Raise your hand if you're still using the original iPod earphones with your beloved music player. Now keep your hand up if you've ever had to pull them out of your pocket as a mess of intertangled wire. If your hand is still up, SendStation would like you to consider earBuddy.

earBuddy, in orange/silver and black

Dubbed "body armor for your buds", each earBuddy is constructed from rugged balistic nylon and features an ABS plastic reel inside for securing your buds and wrapping the wire around. This isn't your grandfather's basic zippered pouch. Speaking of zipper, earBuddy's is comfortably sized and slides easily—these things count in an earphone case.

earBuddy owes its tiny stature to its taller dimensions, although this is partly an illusion because of how small the footprint is (XtremeMac's case appears flatter but is actually the same height). The height does make it a little less apt to fit in a tight pocket, however. SendStation suggests keeping the earBuddy on your keyring, but again its dimensions will make that less than ideal for many.

The real question is whether spending $15 on a case that protects earbuds that cost only marginally more than that is worth it. The quality is certainly there to merit the price tag, but like a Bentley, earBuddy may not be for everyone, especially when you consider that a basic case from Griffin Technology can be had for the same price with its EarJams.

One should also keep in mind that tucking your earbuds away in the earBuddy also takes about 10 to 15 seconds, not much time—and often less than how long it takes to untangle earphonese—but still a good deal more than simply stuffing them in your pocket when you're on the run.

Bottom Line

Some people undoubtedly feel that an earphone case is superfluous, regardless of price, but for those who don't earBuddy is one of the best earphone case we've come across to date.