Apple has consistently won design awards for the iPod; third-party case manufacturers have yet to win one. This begs the question as to why so many cases on the market take the beautiful iPod and wrap it in less-than-beautiful leather, polyurethane, neoprene, silicone, or fabric digs. While not an answer to that question, Griffin's iClear case is certainly a good alternative, packing plenty of protection for your iPod in a package that only marginally detracts from a naked iPod's good looks.

Griffin Technology's iClear

The iClear is available for fifth-generation iPods (30GB/60GB/80GB) and immediately scores high marks for supporting both sizes of iPods in one box: there's no need to track down a case that fits the thinner 30GB iPod as opposed to the 60GB/80GB models.

The iClear employs a two-piece interlocking design: place your iPod in the top, crystal clear piece, and then snap the appropriate-sized translucent backing to it. The design is exceptionally solid: separating the two pieces is practically impossible without using a coin in one of the two small slots at the bottom of the case to pop the two pieces apart.

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The bottom of the iPod sits practically flush with the case and has a wide opening, ensuring compatibility with most dock connector accessories. Similarly, the cut-outs on the top for the Hold switch and headphone jack are large enough for easy access (Hold switch) or to fit virtually all headphone connectors, including L-shaped plugs and plugs that are considerably wider in diameter than Apple's own.

The Bottom Line

As a minimalist case, the iClear is as close to perfect as you can get. If extras like a belt-clip or built-in stand are not important to you, the iClear should cover your needs, offering excellent protection in a case that barely detracts from the iPod's good looks and only adds a marginal amount of thickness to the dimensions.

iClear is also available for first-generation iPod nanos.