Reviews

iSkin Duo for the iPod Nano

February 2, 2006

There are many different case philosophies—some people don’t use a case at all, some folks use metal hard cases for ultimate protection, and most folks fall between those two extremes since they want basic protection while preserving ease of use. The iSkin Duo has just about everyone covered, and might even convert some folks who typically use metal cases. Why?

For starters, the style of this case is simply top-notch. Then there’s the slim profile, the extra protection for click wheel and screen, and even the great “feel” of the case. As you might expect, the Duo is actually made of two layers of silicone. Aside from the obvious style boost with the two color combination, the dual layers work together to provide extra protection in an ingenious way. The first photo shows the Nano in just one layer of the case, the lime green interior layer. In this case alone the Nano is fairly well protected, with the click wheel covered The hold switch, sync/charge port, and headphone jack are all left open, as is the screen. This offers the slimmest possible profile while still protecting the Nano from cosmetic damage.

Add the second layer of blue silicone skin and the Nano is now very well protected, including the screen. That’s because the Duo has a “floating” hard plastic screen protector that fits between the two silicone layers. That means the protector never comes into contact with the delicate screen of the device, but also completely seals it. The outer layer also adds flexible covers for the sync/charge port and the headphone jack as well; you just bend them out of the way when you need to plug something in. That’s much easier to do with a cable than with a cradle, however. Since the Nano will sit in a 4G full size iPod Dock, I often put my Nano in there to charge, and getting the little port cover pushed out of the way and the Nano plugged in at the same time is somewhat challenging, but definitely doable. The only area left uncovered is the hold switch, and the opening is as small as possible; you’ll need to push the skin over just a bit to activate the switch, but I didn’t have any difficulty with that.

Like wearing the Nano on your belt, or want to clip it to a bag? No problem, thanks to the integrated belt clip. The retainer fits between the two layers of skin, with only two small nubs sticking out on the back of the case, providing an attachment for the clip. If you don’t want the clip, just remove the hard plastic retainer and you’ll never even know it was there. The clip is fixed, meaning that you don’t pinch it to open it, you just slide it onto whatever you want to attach the case. It has a small portion at the bottom that angles in and up, so it won’t come off your bag or belt until you want to remove it. The clip can be manually adjusted across a 180 degree range, but doesn’t swing freely.

I’ve been using this case for several weeks now, and can honestly say I haven’t found anything better for my 4GB iPod Nano. It’s cool (there are even some glow in the dark color combinations available), it covers everything from the screen to the click wheel, and the port covers keep out dust and stray water drops. While this case is NOT designed to be waterproof, I don’t feel anxious about getting caught in the rain. The attention to detail is superb, with the two silicone skin layers fitting together perfectly. There are no gaps or odd joints anywhere on the case, and the special “grippy” areas on each side make it a pleasure to hold. There’s only one improvement I could suggest (and the reason this case doesn’t get a “Perfect 10” rating): there’s no lanyard attachment point. In all other respects this case is simply perfect; I just wish that I had the option to attach a neck lanyard or wrist strap for extra security.

The iSkin Duo for Apple iPod Nano is $29.99, which is exceptionally reasonable considering the fact that you’re getting two cases in one. There are eight different color combinations: Carbon Blast (brown/orange), Blush Rush(pink/white), Arctic Frost (pale blue/clear), Sonic Boom (blue/green), Phantom Rave (black/red), Acid Groove (dark green/light green), Polar Blast (white/blue), and Purple Haze (white/purple). There are also matching Cerulean headphones available that coordinate perfectly and offer great sound and comfort too; you can add a pair to your order for $14.99. Purchase online at the iSkin online store.

I highly recommend both this case and the matching headphones and am proud to affix a “5 Goddess Rating” to this excellent mobile accessory.

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