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.

 

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.