My Favorite iPod Cases

I've seen a lot of iPod cases in my day, but none that have transformed my portable player as much as the one I just got from iFrogz. These rubberized cases are distinctive not only for their looks, which are entirely created by buyers who go to the site, but also for their durability (I no longer worry about dropping my iPod on a marble floor, because rubber is extremely shock resistant).

I just got an 80GB iPod and desperately needed a case for it, so last week, I played around with the various color combinations and click-wheel cover options on the iFrogz site for nearly an hour. Finally, I settled on a brown case with an orange band (for the side) and a wheel cover with a vinyl-record illustration on it. (It goes nicely with my brown and orange kicks.) But plenty of other masculine and feminine colors are available, as well as five or six dozen wheel cover designs (everything from peace signs and the Mona Lisa to sunflowers and soccer balls).

Just click on your preferences, go to the checkout, and the $29 case arrives about five days later. The cases also come with an iPod screen-cleaning cloth and a transparent-plastic backing to place over the front of your iPod, which will really protect it forever. It fits surprisingly well—I don't even notice it's there, something that's particularly important for video. iFrogz also offers cases for Minis, Nanos, and older-generation iPods.

Half the fun is in building the custom case, which is why gift certificates from this place make great presents.

Surprisingly, I see so many people carry around iPods au naturel. I see the appeal in keeping the player small (and it certainly is nice to look at), but scratches do happen and you're screwed if you drop it on, say, a marble floor.

I think the iFrogz cases are really hip and personal. Anybody seen any other durable-yet-cool cases they'd recommend?