iPod Armor
Review

iPod Armor
Company: Matias Corporation

Price: $30 – $50, depending on model

http://www.ipodarmor.com

Want to protect your Pod from everything and everyone, especially yourself? Or provide solid coverage while Podding out and about? iPod Armor is your solution.

The iPod Armor has an attractive brushed aluminum finish. I especially liked the raised embossed outlines of the click-wheel and the screen. As expected, my 4G iPod fits perfectly, and there is a removable soft plastic plug covering a slot that allows access to the iPod’s docking port.

The front and back sections of iPod Armor are hinged together with a piano hinge at the bottom, thus allowing the front cover to flip back towards you. When the case is closed, it shuts with a loud SNAP sound.

Points off: I found the edges of the hinge to be sharp. The hinge wasn’t sharp enough to cut, but it was unpleasantly sharp. The manufacturer should round off those hinge ends. The metal interior also has a sharp feel, and could be rounded for safety.

The snap that keeps the Armor closed is too tight for my taste. While it’s great that the cover will never, ever, NEVER pop open accidentally, I needed to use more force than expected to get the case open. Nemo disagrees, and finds the tight fit “just right” for his brute strength.

iPod Armor just begs to be used with the Apple iPod remote. With a remote, the fact that you can’t access the iPod at all when the Armor is closed is less of a problem. Be advised that you can’t adjust settings or choose playlists with the remote, so you don’t have full control of the iPod when the Armor is closed.

Grumbles aside, iPod Armor is probably the next best thing to storing an iPod in either a bank vault or an Abrams battle tank. I’m getting the nerve up to try driving my car over an Armor-encased iPod. I’ll have to convince Nemo to offer up his iPod for the test drive. If he agrees, we’ll report back.

(Ha, says Nemo — our review unit is for 4G iPods only, so that leaves your wife’s Pod to test, David. Memo to company: if a 3G iPod Armor is available, I’ll put my Pod inside and whack David’s tender knuckles with it.)

All in all, the iPod Armor is great, but it’s not for me. I prefer easier access to all my iPod controls. For users who value protection over easy access, Matias Corporation’s iPod Armor is the way to go.

Nemo says:

I like it more than David does. iPod Armor fits my lifestyle and sense of design. With its optional heavy-duty clip, iPod Armor will accompany me on my next hike, but I agree about needing to obtain a remote control for the iPod.

For its purpose, iPod Armor is a keeper, so let’s compromise with an enthusiastic rating of 3.5 out of 5.

David Weeks and John Nemerovski