Otter Products, purveyors of fine waterproof protection for your iPod, has your iPod shuffle covered with its recently launched OtterBox for iPod shuffle. Constructed in a similar fashion as the company's iPod and iPod mini cases (5 stars, August 2005), the grey and clear OtterBox for Apple's smallest iPod is not only a first-rate product but quite possibly the best solution ever for listening to your music in a moisture-laden environment.

Otter Box for iPod shuffle

Undo the secure latch and flip it open and the OtterBox is more than happy to swallow your iPod shuffle whole. Once shut, your iPod shuffle is ready to sleep with the fishes. OtterBox only guarantees its coffin to depths of 3 feet, however, which limits it use to lap pools and other surface water activities.

Still, what makes the OtterBox for iPod shuffle superior to its bigger brothers is the diminutive profile that your music player still maintains. Granted, the gum-sized shuffle swells to the size of a Snickers bar inside the OtterBox but it remains more than portable for active and even daily use, even if there is no water nearby. A very comfortable and very optional neoprene armband only underscores this point and proved its convenience both in and out of the pool.

OtterBox front and back

Otter Products has also done an excellent job with keeping all of the iPod shuffle's controls easily accessible?even the battery status button and LED remain accessible and visible. Toggling the iPod shuffle on and off is also a snap, even if you want to set it to the middle non-shuffle playback mode.

Opened up, with lanyard attached

At about $30 the OtterBox is priced the same as Apple's Sport Case but delivers far more functionality. And, yes, a removable lanyard is included. If you wish to subject your iPod shuffle to any extreme conditions the Otter Box is your best bet by far. The $15 armband isn't cheap, but we wouldn't buy one without it, either.

Optional armband