wheel protection, some durability issues
The Bottom Line: The Speck SkinTight case isn't perfect, but it's an excellent case for the money, especially if you need access to the entire bottom of the iPod.
When I bought my 30 GB 5G iPod a few months ago, I ran into a dilemma. I knew I needed a case; the iPod scratches if you look at it funny, and I’ve been known to be somewhat clumsy at times, so I wanted to have a silicone case to protect the semi-fragile device from the occasional bump, or worse, drop. The problem was that I’d already purchased a Griffin iTrip for my uncomfortably long commute; I chose the iTrip because I’d had good experiences with the original model on my older iPod, but the newer model requires access to the entire bottom of the iPod, which ruled out a lot of silicone cases, because they, by design, cover as much of the iPod as possible. So, after much research (including a disasterous trip to the Apple Store, where the folks there, despite being nice and incredibly helpful, eventually concluded that I was out of luck), I discovered the Speck SkinTight case. While it’s not perfect, it certainly is an affordable and reasonable case that fits my needs.
The goal of any silicone case is maximum coverage, and the SkinTight does a reasonable job at that, while not going the extra mile that other cases, such as the iSkin evo3, go to. The SkinTight only leaves the click wheel, hold switch and headphone jack exposed. The back and sides of the SkinTight have raised dots to provide a better grip, which also helps prevents some of the aforementioned drops. While some click wheel protection would be nice, it’s understandable, given the design of the case, why one wasn’t included (though if you’re looking for maximum protection for your iPod, this could be a deal-breaker for you).
A clear plastic screen protector is also included that slips between the case and the iPod. The part of the screen protector that actually comes into contact with the iPod is rubberized, so it doesn’t scratch the screen should it move around. (This was a big problem with the iSkin evo2 that I had on my old iPod; the screen protector just had raised plastic bubbles on the corners where it touched the iPod, and thus it slid around a lot and left marks behind.) In fact, once the screen protector is on for a few days, it becomes pretty near immobile; when I removed the case to clean off the iPod, I actually had to peel the screen protector off, though it didn’t leave any marks behind.
The entire bottom of the SkinTight flips open to allow access to the dock connector (and, therefore, to the iTrip and other accessories that require the entire bottom of the iPod to access the dock connector). This isn’t as easy as it could be; the case does live up to its name in that it does cling very tightly to the iPod, and this means that a bit of effort is needed to remove and replace the bottom flap. It’s not extremely inconvenient, but if you’re using the iTrip and undoing and redoing the flap every time you have to get into and out of the car, it can become tedious.
The SkinTight can accommodate both the 30 GB and 60 GB iPods. It comes with a silicone insert that is removed for the 60 GB model and left in for the 30 GB model. I actually like having the insert in; it protects the exposed back of the case when the bottom of the case is open, which is especially important because the case is usually resting on a desk or some other surface when the bottom flap is open.
One big positive for the SkinTight is that it’s much more cost effective than most silicone cases. While most silicone cases run around $30, you can easily find the SkinTight in a pack of three for $20. Each case comes with cases in white, blue, and black. It would be nice if you could get a case of all one color, because the white and blue cases don’t look great with the black iPod, but even if you only use one of the cases, it’s still a good value.
Unfortunately, after six months, I’m already on my second case. The hinge where the bottom flap flips open started to crack from wear, and eventually the SkinTight didn’t fit as snugly on the iPod. I should point out that I am more or less constantly flipping the bottom open and closed to either plug in the iTrip or the charging cable, so your mileage may vary.
All in all, though it certainly has room for improvement, I’m very happy with the Speck SkinTight case. It’s an excellent case (or three) for the money, and it’s done an excellent job of protecting my iPod from the wear and tear of daily use, not to mention at least a couple of otherwise potentially dangerous spills. There are certainly more expensive cases that might protect the iPod slightly better than the SkinTight, but if you’re using an iTrip or any other dock connector accessory, it’s one of the better cases out there.
Great Styling 3-pack of iPod video skins to protect your Apple iPod video from scratches and bumps. iPod video skins to protect your Apple iPod video ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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