Speck Products ToughSkin employs the same silicone formula for protecting your 4G iPod and iPod mini as the company's regular skins but more than doubles the thickness of the skin, giving you increased protection from damage and a more ruggedized look. The ToughSkins also sport clear plastic screen and click wheel protectors, the latter flipping down when you want to access the iPods controls.

On top of the extra protection that the thicker silicone in the ToughSkin delivers, the extra material also makes for a better fitting case, one that's less prone to the stretching and resulting not-quite-perfect fit that other skins are vulnerable to. While you may or may not like the ruggedized look of the ToughSkin, you are bound to appreciate the quality feel and construction.

ToughSkins are available for all capacity 4G iPods and the iPod mini. 4G iPods slide easily into the Tough Skin through an opening at the top, while getting the iPod mini into its ToughSkin is a little trickier as you stretch the docking-port sized opening at the bottom to as wide as the mini itself .

Removing the iPod mini from its ToughSkin is even more of a chore, which is something to keep in mind if you plan on using any accessories with your ToughSkin-protected iPod, since anything more than a basic dock plug is almost guaranteed to require removing your iPod from its case.

At a nickel under $35 Speck's ToughSkins are more expensive that ordinary cases, but deliver enough extra protection to warrant the premium. A basic belt clip is also included in the mix, and they are available in a number of different colors